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Martin NBS-1

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Martin NBS-1
Type Short-range night bomber
Manufacturer Glenn L. Martin Company
Maiden flight September 3, 1920
Introduced 1920
Retired 1929
Status No known survivors
Primary user United States Army Air Service
Produced 1920-1922
Number built 130
Unit cost US$23,485 (1920)

The Martin NBS-1 was a military aircraft of the United States Army Air Service and its successor, the Air Corps. An improved version of the Martin MB-1, a scout-bomber built during the final months of World War I, the NBS-1 was ordered under the designation MB-2 and is often referred to as such. The designation NBS-1, standing for "Night Bomber-Short Range", was adopted by the Air Service after the first five of the Martin bombers were delivered.

The NBS-1 became the standard front-line bomber of the Air Service in 1920 and remained so until its replacement in 1928-1929 by the Keystone Aircraft series of bombers. The basic MB-2 design also was the standard against which prospective U.S. Army bombers were judged until the production of the Martin B-10 in 1933.

Design and development

The NBS-1 was a wood-and-canvas biplane without staggered wings, employing twin rudders on a twin vertical tail. Its two Liberty 12-A engines sat in nacelles on the lower wing, flanking the fuselage. Ordered under the company designation MB-2 in June 1920, the NBS-1 was an improved larger version of the Martin MB-1 bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1918, also known as the GMB or Glenn Martin Bomber. The first flight of the MB-2 took place September 3, 1920.

In addition to more powerful engines, larger wings and fuselage, and simplified landing gear, the NBS-1 also had a unique folding-wings system, hinged outside the engine nacelles to fold backwards for storage in small hangars. Unlike the MB-1, whose engines were mounted between the wings in a fashion similar to the German Staaken R.VI R-bomber, the engines of the NBS-1 were fixed to the lower wing over the landing gear.

The MB-2 was designed as a night bomber and except for a greater load capacity, had reduced performance characteristics compared to its MB-1 predecessor. The first 20 were ordered from the Martin Company, which recommended a further 50 be produced to help its struggling financial condition. However the design was owned by the U.S. Army and subsequent contracts for 110 bombers were awarded by low bid to three other companies: Lowe Willard and Fowler Engineering Company of College Point, New York (35 ordered), Curtiss Aircraft (50), and Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company of Keyport, New Jersey (25).

The engines of the last 20 bombers of the Curtiss order came equipped with turbosuperchargers manufactured by General Electric, the first such modification made in production quantity. Although enabling the NBS-1 to reach an altitude of over 25,000 feet (7,650 meters), the turbosuperchargers were mechanically unreliable and not used operationally.

The bomber was equipped defensively with five .30-calibre (7.62 mm) Lewis machine guns, mounted in pairs in positions in the nose and upper rear fuselage, and singly in a bottom mount firing behind and beneath the rear fuselage.

The first two Martin MB-2s, Air Service s/n AS64195 and AS64196, were retained at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, for R&D flight testing, marked with project numbers P162 and P227 respectively, as was the second NBS-1 (AS64201), marked as P222. Four Curtiss NBS-1s were also assigned to McCook. Photograph of MB-2 AS64195 P162 at McCook Field

Operational history

The NBS-1 was the primary bomber used by Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell during Project B, the demonstration bombing of naval ships in July 1921. Six NBS-1 bombers led by Capt. Walter Lawson of the 96th Squadron, operating from Langley Field, bombed and sank the captured German battleship SMS Ostfriesland on July 21, 1921, using specially-developed 2000-pound (900 kg) demolition bombs externally mounted beneath the fuselage.

Operators

Template:Country data United States

Survivors

There are no surviving original Martin NBS-1 bombers. In 2002, however, a full-scale reproduction went on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, constructed from original drawings.

Specifications (NBS-1)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 4
  • Length: 42 ft 8 in (13.0 m)
  • Wingspan: 74 ft 2 in (22.7 m)
  • Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.8 m)
  • Wing area: 1,121 ft² (104.2 m²)
  • Empty weight: 7,232 lb (3,280 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 12,027 lb (5,460 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Liberty 12-A liquid-cooled V12 engine, 420 hp (325 kW) each

Performance

Armament

  • Guns: 5× .30-calibre (7.62 mm) Lewis machine guns
  • Bombs: 1,800 lb (820 kg) internal; 2,000 lb (900 kg) external


See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

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Lists relating to aviation
GeneralTimeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
MilitaryAir forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable incidents
and accidents		Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths
RecordsFlight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft

References

External links

Template:USAAS bomber aircraft Template:Curtiss aircraft

v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation
GeneralTimeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
MilitaryAir forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable incidents
and accidents		Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths
RecordsFlight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft


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It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Martin NBS-1".


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