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Role: Bomber Type: XXXXXX National origin: XXXXXX Manufacturer: XXXXX Designer: XXXXXX First flight: XXXXX Introduced: XXXXXX Retired: XXXXX Primary user: XXXXX Number built: XXXXXX Unit cost: XXXXXX

Role: Bomber

Type: XXXXXX

National origin: XXXXXX

Manufacturer: XXXXX

Designer: XXXXXX

First flight: XXXXX

Introduced: XXXXXX

Retired: XXXXX

Primary user: XXXXX

Number built: XXXXXX

Unit cost: XXXXXX


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1. - Development


The XB-10 began as the Martin Model 123, a private venture by the Glenn L. Martin Company of Baltimore, Maryland. It had a crew of four: pilot, copilot, nose gunner and fuselage gunner. As in previous bombers, the four crew compartments were open, but it had a number of design innovations as well. The most important of these were the first known example of a powered gun turret in a military aircraft, located in the nose position, deep belly for an internal bomb bay and retractable main landing gear. Its 600 hp (447 kW) Wright SR-1820-E Cyclone engines allowed for significant power. It first flew on 16 February 1932 and was delivered for testing to the U.S. Army on 20 March.

The B-10 began a revolution in bomber design. Its all-metal monoplane build, along with its features of closed cockpits, rotating gun turrets, retractable landing gear, internal bomb bay, and full engine cowlings, would become the standard for decades.3 It made all existing bombers completely obsolete. In 1932, Martin received the Collier Trophy for designing the XB-10.
The XB-10 delivered to the Army was slightly different from the original aircraft. Where the Model 123 had NACA cowling rings, the XB-10 had full engine cowlings to decrease drag.1 It also sported a pair of 675 hp (503 kW) Wright R-1820-19 engines, and an eight-foot increase in the wingspan. When the XB-10 flew during trials in June, it recorded a speed of 197 mph (317 km/h) at 6,000 ft (1,830 m). This was an impressive performance for 1932.3

Following the success of the XB-10, a number of changes were made, including reduction to a three-man crew, addition of canopies for all crew positions, and an upgrade to 675 hp (503 kW) engines. The Army ordered 48 of these on 17 January 1933. The first 14 aircraft were designated YB-10 and delivered to Wright Field, starting in November 1933. The production model of the XB-10, the YB-10 was very similar to its prototype.

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2. - Serial #'s


33-155/161 Martin YB-12
33-163/177 Martin B-12A
33-258/267 Martin B-12A


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3. - Operational History


In 1935 the Army ordered an additional 103 aircraft designated B-10B. These had only minor changes from the YB-10. Shipments began in 1935 July.

B-10Bs served with the 2nd Bomb Group at Langley Field, the 9th Bomb Group at Mitchel Field, the 19th Bomb Group at March Field, the 6th Composite Group in the Panama Canal Zone, and the 4th Composite Group in the Philippines. In addition to conventional duties in the bomber role, some modified YB-10s and B-12As were operated for a time on large twin floats for coastal patrol.

The Martin Model 139 was the export version of the Martin B-10. With an advanced performance, the Martin company fully expected that export orders for the B-10 would come flooding in.

The Army owned the rights to the Model 139 design. Once the Army's orders had been filled in 1936, Martin received permission to export Model 139s, and delivered versions to several air forces. For example, six Model 139Ws were sold to Siam in April 1937, powered by Wright R-1820-G3 Cyclone engines; 20 Model 139Ws were sold to Turkey in September 1937, powered by R-1820-G2 engines.

