View source for Martin NBS-1

{{short description|American bomber aircraft in service 1920-1929}}
{{No footnotes|date=April 2009}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{|{{Infobox Aircraft Begin
 |name= NBS-1
 |image= File:Martin_MB-2_061219-F-1234S-014.jpg
 |image_border= yes
 |caption=<!--image caption; if it isn't descriptive it should be left blank-->
}}{{Infobox Aircraft Type
 |type=Short-range night bomber
 |manufacturer=[[Glenn L. Martin Company]]
 |designer=
 |first flight=3 September 1920
 |introduced=1920
 |retired=1929
 |status=No known survivors
 |primary user=[[United States Army Air Service]]
 |more users=
 |produced=1920–1922
 |number built=130
 |unit cost=US$23,485 (1920)
 |variants with their own articles=
}}
|}
[[File:Martin MB-2 USAF.jpg|Full-scale reproduction of the Martin MB-2 on display at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]|thumb]]
[[File:Martin MB-2 061219-F-1234S-021.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Martin MB-2 061219-F-1234S-022.jpg|thumb]]

The '''Martin NBS-1''' was a military aircraft of the [[United States Army Air Service]] and its successor, the [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]]. An improved version of the [[Martin MB-1]], a scout-bomber built during the final months of [[World War I]], the NBS-1 was ordered under the designation '''MB-2''' and is often referred to as such. The designation NBS-1, standing for "Night Bomber-Short Range", was adopted by the Air Service after the first five of the Martin bombers were delivered.

The NBS-1 became the standard frontline bomber of the Air Service in 1920 and remained so until its replacement in 1928–1929 by the [[Keystone Aircraft]] series of bombers. The basic MB-2 design was also the standard against which prospective U.S. Army bombers were judged until the production of the [[Martin B-10]] in 1933.

==Design and development==
The NBS-1 was a wood-and-fabric [[biplane]] without [[Stagger (aviation)|staggered wings]], employing twin rudders on a twin vertical tail. Its two [[Liberty L-12|Liberty 12-A]] engines sat in [[nacelle]]s on the lower wing, flanking the fuselage. Ordered under the company designation MB-2 in June 1920, the NBS-1 was an improved larger version of the [[Martin MB-1]] bomber built by the [[Glenn L. Martin Company]] in 1918, also known as the GMB or Glenn Martin Bomber. The first flight of the MB-2 took place 3 September 1920.

In addition to more powerful engines, larger wings and fuselage, and simplified landing gear, the NBS-1 also had a unique folding wing system, hinged outside the engine nacelles to fold backward for storage in small hangars. Unlike the MB-1, whose engines were mounted between the wings in a fashion similar to the German [[Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI|Staaken R.VI]] [[Riesenflugzeug]], the engines of the NBS-1 were fixed to the lower wing over the landing gear.

The MB-2 was designed as a night bomber and except for a greater load capacity, had reduced performance characteristics compared to its MB-1 predecessor. The first 20 (five MB-2s and 15 NBS-1s) were ordered from the Martin Company, which recommended a further 50 be produced to help its struggling financial condition. However the design was owned by the U.S. Army and subsequent contracts for 110 bombers were awarded by low bid to three other companies: [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company|Curtiss Aircraft]] (50 ordered); [[Lowe, Willard & Fowler Engineering Company|L-W-F Engineering Company]] of College Point, New York (35); and [[Aeromarine|Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company]] of Keyport, New Jersey (25).

The engines of the last 20 bombers of the Curtiss order came equipped with [[turbosupercharger]]s manufactured by [[General Electric]], the first such modification made in production quantity. Although enabling the NBS-1 to reach an altitude of over 25,000&nbsp;ft (7,650&nbsp;m), the turbosuperchargers were mechanically unreliable and not used operationally.

The bomber was equipped defensively with five .30&nbsp;in (7.62&nbsp;mm) [[Lewis gun]]s, mounted in pairs in positions in the nose and upper rear fuselage, and singly in a bottom mount, firing behind and beneath the rear fuselage.

The first two Martin MB-2s, Air Service serials ''64195'' and ''64196'', were retained at [[McCook Field]] in Dayton, Ohio, for research and development flight testing, marked with project numbers 'P162' and 'P227' respectively, as was the second NBS-1,  ''64201'', marked as 'P222'. Four Curtiss NBS-1s were also assigned to McCook.

==Operational history==
The NBS-1 was the primary bomber used by [[Brigadier General]] [[Billy Mitchell (general)|Billy Mitchell]] during [[Billy Mitchell (general)#Project B: Anti-ship bombing demonstration|Project B]], the demonstration bombing of naval ships in July 1921. Six NBS-1 bombers, led by [[Captain (land)|Captain]] Walter Lawson of the 96th Squadron operating out of [[Langley Air Force Base|Langley Field]], bombed and sank the captured German battleship {{SMS|Ostfriesland||6}} on 21 July 1921, using specially developed 2,000&nbsp;lb (907&nbsp;kg) demolition bombs, externally mounted beneath the fuselage. They also sank {{USS|Virginia|BB-13}} and {{USS|New Jersey|BB-16}} in 1923.

