Taylorcraft LBT
A cancelled World War II glider bomb by Taylorcraft.
The Taylorcraft LBT was a glider bomb developed for the United States Navy during World War II. It was one of three prototype 'Glomb' designs ordered by the Navy, intended to deliver a bomb load to enemy targets without risking aircrew. The LBT suffered from technical and performance difficulties and was cancelled early in production, with none of the aircraft seeing operational service.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Glide bomb
- Manufacturer
- Taylorcraft
- Primary User
- United States Navy
- Number Built
- 25
- First Flight
- April 1944
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The LBT was designed in response to a United States Navy requirement for a glide bomb, part of the 'Glomb' concept studied from December 1940. The Navy envisioned an inexpensive, unpowered aircraft remotely controlled from another aircraft, guided by a TV camera in the nose transmitting to an operator in a control plane. Taylorcraft's design was based on its LNT-1 training glider; two XLNT-1s had been converted for remote control in earlier trials. The LBT-1 featured a high, strut-braced wing and tricycle landing gear, and carried a 2000 lb bomb as a warhead. It retained a cockpit for a pilot on training and evaluation flights.
Evaluation by the Navy began in April 1944. The contract called for production of 100 of each Glomb type, but by October 1944 trials indicated the glider bomb's low expected performance was a liability. The Piper LBP-1 and LBE-1 were considered superior, and the LBT contract was cancelled. Only 25 examples were constructed, none seeing operational service.
Reader's Guide
The Taylorcraft LBT represents a wartime attempt to develop a remotely guided weapon system using existing glider technology. Its significance lies in its role within the Navy's Glomb program, which explored the concept of unpowered, TV-guided bombs to reduce aircrew risk. The LBT's cancellation due to performance issues highlights the technical challenges of early guided weapons: the low expected performance of the glider bomb proved a decisive liability compared to competing designs from Piper and Pratt-Read. Although none of the 25 built saw operational service, the LBT contributed to the broader experimentation with remote guidance and television-based control that would influence later precision munitions. Its legacy is as a footnote in the evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles, demonstrating both the ambition and the limitations of mid-20th-century drone technology.
Did You Know?
- The LBT was based on Taylorcraft's LNT-1 training glider.
- It was designed to carry a 2000 lb bomb as a warhead.
- Only 25 examples of the LBT were constructed before cancellation.
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