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Martin MB-1

The Martin MB-1, or Glenn Martin Bomber (GMB), was the first U.S.-designed bomber procured by the U.S. Army in quantity in the World War I era. The U.S. Army had previously purchased the English Handley-Page O/400 and Italian Caproni designs for construction by U.S. builders with Liberty 12-A engines in place of the original engines. The Martin GMB was first flown on Aug. 15, 1918, and nine of the 10 aircraft ordered were completed before the end of WWI.

The MB-1's primary mission was as a reconnaissance scout plane for supporting ground forces with a secondary mission as a bomber. When WWI ended, U.S. bomber production was halted and no bombers were built until the MB-2 was purchased in 1920.

Some GMBs were modified in the post-war period for test purposes. One aircraft (AS 62951) was modified with the addition of a 37mm cannon in the nose position replacing the standard .30-cal. machine gun. This aircraft was renamed the Glenn Martin Cannon (GMC). Another notable modification was the addition of a third engine in the nose position (AS 39059).