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Home > Fact Sheets > Keystone LB-10A
KEYSTONE LB-10A
The Keystone LB-10A was ordered into production in 1930, but the Light Bomber (LB) designation was dropped by the Army Air Corps and the aircraft became the B-3A. The basic LB-10A design would be last biplane bomber ordered by the Army. Although the performance of the LB-10A was little better than aircraft produced 10 years earlier, it was ordered by the conservative Army leadership though the Curtiss B-2 was clearly a better aircraft. One of the reasons given for preferring the B-3A over the B-2 was the B-2 was too large and wouldn't fit into existing hangars.
A revolution in bomber design started in the early 1930s with the introduction of single-wing, all-metal bombers. The Martin B-10 was the first bomber of this new type ordered into production only three years after the LB-10A (B-3A) and had a top speed almost 100 mph faster than the biplane bomber.
| Type |
Number built/
converted |
Remarks |
| LB-10A |
63 |
Built as B-3A |
TECHNICAL NOTES (B-3A):
Armament: Five .30-cal. machine guns and 2,500 lbs. of bombs
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1690-3 Hornet radials of 525 hp each
Top speed: 114 mph at sea level
Cruising speed: 98 mph
Service ceiling: 12,700 ft.
Range: Approx. 850 miles with full bomb load
Span: 74 ft. 8 in.
Length: 48 ft. 10 in.
Height: 15 ft. 9 in.
Weight: 12,952 lbs. gross
Crew: Five
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