LB-5

The LB‑5 was a twin‑engine biplane bomber built by the Huff‑Daland Aero Corporation in the early 1920s for the United States Army Air Service. Developed from the earlier LB‑1 and LB‑2 prototypes, the LB‑5 first flew in March 1922 and was officially accepted in 1923. Powered by two 400‑horsepower Liberty V‑12 engines mounted on the lower wing, the aircraft featured a wooden fuselage with fabric covering, a wingspan of 73 feet, and a maximum take‑off weight of roughly 7,500 pounds. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot, co‑pilot, and gunner, while a bomb bay under the center wing could carry up to 1,200 pounds of ordnance. The design incorporated a rugged fixed‑gear undercarriage and dual‑purpose ailerons that improved roll control at low speeds. Although only a small batch of ten LB‑5s entered service, the type demonstrated the viability of multi‑engine strategic bombing for the U.S. military. Lessons learned from its structural stresses, loading limits, and crew ergonomics directly influenced the subsequent Douglas‑derived bomber series, marking the LB‑5 as a transitional stepping‑stone in American bomber development during the interwar period. The aircraft also served as a testbed for early radio navigation experiments, further expanding its legacy.