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4. - Variants


Martin Model 123
Private venture of Martin company, predecessor of the XB-10, served as prototype for the series.
XB-907
US Army designation for the Model 123 in evaluation
XB-907A
Modified XB-907 after Martin returned it to U.S. Army for further operational trials
XB-10
Designation of the XB-907A when purchased by the United States Army Air Corps, Modified Martin Model 123 with full engine cowlings, fully rotating nose glass turret, more powerful engines, and increased wingspan.
YB-10
Model 139, production version of the XB-10 with crew reduced to three members, canopies for all crew members and better engines (675 hp/503 kW R-1820-25), 14 built, some flown temporarily as float-planes.
B-10
Two additional aircraft ordered in 1936.
RB-10MA
One former NEIAF Model 139WH-3A model impressed in July 1942 and flown from Australia to the United States.
YB-10A
The YB-10A was different from a YB-10 only in its engines. It used Wright R-1820-31 turbo-supercharged radials, allowing it to attain speeds of 236 mph (380 km/h). This made it the fastest aircraft of the B-10 series. Despite this advantage, only one was built, as a test aircraft.
B-10B
Main production version with two 775 hp (578 kW) R-1820-33 engines, 103 built.
B-10M
A number of B-10Bs converted as target tugs.
YB-12
Re-engined version of the YB-10 with Pratt & Whitney R-1690-11 "Hornet" radial engines. These 775 hp (578 kW) engines gave similar performance to those on the B-10B (218 mph/351 km/h), seven built.
B-12A
The production version of the YB-12 with provision for a 365 gal (1,381 l) bomb bay tank, giving the B-12A a combat range of 1,240 mi (1,995 km), 25 built.4
YB-13
Re-engined version of the YB-10 powered by two 700 hp (522 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1860-17 radial engines. Ten were on order but cancelled before production started, not built.
XB-14
The last of the 48 XB-10–airframes ordered by the army was a version of the YB-10 using Pratt & Whitney YR-1830-9 "Twin Wasp" radial engines, one built.4
A-15
Proposed attack variant of the YB-10 with two 750 hp (559 kW) R-1820-25 engines, was never built. The contract fell to the A-14 Shrike.
YO-45
One YB-10 temporarily tested in the high-speed observation role.
Martin Model 139
Martin export version of the B-10 bomber, six sold to Siam
Model 139WA
Martin demonstrator for Argentina
Model 139WAA
Export version for Argentine Army, 22 built
Model 139WAN
Export version for the Argentine Navy, 12 built.
Model 139WC
Export version for China, nine built.
Model 139WH
Export version to Netherlands for use in the Dutch East Indies. Produced in block series H-1 (13 built), H-2 (26 built) and H-3. The 139WH-3 (also known as the Model 166) had two 900 hp (671 kW) R-1820-G102 and single long dorsal canopy, 39 built. The 139W-3A (also known as the Model 166A) as WH-3 with equipment changes, 40 built. A total of 166.
Model 139WS
Single demonstrator to the Soviet Union.
Model 139WSM
Export version for Siam, 23 built.
Model 139WSP
Proposed licence built version to be built by CASA of Spain, not built.
Model 139WT
Export version for Turkey, 20 built

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5. - Technical Specifications

General characteristics
  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 44 ft 9 in (13.6 m)
  • Wingspan: 70 ft 6 in (21.5 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.7 m)
  • Wing area: 678 ft² (63 m²)
  • Empty weight: 9,681 lb (4.391 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 14,700 lb (6,680 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 16,400 lb (7,440 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Wright R-1820-33 (G-102) "Cyclone" radials, 775 hp (578 kW) each

Performance
  • Maximum speed: 213 mph (185 kn, 343 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 193 mph (168 kn, 310.6 km/h)
  • Range: 1,240 mi (1,078 nmi, 1,996 km)
  • Service ceiling: 24,200 ft (7,380 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,380 ft/min (420 m/min)
  • Wing loading: 21.7 lb/ft² (106 kg/m²)
  • Power/mass: 0.105 hp/lb (173 W/kg)

Armament
  • Guns: 3 × .30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns
  • Bombs: 2,260 lb (1,030 kg)

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6. - Operators


  • Argentina
    • Argentine Air Force received 27 Model 139W/WAA aircraft.
    • Argentine Navy received 13 Model 139WAN aircraft.
  • China
    • Chinese Nationalist Air Force
  • Dutch East Indies
    • Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
  • Indonesia
    • Indonesian Air Force took over several numbers of B-10, passed to Indonesian guerillas from Netherlands East Indies in 1945.
  • Philippines
    • Philippine Army Air Corps
  • Siam
    • Royal Thai Air Force received six Model 139W aircraft in April 1937 and used them during the French-Thai War of 1940-41, and during the 1942 invasion of Burma. It was given a further nine ex-Dutch aircraft by the Japanese in 1942. They remained in service until 1949.
  • Turkey
    • Turkish Air Force received 20 Model 139W aircraft in September 1937.
  • Soviet Union
    • Soviet Air Force bought one aircraft for evaluation.
  • United States
    • United States Army Air Corps

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7. - Current Squadrons


The only surviving complete B-10 is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is painted as a B-10 used in the 1934 Alaskan Flight.

It was an export version sold to Argentina in 1938. The aircraft survived as a ground crew trainer, and was still being used by the Argentine Air Force for training its ground crews as late as the 1960s. The Air Force Museum conducted an exhaustive search for any surviving B-10 remains, and eventually learned of the aircraft. In 1970, the incomplete airframe was donated by the Government of Argentina to the U.S. Government in a formal ceremony attended by the U.S. ambassador.

The aircraft was restored by the 96th Maintenance Squadron (Mobile), Air Force Reserve, at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, in 1973-1976, and placed on display in 1976.

Various parts of crashed B-10s, such as turrets and wings, were retrieved from the jungle of Borneo and are now on display in the Militaire-Luchtvaartmuseum (Military Aviation Museum) at Soesterberg, the Netherlands.

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8. - Links


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9. - Markings


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10. - References


  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_B-10
  • United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
  • American Combat Planes, Ray Wagner, Third Edition, Doubleday, 1982.
  • U.S. Army Aircraft, 1908-1946, James C. Fahey
  • Joe Baugher

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11. - Video




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