Keystone B-3A

Keystone B-3A

Infobox Aircraft
name=B-3A


caption= Keystone B-3A (S/N 30-281), the first B-3A built.
type=Light bomber
manufacturer=Keystone
designer=
first flight=
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=United States Army Air Corps
more users=
produced=
number built=63 B-3A/B-5
unit cost=
variants with their own articles= Keystone B-4
Keystone B-5
Keystone B-6

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

Design 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.

Though 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 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.

Variants

;LB-10:One LB-6 conversion with re-designed single fin and rudder and two 525hp R-1750E engines.;LB-10A:Production version re-designated B-3A before any delivery made.;B-3A:Production version with Pratt and Whitney R-1690-3 Hornet engines, 63 ordered. 36 delivered as B-3A.;B-5A:Production version with Wright R-1750-3 Cyclone engines, 27 delivered.

Operators

;PHI
*Philippine Army Air Corps
**10th Bombardment Squadron;flag|United States|1912
*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 1931-1932
**4th Composite Group, Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines
***28th Bomb Squadron - operated B-3A 1932-1937
**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, Albrook 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
**42nd Bomb Squadron (School, Kelly Field, Texas) operated 1935-1936

pecifications (B-3A)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=5
length main=48 ft 10 in
length alt=14.9 m
span main=74 ft 8 in
span alt=22.8 m
height main=15 ft 9 in
height alt=4.8 m
area main=1,145 ft²
area alt=106.4 m²
empty weight main=7,705 lb
empty weight alt=5,875 kg
loaded weight main=12,952 lb
loaded weight alt=5,875 kg
max takeoff weight main= lb
max takeoff weight alt= kg
number of props=2
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney R-1690-3
type of prop=radial engines
power main=525 hp
power alt=392 kW
max speed main=114 mph
max speed alt=98 kt, 183 km/h
cruise speed main=98 mph
cruise speed alt=85 kt, 158 km/h
range main=860 mi
range alt=760 kt, 1,400 km
ceiling main=12,700 ft
ceiling alt=3,870 m
climb rate main=530 ft/min
climb rate alt=2.7 m/s
loading main=11.31 lb/ft²
loading alt=55.42 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.0811 hp/lb
power/mass alt=133 W/kg
guns=3× .30-calibre (7.62 mm) machine guns
bombs=2,500 lb (1,100 kg); 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) on short runs

External links

* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b3.html Encyclopedia of American Aircraft]
* [http://1000aircraftphotos.com/APS/3517L.jpgPhotograph of B-3 on the ground]
* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2408 USAF Museum article on LB-10]
* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2394 USAF Museum article on B-3]

References

* John Andrade, U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909, Midland Counties Publications, 1979, ISBN 0 904597 22 9 (Page 43 and 135)
* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2255

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Keystone LB-6
* Keystone B-4
* Keystone B-5
* Keystone B-6
sequence=
lists=
* List of bomber aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the United States


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