[2][3] Barling[4] had previously designed the Tarrant Tabor, which was similar in concept but was destroyed in a fatal nose-over crash on its first flight in 1919.

[N 1] To power the Barling, four 420 hp Liberty engines were mounted between the lower and middle wings in a tractor arrangement, and an additional two in a pusher position.

[6][7] The specification for the aircraft called for it to carry a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) bomb load at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) altitude while maintaining a speed of 100 mph (160 km/h).

The Army Air Corps refused to cover the overrun, and soon after delivery of the aircraft Witteman-Lewis went out of business.

[2][3] On 22 August 1923, the Barling Bomber made its maiden flight from Wilbur Wright Field in Fairfield, Ohio.

On its first flight, it was piloted by Lt. Harold R. Harris, and Lt. Muir S. Fairchild, future U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.

[9] Although capable of carrying a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) bomb load, it was soon discovered that the aircraft was seriously underpowered, and performance was disappointing.

The overly complex structure of three wings and their accompanying struts and bracing wires created so much drag that the six engines couldn't compensate.

In contrast, the "short-range" Martin NBS-1 had a range of about 450 mi (720 km) and could carry a 2,000 lb (910 kg) payload at the same speed.

On a flight from Dayton, Ohio to a scheduled appearance at an airshow in Washington, DC, the Barling Bomber failed to achieve enough height to get over the Appalachian Mountains and had to turn around.

[2][3] A problem with water collecting in the aircraft's wings during rainstorms necessitated the construction of a special hangar at a cost of $700,000.

He submitted a Report of Survey to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, asking permission to salvage parts from the stored bomber, and burn the rest.