Great Lakes BG
US carrier-based dive bomber
BG | |
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Great Lakes BG-1 of bombing squadron VB-3B | |
Role |
Dive-bomber
Type of aircraft
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Manufacturer | Great Lakes Aircraft Company |
First flight | 1933 |
Introduction | 1934 |
Retired | 1941 |
Primary users |
United States Navy
United States Marine Corps |
Number built | 61 |
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 , [1] received an order from the U.S. Navy for a prototype two seat dive bomber capable of carrying a 1,000 lb (454 kg) bomb in 1933. [2] (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 750 hp (560 kW) Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp Junior radial engine . [3]
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. [3] [4]
Operational history
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Great_Lakes-bg1_-_in_flight.jpg/220px-Great_Lakes-bg1_-_in_flight.jpg)
The BG-1 entered service in October 1934, equipping VB-3B (later re-designated VB-4) aboard the carriers Ranger and Lexington . [5] It was also operated by the Marine Corps , equipping two squadrons from 1935. [6]
The BG-1 continued in front line use with the Navy until 1938, and with the Marines Corps until 1940. [7] It was used for utility duties at shore bases until June 1941. [4] About 22 were converted to target drones for naval anti-aircraft gunnery, with one being used to test TV-guidance for air-to surface missiles, and was successfully guided by signals from a Beechcraft JRB to hit a target raft on Chesapeake Bay on 19 April 1942. [8]
Variants
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Great_Lakes_XB2G-1_in_flight_1936.jpg/220px-Great_Lakes_XB2G-1_in_flight_1936.jpg)
- XBG-1
- Prototype. Open cockpit and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 -64 radial engine, one built. [9]
- BG-1
- Production version with enclosed cockpit and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 -82 radial engine, 60 built. [9]
- XB2G-1
- Developed version with retractable undercarriage and an enclosed bomb bay. One prototype only. [10]
Operators
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United States Marine Corps
- VB-4M / VMB-2 - March 1935 to December 1940 [8]
- VB-6M / VMB-1 - October 1935 to October 1940 [8]
- VMO-1 - September 1940 to May 1941 [8]
- VMS-1 - December 1938 to June 1941 [8]
- VMS-2 - December 1940 to April 1941 [8]
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United States Navy
- VB-3B / VB-4 - November 1934 to June 1939 [8]
- VB-7 - July 1939 to August 1940 [8]
Specifications (BG-1)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Great_Lakes_BG-1_VB-7.jpg/220px-Great_Lakes_BG-1_VB-7.jpg)
Data from United States Navy Aircraft since 1914 [7]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.77 m)
- Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.98 m)
- Height: 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)
- Wing area: 384 sq ft (35.7 m 2 )
- Empty weight: 3,903 lb (1,774 kg)
- Gross weight: 6,347 lb (2,885 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535 -82 Twin Wasp Junior 14-cylinder, two row air cooled radial engine , 750 hp (560 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 188 mph (303 km/h, 163 kn)
- Range: 549 mi (884 km, 477 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 20,100 ft (6,100 m)
- Wing loading: 16.5 lb/sq ft (80.8 kg/m 2 )
- Power/mass : 0.12 hp/lb (190 W/kg)
- Climb to 5,000 ft (1,520 m): 5.5 min.
Armament
- Guns: 1 × fixed forward firing 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine gun and 1 × flexibly mounted rear gun
- Bombs: 1 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bomb under fuselage
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
Notes
- ↑ Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.312.
- ↑ Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.193.
- 1 2 Donald 1997, p.467.
- 1 2 Grossnick 1995, p.461.
- ↑ Grossnick 1995, p.51.
- ↑ Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.193-194.
- 1 2 Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.194
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kernahan 1993, p. 4
- 1 2 Orbis 1985, p.1999
- ↑ Donald 1997, p.468.
Bibliography
- Donald, David, ed. (1997). The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft . Aerospace Publishing. ISBN 1-85605-375-X .
- Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons: Volume 1 The History of VA, VAH, VAK, VAL, VAP and VFA Squadrons . Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. ISBN 0-945274-29-7 . Retrieved 26 November 2021 .
- Kernahan, George (1993). "The Great Lakes BG-1". Aeromilitaria . No. 1. Air-Britain . pp. 3–10.
- Swanborough, Gordon; Bowers, Peter M. (1976). United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 (Second ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10054-9 .
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Great Lakes Aerofiles .
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Great Lakes
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