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Aviation / Aerospace

Martin MB-2 / NBS-1

Night Bomber Aircraft [ 1920 ]

The Martin MB-2 was an improved version of the Martin MB-1 biplane bomber and served primarily as a night bomber for the United States air service.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/03/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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The Martin MB-2 series of twin-engine bombers holds a distinct footnote in the history of United States bomber production as it was the first such system to be mass-produced with US origins. During the First World War, it was common practice for the US (and other nations) to purchase established machines or designs for license production to help fill the voids in their own military-waging inventories. As such, the Martin Company stepped in with the first US-designed bomber in the MB-1. Though produced in limited numbers before the war's end, the MB-1 led to a further developed model in the MB-2, which was slated to become the primary bomber of the United States Army Air Service (the predecessor to the modern day Air Force) and entered full-scale production after June of 1920.

Design of the MB-2 followed closely that of the preceding MB-1 with a biplane wing assembly housing two engine nacelles alongside a fuselage with seating for up to four personnel. Power was derived from a pair of Liberty 12A liquid-cooled V-12 engines of some 420 horsepower each. Self-defense was provided through the use of 5 x 7.62mm Lewis type machine guns positioned about the design. The offensive payload of the MB-2 consisted of up to 1,800 pounds of internal ordnance and an additional 2,000 pounds of external munitions. A distinct feature of the MB-2 series was also its ability to have its wings folded from wingtips to the area of the engines for ease of storage.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Production of the MB-2 was handled by a variety of contractors though it was an original Martin design. At the time, such was the policy of the US Army Air Service to enlist the help of low-bidding agencies to handle production. The companies involved included the Martin Company (production of the first 20 examples), Curtiss production of 50 examples), Lowe, Willard & Fowler (production of 35 examples) and Aeromarine (production of 25 examples). The MB-2 would stay in service until it was gradually replaced by the Keystone series of bombers becoming available in the coming decade.

The MB-2/NBS-1 saw service solely with the United States of America.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1920

Origin

United States

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

4

Production

130
UNITS

Martin Company / Curtiss / Lowe, Willard and Fowler / Aeromarine - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States (retired)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.

Length

42.7 ft
(13.00 m)

Width/Span

74.5 ft
(22.70 m)

Height

15.7 ft
(4.80 m)

Empty Wgt

7,231 lb
(3,280 kg)

MTOW

12,037 lb
(5,460 kg)

Wgt Diff

+4,806 lb
(+2,180 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 production variant)

Installed: 2 x Liberty 12-A liquid-cooled V-12 engines producing 420 horsepower each.

Max Speed

99 mph
(160 kph | 86 kts)

Ceiling

7,710 ft
(2,350 m | 1 mi)

Range

404 mi
(650 km | 1,204 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

391 ft/min
(119 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD:
2 x 7.62mm Lewis machine guns in bow position
2 x 7.62mm Lewis machine guns in upper rear fuselage
1 x 7.62mm Lewis machine gun in lower rear fuselage

OPTIONAL:
Up to 3,800 lb of internal (1,800 lb) and external (2,000 lb) conventional drop ordnance.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 8

MB-1 - Base Model on Which the MB-2 is derived from.

MB-2 - Martin Company Designation

NBS-1 - Military Production Designation designating role of "night bomber" in its naming convention.

Cockpit image of the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1

Cockpit image represents the Martin MB-2 production model.

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