Wright Model G
American military flying boat of 1913
title: "Wright Model G" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1910s-united-states-military-reconnaissance-aircraft", "wright-aircraft", "biplanes", "t-tail-aircraft", "single-engined-twin-prop-pusher-aircraft", "flying-boats", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1913"] description: "American military flying boat of 1913" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Model_G" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary American military flying boat of 1913 ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Model G Aeroboat |
| image | File:Wright Model G pic2.jpg |
| aircraft_type | Military flying boat |
| national_origin | United States |
| manufacturer | Wright Company |
| designer | Grover Loening |
| primary_user | U.S. Navy |
| first_flight | 1913 |
| developed_into | Wright Model H |
| Wright Model HS | |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] a military flying boat built by the Wright Company in 1913 ::
| name = Model G Aeroboat | logo = | logo_size = | image = File:Wright Model G pic2.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Military flying boat | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United States | manufacturer = Wright Company | design_group = | designer = Grover Loening | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = U.S. Navy | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 1913 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = Wright Model H Wright Model HS | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =
The Wright Model G Aeroboat was a flying boat built in small numbers by the Wright Company in 1913. It represented an unsuccessful attempt by Wright to compete with the ubiquitous Curtiss Model F. One example was evaluated for U.S. Navy service, and allocated a naval serial number, but this did not lead to a production order. The Model G was the first aircraft to be fitted with a T-tail.
Design
The Model G was a three-bay unstaggered biplane flying boat with equal-span wings. The pilot and a single passenger sat side-by-side in an open cockpit in the hull. A piston engine was mounted behind the cockpit, in the interplane gap, which powered two two-bladed pusher propellers via chain drives. Small stabilizer floats were mounted under the wings, initially at mid-span, but later moved to the wingtips. The horizontal stabilizer was originally mounted in a cruciform position on the fins, but later moved above them to create the first T-tail fitted to an aircraft. The Model G was originally fitted with a system of control levers, similar to earlier Wright designs, but the last ones built had control wheels that were emerging as the standard for aircraft control. The hull was built of metal.
Development
The Wright Company had previously marketed seaplanes in the form of the Wright Model C-H floatplane. However, this machine's performance both in the air and on the water had proved disappointing. At the same time, rival firm Curtiss had achieved considerable success with their Model F flying boat. After an informal expression of interest from the U.S. Navy in evaluating a Wright flying boat, Orville Wright set designer Grover Loening to the task of designing the aircraft. It flew for the first time in 1913, and was test-flown by Orville, Loening, and Oscar Brindley on the Great Miami River.
Other than naval use, the Wright Company marketed it for recreational flying, and also hoped to sell it as a mailplane for use in Alaska and coastal areas.
Development of the design continued as the Wright Model H and Model HS.
Operational history
The U.S. Navy purchased the first Model G built and assigned it the serial AH-19. It was tested for the Navy by Harry Atwood on Lake Erie in May 1914, and then by Lt. Harry Maxfield. Maxfield advised against purchasing the type, and no further interest by the Navy ensued.
Wright sold at least two other Model Gs: one to Atwood, and another to Ernie Hall. Captain J. William Hazelton of the New York National Guard also owned a "Wright-type flying boat" around this time, which might have been a Model G. He offered it to the Army for use in support of the Mexican Revolution, but the offer was not taken up.
On August 20, 1914, Orville Wright and passenger Lt. Kenneth Whiting narrowly escaped drowning when a Model G piloted by Wright crashed into the Great Miami River after one of its wings failed in flight.
Operators
Specifications
|ref=Hallion 2019, p.69 |prime units?= met(ric) first for all others. You MUST choose a format, or no specifications will show --imp General characteristics
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|crew=1 |capacity=1 passenger |length m= |length ft=28 |length in=8 |length note= |span m= |span ft=38 |span in=0 |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m= |height ft=8 |height in=0 |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=432 |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=1200 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=1800 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Wright 6-60 |eng1 type=six-cylinder, water-cooled, inline engine |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=60 |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=
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|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=
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|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=60 |max speed kts= |max speed note=(estimated) |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |thrust/weight=
|more performance= Armament
|armament= specific parameters, remove this parameter-- |guns= |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
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Notes
References
Bibliography
References
- Hallion 2019, p.69
- Roach 2015, p.107
- Taylor 1992, p.898
- ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'' 1985, p.3098
- Hallion 2019, p.68
- The 60 H.P. Wright Aero-Boat 1914, p.57
- The 60 H.P. Wright Aero-Boat 1914, p.56
- Roach 2015, p.106
- Roach 2015, p.109
- Roach 2015, p.108
- Swanborough & Bowers 1990, p.536
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