Keystone XLB-3

XLB-3

XLB-3A
Role	Light bomber
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Keystone Aircraft
First flight	ca. December 1927
Number built	1

The Keystone XLB-3 (originally built under the Huff-Daland name) was a prototype bomber biplane developed in the United States in the late 1920s. It was a twin-engine development of the single-engine LB-1, brought about by a change in policy by the USAAC.

Design and development

The shift from a nose-mounted engine to engines mounted in nacelles on the lower wing created an opportunity to provide stations for two extra crewmembers: a bombardier and a nose-gunner, bringing the total to five. The LB-1's single tailfin and rudder was augmented by an extra rudder either side of it.

Operational history

A single prototype was constructed, and delivered to the USAAC for evaluation at the end of 1927. Evaluation, however, showed that performance was actually inferior to that of the single-engine LB-1. The decision was taken to change the XLB-3's water-cooled Liberty engines for air-cooled radials, at which point it was redesignated XLB-3A. With performance still unsatisfactory, development was abandoned in favor of a parallel design, the LB-5.

Variants

XLB-3 - original version with Allison VG-1410 air-cooled inverted V-12 engines (1 built)
- XLB-3A - version with Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engines (1 converted from XLB-3)

Specifications (XLB-3A)

Data from Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: Five - pilot, copilot, bombardier, two gunners
Length: 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
Wingspan: 67 ft 0 in (20.42 m)
Height: 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m)
Wing area: 105.8 ft² (1,038 m²)
Empty weight: 6,065 lb (2,756 kg)
Gross weight: 11,682 lb (5,310 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340, 410 hp (305 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 116 mph (186 km/h)
Range: 544 miles (870 km)
Service ceiling: 11,210 ft (3,400 m)
Rate of climb: 550 ft/min (2.8 m/s)

Armament

2 × trainable .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns in open position in nose
2 × trainable .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns in open dorsal position
1 × trainable .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in ventral hatch
2,205 lb (1,000 kg) of bombs

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keystone XLB-3.

Notes

↑ Taylor 1989, p. 559.

Bibliography

Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 899, Sheet 09.

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

USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF bomber designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Original sequences
(1924–1930)

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

Medium Bomber	B-1 B-2

Heavy Bomber	HB-1 HB-2 HB-3

Main sequence
(1930–1962)

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
FB-111

Long-range Bomber
(1935–1936)

Non-sequential

Redesignated A-series	B-20 B-26

Tri-Service sequence
(1962–current)

See also: SR-71 (designation in bomber sequence)
2037 Bomber

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