An example of the plane was featured in director [[William Wellman]]'s 1927 [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]] silent film ''[[Wings (1927 film)|Wings]]'', disguised as a German [[Gotha bomber]]. Footage was shot overhead of the MB-2 as it exited its tent hangar and from the MB-2 during flight. These aerial shots were revolutionary at the time, showing the public a perspective of aerial combat from the pilots' point of view. ''Wings'' won the first-ever Academy Award for best picture.

==Operators==
[[File:Martin MB-2 in flight with a pursuit aircraft practicing an attack 061219-F-1234S-016.jpg|Martin MB-2 in flight with a pursuit aircraft practicing an attack|thumb]][[File:2dbombgroup-nbs1-apr1926.jpg|thumb|Trio of NBS-1s of 2nd Bomb Group]]
;{{flag|United States|1912}}
*United States Army, [[United States Army Air Service|Air Service]] and [[United States Army Air Corps|Air Corps]]
**1st Day Bombardment Group, [[Kelly Air Force Base|Kelly Field]], [[Texas]] ([[2d Operations Group|2nd Bombardment Group]], [[Langley Air Force Base|Langley Field]], [[Virginia]])
***[[11th Bomb Squadron]] – operated MB-2 1920–1927
***[[20th Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1920–1929
***[[49th Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1920–1929
***[[96th Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1920–1928
**[[4th Composite Group]], [[Nichols Field]], [[Luzon]], [[Philippines]]
***[[28th Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1924–1929
**[[5th Composite Group]], [[NALF Ford Island|Luke Field]], [[Territory of Hawaii]]
***[[23d Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1922–1929
***[[72d Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1923–1929
**[[6th Composite Group]], [[Albrook Field]], [[Panama Canal Zone]]
***[[25th Space Range Squadron|25th Bomb Squadron]] – operated NBS-1 1922–1929
[[File:Martin MB-2 2 USAF.jpg|Reproduction of the Martin MB-2|thumb]]

==Surviving aircraft==
There are no known surviving original Martin NBS-1 bombers, but in 2002 a full-scale reproduction, constructed from original drawings, went on display at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Martin MB-2 (NBS-1) |url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/197395/martin-mb-2-nbs-1/ |website=National Museum of the United States Air Force |access-date=2 November 2020 |date=7 April 2015}}</ref>

==Specifications (NBS-1)==
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units? = imp
|crew=four
|length ft=42
|length in=8
|length m=13.0 
|span ft=74
|span in=2
|span m=22.7 
|height ft=14
|height in=8
|height m=4.8 
|wing area sqft=1,121 
|wing area sqm=104.2 
|empty weight lb=7,232 
|empty weight kg=3,280 
|gross weight lb=12,027 
|gross weight kg=5,460 
|eng1 name=[[Liberty L-12|Liberty 12-A]]
|eng1 type=liquid-cooled [[V12 engine]]
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 hp=420  
|eng1 kw=325 
|max speed mph=99 
|max speed kts=85
|max speed kmh=160
|cruise speed mph=92 
|cruise speed kts=80
|cruise speed kmh=150
|range miles=400 
|range nmi=345
|range km=650
|ceiling ft=7,700 
|ceiling m=2,350 
|climb rate ftmin=391 
|climb rate ms=2.0 
|guns=5× .30 in (7.62 mm) [[Lewis Gun|Lewis machine gun]]s
|bombs=1,800 lb (820 kg) internal, or 2,000 lb (907 kg) external
}}
==See also==
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Martin MB-1]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Curtiss B-2 Condor]]
* [[Huff-Daland XB-1]]
|lists=
*[[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
*[[List of bomber aircraft]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131022203319/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2415 Martin MB-2 (converted to NBS-1) fact sheet, NMUSAF]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131022210537/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2416 Martin NBS-1 fact sheet, NMUSAF]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=1887AQAAMAAJ&q=bakelite&pg=PA25 Reference to micarta bakelite propeller]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Martin_MB-2}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080224065338/http://home.att.net/%7Ejbaugher2/mb2.html Martin MB-2/NBS-1 Encyclopedia of American Aircraft (Joe Baugher)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130404183235/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=330 Martin MB-2 (NBS-1) Exhibit page, National Museum of the United States Air Force]

{{Martin aircraft}}
{{USAAS bomber aircraft}}
{{Curtiss aircraft}}
{{LWF aircraft}}

[[Category:1920s United States bomber aircraft|Martin NBS-1]]
[[Category:Martin aircraft|NBS-1]]
[[Category:Biplanes]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1920]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear]]