The KB-1 was Burnelli's second production aircraft after his Burnelli-Carisi Biplane. Burnelli's KB-1 tandem pusher biplane was a somewhat conventional design compared to his future lifting-body designs.[2] The aircraft, developed for a U.S. Air Service reconnaissance contact was not awarded a production contract despite successful demonstration flights by test pilot Bert Acosta over New York at temperatures as low as −11 °F.[3] [4]
The KB-1 is a tandem seat pusher biplane with open cockpits. The tail is supported with two steel tube booms. The landing gear used a four-wheel arrangement using Ackerman wheels with "tusks" that dig into the ground for braking. The wings are set without stagger or dihedral. The fuselage is constructed of mahogany veneer.[5]