Piper LBP

Lore & Background

During late 1940, a proposal was made to the United States Navy outlining a concept called "Glomb", for "glider bomb". The Glomb concept called for the construction of inexpensive gliders that would be remotely controlled from another aircraft to carry bombs to a target. Glomb was intended to be towed by an ordinary carrier-based aircraft to the area of the target, where it would be released; guidance following release would be provided via a TV camera located in the nose of the glider, which would transmit its signal to a piloted aircraft, an operator then using radio control to steer the Glomb to its target. Following consideration the Glomb concept was deemed to be potentially feasible, the project was given official status by the Bureau of Aeronautics in the April 1941.

Initial trials of Glomb involved conversions of existing gliders to remotely controlled status; these tests showed that the concept had promise and following a design competition, three companies were awarded contracts to develop operational "Glomb" aircraft. These contracts were given to Pratt-Read, Taylorcraft, and Piper Aircraft. Piper's design, designated LBP-1, was a conventional high-wing monoplane, fitted with tricycle landing gear, and intended to carry 4000 lb of bombs. Although the LBP-1 was fully capable of being remotely piloted via its TV-and-radio guidance system, it retained a cockpit, allowing the aircraft to be flown by a pilot on board for training and evaluation.

Although the initial contract awarded by the Navy called for the production of 100 LBP-1 Glombs, continued trials of the concept indicated that the glider's inherent low performance, combined with technical issues with the television guidance system, made the concept operationally unworkable. As a result, the LBP-1 production contract was reduced to only 35 aircraft in early 1945. In June of that year, the LBP-1 program was terminated, the aircraft having been determined to have dangerous characteristics when attempting landing at loaded weights.

Reader's Guide

The Piper LBP represents an early attempt to develop a remotely guided weapon system, predating modern precision-guided munitions. Its significance lies in its role as one of three parallel Glomb projects undertaken by the United States Navy during World War II, reflecting an early recognition of the potential value of unmanned combat aircraft. However, the inherent limitations of the Glomb concept—particularly the low performance of gliders and the technical difficulties of the television guidance system—proved insurmountable for the technology of the time. The LBP-1's production contract was first reduced from 100 to 35 aircraft, then cancelled entirely in June 1945, with none of the Glomb aircraft ever seeing operational service. The program's termination was also influenced by dangerous landing characteristics at loaded weights. The LBP thus stands as a historical footnote illustrating the challenges faced by early unmanned aerial vehicle development, where ambition outpaced the available technology.

Did You Know?

• The Piper LBP was one of three 'Glomb' aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy.
• It was designed to carry 4000 lb of bombs.
• The LBP-1 retained a cockpit for piloted training flights.
• The production contract was reduced to 35 aircraft before being cancelled in June 1945.