Martin MB-2 / NBS-1

Night Bomber Aircraft

United States | 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; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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.

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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.

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Cockpit
While traditional jobs involve workstations, office desks, or cubicles, aircraft provide operators with their own unique, ever-changing view of the world below.

[ Click to Enlarge ]

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 Night Bomber Aircraft.

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

99 mph
160 kph | 86 kts
Max Speed

7,710 ft
2,350 m | 1 miles
Service Ceiling

404 miles
650 km | 351 nm
Operational Range

391 ft/min
119 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 Night Bomber Aircraft.

4
(MANNED)
Crew

42.7 ft
13.00 m
O/A Length

74.5 ft
(22.70 m)
O/A Width

15.7 ft
(4.80 m)
O/A Height

7,231 lb
(3,280 kg)
Empty Weight

12,037 lb
(5,460 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 Night Bomber Aircraft .

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.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 family line.

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.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Martin MB-2 / NBS-1. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 130 Units
Contractor(s): Martin Company / Curtiss / Lowe, Willard and Fowler / Aeromarine - USA

[ United States (retired) ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 100mph

Lo: 50mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (99mph).

Graph Average of 75 MPH.

Aviation Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

130

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

1 / 3

2 / 3

3 / 3

❮ ❯

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

GROUND ATTACK

Going Further...
The Martin MB-2 / NBS-1 Night Bomber Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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