Martin B-10B

Glenn L. Martin · United States · first flew 1932 · bomber

The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to enter US Army Air Corps service, faster than any contemporary fighter when it appeared and a landmark in bomber design.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.63 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

mid-wing twin-engine all-metal bomber with retractable undercarriage
enclosed cockpit and gunner positions — a radical departure from biplane contemporaries
NACA cowled radial engines on tapered cantilever wing

The clean mid-wing twin-engine layout with retractable undercarriage and NACA cowlings was revolutionary for 1932; the partially glazed nose turret and mid-upper gun position distinguish it from later American bombers.

Specifications

The Martin B-10B has a length of 13.63 m (45 ft).
It has a wingspan of 21.49 m (71 ft).
Its maximum speed is 343 km/h (213 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Martin's Model 123 prototype won the 1932 bomber competition and entered production as the B-10, with the B-10B being the principal production variant delivered from 1935. It rendered existing biplane bombers obsolete almost overnight and won Martin's chief engineer a Collier Trophy.

Variants

The B-10B was joined by the B-12 with different engines and the XB-14 experiment; export versions designated Model 139 were sold to the Netherlands East Indies, China, and several other nations.

Where you'll see it

USAAC B-10Bs were declared obsolete by 1940 but Netherlands East Indies examples fought the Japanese in early 1942; surviving export aircraft flew with several air arms into the mid-war period.

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