| LB-5 | |
|---|---|
 XLB-5 prototype | |
| General information | |
| Type | Light bomber |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Keystone Aircraft Corporation |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | 36 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1927 |
TheKeystone LB-5 (originally ordered under theHuff-Daland name) was a bomber aircraft produced in the United States in the late 1920s. Its manufacturer nicknamed it thePirate, but this name was not officially adopted by theUnited States Army Air Corps (USAAC).
The LB-5 was a member of the family of closely related bomber designs that had debuted with theXLB-1 in 1923, and as such, was a large, single-bay, conventional biplane. Like most of the family, it was a twin-engine machine, with engines mounted innacelles on the lower wing. The prototype XLB-5 had a single tail fin like the XLB-1, the 10 LB-5 production machines were designed with a triple-finned tail under the Huff-Daland name, but the final batch of 25 was redesigned with twin tails and designatedLB-5A.
ItsLiberty L-12 engines featuredduralumin adjustable-pitch propellers built by the Standard Steel Propeller Company ofPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (forerunner of theHamilton Standard Propeller Company). At least nine tests oftensile strength were made of its propeller blades between 1925 and 1927, one of which reported failure after 34 hours of flying time and 10 hours of testing.[1]
On 28 May 1927, while at 1,200 ft (370 m) altitude nearReynoldsburg, Ohio, the XLB-5 prototype (AC serial 26-208) experienced catastrophic failure of its right engine when a blade separated from the hub with explosive power, tearing the engine apart.Shrapnel sprayed the five-man crew, which included2nd Bombardment Group commander MajorLewis H. Brereton, flying co-pilot, and all except the nosegunner immediately parachuted. The nosegunner died in the crash, and the gasoline-soaked wreckage subsequently exploded and burned on the ground.[1]
Data fromNational Museum of the United States Air Force[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
