Keystone B-5

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B-5

Keystone B-5A

Type Light bomber
Manufacturer Keystone
Primary user United States Army Air Corps
Number built 3 Y1B-5
27 B-5A
Developed from Keystone B-3

The Keystone B-5 was a light bomber made for the United States Army Air Corps in the early 1930s. The B-5A was a Keystone B-3A with Wright Cyclone rather than Pratt & Whitney engines.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

Three B-3A (LB-10A) were reengined with Wright R-1750-3 radial engines and were redesignated Y1B-5. The U.S. Army Air Corps changed the design of the last 27 LB-10As on order, replacing the Pratt & Whitney R-1690 radial engines with the Wright R-1750-3. The Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft were designated B-3A, and the Wright-powered aircraft became B-5A. They provided the backbone of the U.S. bomber force from then to 1934.

[edit] Operational history

B-5A were first line bombers of the United States for the period between 1930 and 1934. Later remained in service until the early 1940s serving primarily as observation aircraft.

[edit] Variants

LB-14
As LB-10 with 575hp (429kW) GR-1860 engines but delivered as the Y1B-5.
Y1B-5
Three pre-production aircraft redesignated from LB-14 before delivery.
B-5A
Wright R-1750-3 version of B-3A, 27 built

[edit] Operators

Flag of the United States United States

[edit] Specifications (B-5A)

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 (3,945 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 12,952 lb (5,875 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
  • Powerplant:Wright R-1750-3 radial engines, 525 hp (392 kW) each

Performance

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] See also

Related development

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