Great Lakes XTBG

XTBG-1
Role	Torpedo bomber
Manufacturer	Great Lakes Aircraft Company
Primary user	United States Navy
Number built	1

The Great Lakes XTBG-1, also known as "Avenger" (a name coincidentally used for the successful Grumman TBF), 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 odd 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 (4,755 m)

Armament

1 x air-droppable torpedo in an internal weapons bay

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Brewster SBA
• Fairey Swordfish
• Great Lakes XB2G
• Grumman XSBF
• Hall XPTBH
• Northrop BT
• SB2U Vindicator
• TBD Devastator
• Vought XSB3U
• Yokosuka B4Y

Related lists

• List of carrier-based aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

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