Great Lakes BG

Infobox Aircraft
name=BG


caption=
type=Dive-bomber
manufacturer=Great Lakes Aircraft Company
designer=
first flight=1933
introduced=1934
retired=1941
status=
primary user=United States Navy
more users=United States Marine Corps
produced=
number built=61
variants with their own articles=The Great Lakes BG was an American carrier-based dive bomber of the 1930s. Designed and built by the Great Lakes Aircraft Company of Cleveland, Ohio, 61 were used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1934 to 1940.

Development and design

The Great Lakes Aircraft Company, who had previously built 18 TG-1 and 32 TG-2 variants of the Martin T4M, Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.312.] received an order from the U.S. Navy for a prototype two seat dive bomber capable of carrying a 1,000 lb (455 kg) bomb in 1933. Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.193.] (This compared with contemporary Scout Bombers such as the Vought SBU and the Curtiss SBC Helldiver, also capable of dive bombing, which had bombloads of 500 lb (227 kg)).

The resulting design was a single engined biplane with single bay, unequal span tapered wings and a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The aircraft was powered by a convert|750|hp|abbr=on Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior radial engine. Donald 1997, p.467.]

The prototype XBG-1 was completed in mid-1933 and evaluated against the competing Consolidated XB2Y-1, proving superior. As a result, in November 1933, orders were placed for production of the aircraft as the BG-1, which was fitted with a canopy over the cockpits for the two crew, in place of the open cockpits of the prototype. A total of 61 of these aircraft were built, including the prototype. Grossnick 1995, p.461.]

Operational history

The BG-1 entered service in October 1934, equipping VB-3B (later re-designated VB-4) aboard the carriers USS "Ranger" and "Lexington". Grossnick 1995, p.51.] It was also operated by the Marine Corps, equipping two squadrons from 1935. Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.193-194.]

The BG-1 continued in front line use with the Navy until 1938, and with the Marines Corps until 1940. It was used for utility duties at shore bases until June 1941.

Variants

;XBG-1:Prototype. Open cockpit and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-64 radial engine, one built.Orbis 1985, p.1999] ;BG-1:Production version with enclosed cockpit and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535-82 radial engine, 60 built.;XB2G-1:Developed version with retractable undercarriage and an enclosed bomb bay. One prototype only. Donald 1997, p.468.]

Operators

;USA
*United States Marine Corps
*United States Navy

pecifications (BG-1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=United States Navy Aircraft since 1914 Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.194]
crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 28 ft 9 in
length alt= 8.77 m
span main= 36 ft 0 in
span alt= 10.98 m
height main= 11 ft 0 in
height alt= 3.35 m
area main= 384 ft²
area alt= 35.7 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 3,903 lb
empty weight alt= 1,774 kg
loaded weight main= 6,347 lb
loaded weight alt= 2,885 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney R-1535-82 Twin Wasp Junior
type of prop=14-cylinder, two row air cooled radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 750 hp
power alt= 560 kW
power original=
max speed main= 163 knots
max speed alt= 188 mph, 303 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 477 NM
range alt= 549 mi, 884 km
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 20,100 ft
ceiling alt= 6,100 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 16.5 lb/ft²
loading alt= 80.8 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.12 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 190 W/kg
more performance=*Climb to 5,000 ft (1,520 m): 5.5 min.
guns= One fixed forward firing 0.30-in machine gun and one flexibly mounted rear gun
bombs= One 1,000 lb (454 kg) bomb under fuselage
rockets=
missiles=
hardpoints=
hardpoint capacity=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=*Vought SBU

*Curtiss SBC
*Aichi D1A
lists=*List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Donald, David (editor). "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Aerospace Publishing. 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
* Grossnik, Roy A. "Dictionary of Americal Naval Aviation Squadrons: Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons". Washington DC: Naval Historical Centre, 1995. ISBN 0-945274-29-7.
* Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter M. "United States Navy Aircraft since 1911". London:Putnam, Second edition 1976. ISBN 0 370 10054 9.
* The "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft" (Part Work 1982-1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing.

External links

* [http://www.aerofiles.com/_grlakes.html Great Lakes] "Aerofiles".