Keystone B-5
{{Infobox aircraft
|name=B-5
|image=Keystone B-5A front left quarter 060421-F-1234P-017.jpg
|caption=Keystone B-5A
|type=Light bomber
|manufacturer=Keystone Aircraft
|designer=
|first_flight=
|introduction=
|retired=
|status=
|primary_user=United States Army Air Corps
|more_users=
|produced=
|number_built= 3 Y1B-5
27 B-5A
|unit cost=
|developed_from=Keystone B-3
|variants=
}}
The Keystone B-5 is a light bomber made by the Keystone Aircraft company 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.
Design and development
Three B-3A (LB-10A) were reengined with Wright R-1750-3 radial engines and were redesignated Y1B-5. The 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.
Operational history
B-5A were first line bombers of the United States for the period between 1930 and 1934. Afterwards, they remained in service primarily as observation aircraft until the early 1940s.
Variants
;LB-14
:Designed as LB-10 with 575 hp (429 kW) Pratt & Whitney GR-1860 engines; three ordered, but redesigned with 525 hp (392 kW) Wright R-1750-3 engines and delivered as the Y1B-5.
;Y1B-5
:Three pre-production aircraft redesignated from LB-14 before delivery.
;B-5A
:Wright R-1750-3 version originally ordered as B-3A, 27 built
Operators
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
Specifications (B-5A)
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp
|ref=
|crew=5
|length ft=48
|length in=10
|length m=14.9
|span ft=74
|span in=8
|span m=22.8
|height ft=15
|height in=9
|height m=4.8
|wing area sqft=1145
|wing area sqm=106.4
|empty weight lb=7705
|empty weight kg=3945
|gross weight lb=12952
|gross weight kg=5875
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=Wright R-1750-3
|eng1 type=radial engines
|eng1 hp=525
|eng1 kw=392
|max speed mph=111
|max speed kts=97
|max speed kmh=179
|cruise speed mph=98
|cruise speed kts=86
|cruise speed kmh=160
|range miles=815
|range nmi=707
|range km=1,310
|ceiling ft=14,000
|ceiling m=4,270
|wing loading lb/sqft=273.3
|wing loading kg/m2=52.22
|power/mass=0.0810 hp/lb (133 W/kg)
|guns=3 × .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns
|bombs=2,500 lb (1,100 kg); 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) on short runs
}}
See also
{{aircontent
|related=
|similar aircraft=
|sequence=
|lists=
}}
External links
{{commons category|Keystone B-5}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040804112845/http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b1-47.htm USAF Museum article on B-5]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20040804090325/http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b1-34.htm USAF Museum article on LB-14]
{{Keystone aircraft}}
{{USAF bomber aircraft}}