The B-10 originated as a company-funded project in the early 1930’s as the Model 123. It was an all-metal monoplane with an internal bomb bay, partially retractable landing gear (the main wheels were partially exposed when retracted into the engine pods), and exposed positions for the pilot, bombardier/gunner and rear gunner. Despite the graceful boat-like fuselage, the plane was not amphibious. After tests in 1932, the bombardier’s open position was replaced by a manually-rotated turret and more powerful engines were installed, which resulted in a bomber faster than any US fighter currently in service. Fourteen YB-10’s were ordered, with sliding glass canopies for the pilot and rear gunner, and were delivered starting in late 1933. A radio operator position was also added, as well as a 2,000-lb hardpoint under the right wing (removed on production aircraft).
The B-10B was the primary production model, with some 103 being delivered to the U.S. Army from late 1935 to the summer of 1936. Aside from operating from bases in the continental U.S., squadrons of B-10B’s were based in Panama and the Philippines. The B-10 quickly became obsolete and none were in front-line service by 1940.
The B-10B had a crew of four: pilot, bombardier (who operates the turret MG), rear gunner, and radio operator (who also fired the MG in the fuselage floor). The plane burns 52 gallons of aviation fuel per hour.
Subassemblies: Medium Fighter-Bomber chassis +4, Heavy
Fighter-Bomber Wings +4, limited-rotation Medium Weapon turret [Body:F]
+0, two Large Weapon Pods +2, three retractable wheels +1.
P&P: two 578 kW aerial HP gasoline engines w/578-prop
each [Pod:F] with 226-gallon self-sealing tanks [Body]
Occ: 4 CS Cargo: 12.5
Body.
| Armor | F | RL | B | T | U |
| All | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| Cockpit | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/+20 |
| Bombardier | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/0 |
| Dorsal Gunner | 0/+20 | 0/+10 | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 |
| Tail Gunner | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 | 0/0 | 0/+20 |
Weaponry
Aircraft LMG/ [Tur:F] (400 rounds)
Aircraft LMG/ [Body:B] (400 rounds)
Aircraft LMG/ [Body:U] (400 rounds)
10¥220-lb Bombs [Body:U]
Equipment
Body: Large radio receiver and transmitter, IFF, autopilot,
navigation instruments, bombsight, environmental control, 2,260-lb bomb
bay.
Statistics
| Size: 61'x74'x25' | Payload: 2.3 tons | Lwt: 8.2 tons |
| Volume: 640 | Maint.: 36 hours | Price: $30,700 |
HT: 10
HP: 420 [body], 225 [each wing], 20 [each wheel], 75 [each pod],
75 [turret]
| aSpeed: 213 | aAccel: 4 | aDecel: 20 | aMR: 4.75 | aSR: 2 | Stall: 63 |
| gSpeed: 190 | gAccel: 9 | gDecel: 10 | gMR: 0.5 | gSR: 2 |
Design Notes
The historical wing surface of 678 sf was used. Weight was increased
11% to match historical weight. Design aSpeed was xxx and Stall Speed was
68 mph.
Variants
The solitary B-10A (1934) used a turbosuperharger to reach a top speed
of 236 mph. However, the device was considered unreliable and not fitted
to any other B-10/B-12’s.
The B-12 (1934) was the same in game terms, but used different engines. It had provisions to carry a 265-gallon auxiliary tank in the bomb bay. Some 32 were built.
The Model 139W (1936) used 559-kW engines; 39 were sold to Argentina.
In 1937, a half-dozen Model 139WC’s, with 634-kW engines, were sold to China and became the first B-10’s to see combat. Most were destroyed on the ground by the Japanese.
The largest export customer of the plane was the Dutch East Indies. Some 116 planes in three different versions were delivered from 1936 to 1939. The bulk of these (78) were the Model 166, which was powered by two 671-kW engines and used a ‘greenhouse’ type canopy that ran from the pilot’s position to the rear gunner’s position. In 1942, most were easily destroyed by Japanese aircraft.