Great Lakes XSG

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XSG

Role  | Reconnaissance amphibian

Type of aircraft

Manufacturer  | Great Lakes
First flight  | 1931
Primary user  | United States Navy
Number built | 1

The Great Lakes XSG was an amphibious observation aircraft developed in the United States in the early 1930s for a US Navy competition. It was an ungainly and unorthodox biplane design with a single large pontoon mounted below the lower wing. This pontoon extended rearwards and carried the conventional empennage. On top of the lower wing, where the fuselage would normally be located, was a stubby nacelle containing the tractor-mounted engine and the pilot's cockpit. The rear of this nacelle was semi-enclosed with glazing and incorporated a position for a tail gunner. The main units of the wheeled undercarriage retracted into the sides of the central pontoon.

Development quickly ended when trials revealed that the aircraft was incapable of reaching the speeds required by the Navy, and only a single prototype was ever built.

## Specifications

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General characteristics

* Crew: Two, pilot and gunner
* Length: 32 ft 7 in (9.90 m)
* Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.60 m)
* Height: 13 ft 0 in (3.90 m)
* Gross weight: 3,219 lb (1,912 kg)
* Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985 , 400 hp (300 kW)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 136 mph (219 km/h, 118 kn)
* Service ceiling: 14,700 ft (4,480 m)

Armament

* 1 × trainable, rearward-firing machine gun in aft cockpit

## References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Lakes XSG.

* Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 432.

* v
* t
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USN scout aircraft designations

Scout|

| Aeromarine|

* AS

|

Curtiss|

* CS
* S2C
* S3C
* S4C
* SC3

Dayton-Wright|

* SDW

Bellanca|

* SE

Edo Aircraft|

* SE2
* S2E

Grumman|

* SF

Great Lakes|

* SG

Handley Page|

* HPS

Loening|

* SL
* S2L

Martin|

* MS

Sikorsky|

* SS

Vought|

* SU

Cox-Klemin|

* XS

Scout Bomber|

| Brewster|

* SBA
* SB2A

|

Curtiss-Wright|

* SBC
* SB2C
* SB3C

Douglas|

* SBD
* SB2D

Grumman|

* SBF

Fairchild|

* SBF

Naval Aircraft Factory|

* SBN

Vought|

* SBU
* SB2U
* SB3U

Canadian Car and Foundry|

* SBW

Scout Observation|

| Curtiss|

* SOC
* SO2C
* SO3C

|

Bellanca|

* SOE

Edo Aircraft|

* SOE2
* SO2E

Fairchild|

* SOK

Naval Aircraft Factory|

* SON

Ryan|

* SOR

Vought|

* SOU1
* SO2U

Scout Trainer|

| Beechcraft|

* SNB

|

Curtiss-Wright|

* SNC

North American|

* SNJ
* SN2J

Vultee|

* SNV

* 1 Not assigned
* 2 Assigned to a different manufacturer's type
* 3 Sequence restarted

* v
* t
* e

Great Lakes aircraft

* Sport Trainer

* BG
* B2G
* TG
* TBG
* XSG

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