Keystone B-3

The Keystone B-3A was a bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps by Keystone Aircraft in the late 1920s.

Design and development

The B-3 was originally ordered as the LB-10A, but the Army dropped the LB- 'light bomber' designation in 1930.
Although the performance of the B-3A was hardly better than that of the bombers flown at the end of World War I, it had come a long way in terms of flight safety.

Operational history

The B-3A was a member of the last family of biplanes operated by the US Army; it remained in service until 1940. A few years after it was first produced, the introduction of all-metal monoplanes rendered it almost completely obsolete.

Variants

;LB-10
;LB-10A
;B-3A
;B-5A

Operators

United States Army Air Corps
*2d [Bombardment Group], Langley Field, Virginia
**20th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A and B-5A 1931–1932
**49th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A and B-5A 1931–1932
**96th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A and B-5A 1931–1932
*4th Composite Group, Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines
**28th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1932–1937
** 2nd Observation Squadron- operated B-3A 1938–1940
*5th Composite Group, Luke Field, Territory of Hawaii
**23d Bomb Squadron – operated B-5A 1932–1937
**72d Bomb Squadron – operated B-5A 1932–1936
*6th Composite Group, France Field, Panama Canal Zone
**25th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1932–1936
*7th Bombardment Group, March Field, California
**9th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1931–1934
**11th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1931–1934
**31st Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1931–1934
*19th Bombardment Group, Rockwell Field, California
**30th Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1932–1936
**32d Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A 1932–1935
*Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Kelly Field, Texas
**42d Bomb Squadron – operated B-3A and B-5A 1935–1936
Philippine Army Air Corps
*10th Bombardment Squadron