Keystone XLB-3

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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. 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.

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 Liberty V-1410 engines (1 built)
** XLB-3A - version with Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engines (1 converted from XLB-3)

pecifications (XLB-3A)

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?= eng

crew=Five - pilot, copilot, bombardier, two gunners
capacity=
length m=13.72
length ft=45
length in=0
span m=20.42
span ft=67
span in=0
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=5.13
height ft=16
height in=10
wing area sqm=1,038
wing area sqft=105.8
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
wing profile=
empty weight kg=2,756
empty weight lb=6,065
gross weight kg=5,310
gross weight lb=11,682
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=2
eng1 type=Pratt & Whitney R-1340
eng1 kw= 305
eng1 hp= 410
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=

max speed kmh=186
max speed mph=116
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
stall speed kmh=
stall speed mph=
range km=870
range miles=544
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=3,400
ceiling ft=11,210
g limits=
roll rate=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=2.8
climb rate ftmin=550
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=2 × trainable .303 Lewis guns in open position in nose
armament2=2 × trainable .303 Lewis guns in open dorsal position
armament3=1 × trainable .303 Lewis gun in ventral hatch
armament4=2,200 lb (1,000 kg) of bombs
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

*
*
* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2427 National Museum of the USAF XLB-3 fact sheet]
* [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2428 National Museum of the USAF XLB-3A fact sheet]
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/lb3.html American Bombing Aircraft]