Keystone XLB-3
Keystone Aircraft · United States · first flew 1927 · bomber
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.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 13.72 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane bomber with two engines in nacelles on the lower wing
- Central tailfin and rudder with an extra rudder on either side
- Nose gunner and bombardier stations in the nose
Look for a twin-engined biplane bomber with the engines on the lower wing and three tail surfaces. The crew was five.
Specifications
- The Keystone XLB-3 has a length of 13.72 m (45 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 20.42 m (67 ft).
- Typical crew: 5.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
A change in policy by the United States Army Air Corps led to the twin-engine layout. Moving the engines into nacelles on the lower wing made room for a bombardier and a nose gunner, bringing the crew to five.
Variants
The XLB-3 had air-cooled inverted Allison VG-1410 V-12 engines. They were later replaced by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radials, giving the XLB-3A.
Where you'll see it
A single prototype was delivered to the Air Corps at the end of 1927. Its performance proved inferior to that of the LB-1, and development was abandoned in favour of the LB-5.
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- Boripatra
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- Curtiss B-2 Condor
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