Great Lakes XB2G-1
Great Lakes Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1932 · bomber
The Great Lakes XB2G-1 is a single-engine biplane carrier bomber prototype developed in 1932, designed by Great Lakes Aircraft to meet a US Navy requirement for a dive bombing capable carrier aircraft. Great Lakes is better known for producing the TBG-1 torpedo bomber.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.75 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
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Spot it by:
- Single-engine biplane carrier dive bomber prototype
- Open cockpit biplane with fixed undercarriage
- 1930s US Navy carrier bomber evaluated alongside Curtiss and Vought designs
A single-engine open-cockpit biplane dive bomber broadly similar to the Curtiss BF2C and Vought SBU contemporaries; the Great Lakes design is distinguished by its specific strut arrangement and cowling profile.
Specifications
- The Great Lakes XB2G-1 has a length of 9.75 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.41 m (44 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 233 km/h (145 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The US Navy conducted extensive evaluation of competing carrier dive bomber designs in the early 1930s. The Great Lakes XB2G-1 was among the contenders, featuring a large single-bay biplane layout with an open tandem cockpit and provision for a bomb on a displacement gear to clear the propeller arc during dive bombing attacks.
Variants
Only one XB2G-1 prototype was built; the design did not enter production.
Where you'll see it
Evaluated by the US Navy at Naval Air Station Anacostia in 1932 but not selected for production.
Related aircraft
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