Curtiss B-2 Condor

The Curtiss B-2 Condor was a 1920s United States bomber aircraft. It was a descendant of the Martin NBS-1, which was built by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the Glenn L. Martin Company. There were a few differences, such as stronger materials and different engines, but they were relatively minor.

For the later Condor biplane airliner, see Curtiss T-32 Condor II.
B-2 Condor
Role Heavy bomber
Manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Introduction 1929
Retired 1934
Status No known survivors
Primary user United States Army Air Corps
Produced 1929-1930
Number built 13
Unit cost
US$76,373 (1928)
Developed into T-32 Condor II
Curtiss B-2 Condor formation flight over Atlantic City, N.J. S/N 28-399 is in the foreground (tail section only). Aircraft were assigned to 11th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group at Rockwell Field, California. This flight of 4 aircraft completed cross-country flight to Atlantic City, NJ

Development

The B-2 was a large fabric-covered biplane aircraft. Its two engines sat in nacelles between the wings, flanking the fuselage. It had a twin set of rudders on a twin tail, a configuration which was becoming obsolete by that time. At the rear of each nacelle was a gunner position. In previous planes, the back-facing gunners had been in the fuselage, but their view there was obstructed. A similar arrangement (using nacelle-mounted gun platforms) was adopted in the competing Keystone XB-1 aircraft.

The XB-2 competed for a United States Army Air Corps production contract with the similar Keystone XB-1, Sikorsky S-37, and Fokker XLB-2. The other three were immediately ruled out, but the Army board appointed to make the contracts was strongly supportive of the smaller Keystone XLB-6, which cost a third as much as the B-2. Furthermore, the B-2 was large for the time and difficult to fit into existing hangars. However, the superior performance of the XB-2 soon wrought a policy change, and in 1928 a production run of 12 was ordered.

One modified B-2, dubbed the B-2A, featured dual controls for both the pilot and the copilot. Previously, the control wheel and the pitch controls could only be handled by one person at a time. This "dual control" setup became standard on all bombers by the 1930s. There was no production line for the B-2A. The B-2 design was also used as a transport.

The B-2 was quickly made obsolete by technological advances of the 1930s, and served only briefly with the Army Air Corps, being removed from service by 1934. Following production of the B-2, Curtiss Aircraft left the bomber business, and concentrated on the Hawk series of pursuit aircraft in the 1930s.

Variants
Model 52
Company designation of the B-2.
XB-2
Prototype.
B-2
Twin-engined heavy bomber biplane. Initial production version; 12 built.
B-2A
Redesignation of one B-2 fitted with dual controls.
Model 53 Condor 18
Civil version of the B-2. Six built.

Military operators
 United States

Specifications (B-2)

Data from Curtiss aircraft : 1907-1947[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 5
  • Length: 47 ft 4 in (14.43 m)
  • Wingspan: 90 ft 0 in (27.43 m)
  • Airfoil: root: Curtiss C-72; tip: Curtiss C-72[2]
  • Empty weight: 9,300 lb (4,218 kg)
  • Gross weight: 16,951 lb (7,689 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Curtiss GV-1570-7 Conqueror V-12 water-cooled piston engine, 600 hp (450 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 132 mph (212 km/h, 115 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 105.5 mph (169.8 km/h, 91.7 kn)
  • Range: 805 mi (1,296 km, 700 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 17,100 ft (5,200 m)
  • Rate of climb: 850 ft/min (4.3 m/s)

Armament

  • Guns: 6x 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Lewis machine-guns
  • Bombs: 2,508 lb (1,138 kg) of bombs.
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See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References
  1. Bowers, Peter M. (1979). Curtiss aircraft : 1907-1947. London: Putnam. pp. 213–215. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
  2. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  • Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
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