Keystone B-3

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The Keystone B-3 was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps in the late 1920s. It was originally ordered as the LB-10A (a single-tail modification of the Keystone LB-6), but the Army dropped the LB- 'light bomber' designation in 1930.

Though the performance of the B-3 was hardly better than that of the bombers flown at the end of World War I, it had come a long way. In terms of its safety, it was far superior to its oldest predecessors.

The B-3A was the last biplane disbanded by the Army; it remained in service until 1940. A few years after it was first produced, a revolution in airplane design rendered it almost completely obsolete.

[edit] Units using the B-3

[edit] United States Army Air Corps

4th Composite Group
6th Composite Group
19th Bombardment Group

[edit] Specifications (B-3A)

General characteristics

Crew: 5
Length: 48 ft 10 in (14.9 m)
Wingspan: 74 ft 8 in (22.8 m)
Height: 15 ft 9 in (4.8 m)
Wing area: 1,145 ft² (106.4 m²)
Empty weight: 7,705 lb (5,875 kg)
Loaded weight: 12,952 lb (5,875 kg)
Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-1690-3 radial engines, 525 hp (392 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 114 mph (98 kt, 183 km/h)
Cruise speed: 98 mph (85 kt, 158 km/h)
Range: 860 mi (760 kt, 1,400 km)
Service ceiling: 12,700 ft (3,870 m)
Rate of climb: 530 ft/min (2.7 m/s)
Wing loading: 11.31 lb/ft² (55.42 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.0811 hp/lb (133 W/kg)

Armament

Guns: 3× .30-calibre (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns
Bombs: 2,500 lb (1,100 kg); 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) on short runs

[edit] External links

[edit] Related content

Related development

Designation sequence

LB-series: LB-7 - LB-8 - LB-9 - LB-10 - LB-11 - XLB-12 - LB-13
B-series: XB-1 - B-2 - B-3 - B-4 - B-5 - B-6

Category: U.S. bomber aircraft 1930-1939