Engineering:Great Lakes XTBG

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Short description: 1935 prototype torpedo bomber aircraft model
XTBG-1
Great Lakes XTBG-1.jpg
Role Torpedo bomber
Manufacturer Great Lakes Aircraft Company
Primary user United States Navy
Number built 1

The Great Lakes XTBG-1 was an American prototype torpedo bomber, intended for service in the United States Navy as part of that service's plan to modernise its aerial striking force in the mid-1930s. The XTBG-1 was outperformed by the competing TBD Devastator, however, in addition to having instability problems[1] and only a single prototype of the three-seat design was constructed during 1935.[2]

Design

Featuring retractable landing gear and a fully enclosed weapons bay for its torpedo, the XTBG-1 had the unusual feature of the torpedo-aimer seated forward of the wing, in a small, enclosed compartment.[3]

Specifications (XTBG-1)

Data from Aero-web [4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 34 ft 9 in (10.6 m)
  • Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.8 m)
  • Height: 15 ft 1 in (4.6 m)
  • Gross weight: 9,313 lb (4,224 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-60 Twin Wasp 14-cyl. twin row air-cooled radial piston engine, 800 hp (600 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 185 mph (298 km/h, 161 kn)
  • Service ceiling: 15,600 ft (4,800 m)

Armament
1 x air-droppable torpedo in an internal weapons bay

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

  1. Douglas TBD-1 Devastator , Underwater Admiralty Sciences
  2. Swanborough, Gordon (1990). United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-87021-792-5. 
  3. Doll, Tom (1992). SB2U Vindicator in action. Aircraft Number 122. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications. p. 4. ISBN 0-89747-274-8. 
  4. Great Lakes XTBG-1 Avenger , Aero-web.org