Glenn L. Martin NBS-1
Glenn L. Martin Company · United States · first flew 1920 · bomber
The Martin NBS-1 (Night Bomber Short Range) was a twin-engine biplane heavy bomber that served as the US Army Air Service's primary heavy bomber in the early 1920s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 13.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
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Spot it by:
- Early US Army Air Service night bomber biplane
- NBS = Night Bomber Short Range
- Twin-engine biplane with open gunner positions fore and aft
Large twin-engine biplane with two Liberty 12 engines in wing nacelles, open cockpit, fabric-covered fuselage, and multiple gunner positions in nose and dorsal stations.
Specifications
- The Glenn L. Martin NBS-1 has a length of 13.2 m (43 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.6 m (74 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 175 km/h (109 mph).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The NBS-1 was derived from the wartime MB-2 design and built by Glenn L. Martin Company; it was used by Billy Mitchell in his famous battleship sinking demonstrations of 1921, where NBS-1s sank the captured German battleship Ostfriesland. About 130 were built.
Variants
Primarily a single variant; also built under licence by LWF and Aeromarine; sometimes listed as MB-2 in earlier USAS designation system.
Where you'll see it
Served with the US Army Air Service from 1921 into the mid-1920s as the primary heavy bomber; its sinking of the Ostfriesland proved the potential of air power against warships.
Related aircraft
- Martin MB-1
- Martin T3M
- Martin XLB-4
- Martin XT5M-1
- Boeing GA-1
- Airco DH.11 Oxford
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- Douglas DT
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