Keystone B-3

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps in the late 1920s.

Design and development

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.

Although the performance of the B-3A 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.

Operational history

The B-3A was the last biplane operated by the US Army; it remained in service until 1940. A few years after it was first produced, the introduction of all-metal monoplanes rendered it almost completely obsolete.

Variants

LB-10: The last of the 17 LB-6s ordered (S/N 29-27) was converted with a re-designed single fin and rudder and two 525 hp R-1750E engines. Delivered to Wright Field on 7 July 1929, it was wrecked on 12 November 1929.
LB-10A: This version used Pratt and Whitney R-1690-3 Hornet engines and was slightly smaller, both wingspan and fuselage. a total of 63 were ordered (S/N 30-281/343). It was re-designated as the B-3A before any deliveries were made, and the final 27 were built as B-5A.
B-3A: 36 delivered as B-3A (S/N 30-281/316). The first aircraft was delivered in October 1930.
B-5A: Ordered as B-3A, re-engined with Wright R-1750-3 Cyclone engines, 27 built (S/N 30-317/343).

Operators

United States

United States Army Air Corps
- 2d Bombardment Group, Langley Field, Virginia
  - 20th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A and B-5A 1931-1932
  - 49th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A and B-5A 1931-1932
  - 96th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A and B-5A 1931-1932
- 4th Composite Group, Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines
  - 28th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1932-1937
  - 2nd Observation Squadron- operated B-3A 1938-1940^[1]
- 5th Composite Group, Luke Field, Territory of Hawaii
  - 23d Bomb Squadron - operated B-5A 1932-1937
  - 72d Bomb Squadron - operated B-5A 1932-1936
- 6th Composite Group, France Field, Panama Canal Zone
  - 25th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1932-1936
- 7th Bombardment Group, March Field, California
  - 9th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1931-1934
  - 11th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1931-1934
  - 31st Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1931-1934
- 19th Bombardment Group, Rockwell Field, California
  - 30th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1932-1936
  - 32d Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1932-1935
- Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas
  - 42d Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A and B-5A 1935-1936

Philippines

Philippine Army Air Corps
- 10th Bombardment Squadron

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 (3,495 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 kn, 183 km/h)
Cruise speed: 98 mph (85 kn, 158 km/h)
Range: 860 mi (760 nmi, 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 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
Bombs: 2,500 lb (1,100 kg); 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) on short runs

References

Notes

↑ "Fact Sheet - Keystone B-3A." National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 18 September 2011.

Bibliography

Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Leicester, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979, pp. 43, 135. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985, p. 2255.
Maurer, Maurer. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Air Force Historical Studies Office, 1982. ISBN 0-89201-097-5.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keystone B-3.

v t e Aircraft produced by Huff-Daland Aero, Keystone Aircraft, and Keystone-Loening

Manufacturer designations	K-47 K-55 K-78 K-84 K-85 Air Yacht Commuter Pathfinder Pronto

Bombers	LB-1 XLB-3 LB-5 LB-6 LB-7 LB-8 LB-9 LB-10 LB-11 LB-12 LB-13 LB-14 XB-1 B-3 B-4 B-5 B-6

Trainers	TA-6 TW-5 AT-1 AT-2 NK

Patrol aircraft	PK

v t e USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF bomber designations 1924–1962

Bomber	B-1 B-2 B-3 B-4 B-5 B-6 B-7 B-8 B-9 B-10 B-11 B-12 B-13 B-14 B-15 B-16 B-17 B-18 B-19 B-20 B-21 B-22 B-23 B-24 B-25 B-26 B-27 B-28 B-29 B-30 B-31 B-32 B-33 B-34 B-35 B-36 B-37 B-38 B-39 B-40 B-41 B-42 B-43 B-44 B-45 B-46 B-47 B-48 B-49 B-50 B-51 B-52 B-53 B-54 B-55 B-56 B-57 B-58 B-59 B-60 B-61 B-62 B-63 B-64 B-65 B-66 B-67 B-68 RB-69 B-70

Light bomber	LB-1 LB-2 LB-3 LB-4 LB-5 LB-6 LB-7 LB-8 LB-9 LB-10 LB-11 LB-12 LB-13 LB-14

Heavy bomber	HB-1 HB-2 HB-3

Long-range bomber	BLR-1 BLR-2 BLR-3

See also: B-20 (redesignation of A-20 in 1948) B-26 (redesignation of A-26 in 1948) SR-71 (designation in bomber sequence) Post-1962 list

v t e Lists relating to aviation

General	Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline

Military	Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned

Accidents/incidents	Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military

Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.