Light bomber
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A light bomber is a military bomber aircraft which, when compared to other bombers, is relatively small and fast; such aircraft will probably not carry more than one ton of ordnance.
Prior to WWII, engine power was so scarce that there were several types of bombers, light, medium and heavy, all tuned to a particular performance niche. As fighters grew to be able to carry the same sorts of loads at even greater speeds, light bombers were replaced around the 1950s and the term fell from use.
Light bombers of the World War I were single-engine aircraft with a bomb load about 50-400 kg. They often could serve also as reconnaissance aircraft. Light bombers of the World War II were single-engine, or, less common, twin-engine aircraft with a bomb load about 500-1000 kg. Some of them were dive bombers. Light bombers were also the only type of bombers operating from aircraft carriers. Some twin-engine light bomber designs had also heavy fighter variants.
The light bomber accomplished missions similar to that tasked today to attack aircraft and fighter-bombers.
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