PHOTO GALLERY - GRUMMAN AMPHIBIANS

DUCK, GOOSE, WIDGEON & XJL

 

	Grumman J2F-6 Duck N1196N (ex Bu36976) displayed in the magnificent EAA Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1989. The J2F-6s were the final model of the Duck and were built under sub-contract by Columbia Aircraft Corp, not far from Grumman's factory both on Long Island, New York. Photo: John Chapman
	Grumman Goose N1621A (c/n 1019, formerly RCAF Goose Mk.1) seen at Opa Locka, Florida in October 1977, a weeks prior to delivery to Colombia to become HK-2059. Two years later It disappeared between islands off the Colombian coast with 9 on board. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-6 Goose N143DF (c/n 1153, served with Royal Navy as FP503 before return to US Navy) had a busy civil career in USA, Japan and Canada. It is seen at Opa Locka, Florida in October 1979 while owned by Grumman amphib specialist Dean Franklin of Miami, hence the "DF" registration suffix. Its flying days came to an end in a 1999 hangar fire at White Horse, Yukon Territory. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-6 Goose N644R (c/n B-130) at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1981 during a long career with the US Department of Interior in Alaska. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-6B Goose N69263 (c/n 1132 ex Royal Navy in Bermuda and US Navy) at Opa Locka, Florida in September 1979. At that time, it was owned by Seaplane Shuttle Transport in New York, Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Anchorage International Airport includes two lakes used by hundreds of floatplanes. One way to photograph them is from a helicopter. In September 1979 this JRF-5 Goose N703 (c/n B-81) was parked at a house on the lake edge, alongside a rare Boeing L-15 Scout, neither having flown for many years. The Goose was saved and is still flying. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-5 Goose N3282 (c/n B-29, formerly US Navy, Argentine Navy and Paraguay Navy) at St Croix, US Virgin Islands in October 1981, after Antilles Air Boats had been shut down by FAA. Ten Mallards and Gooses were grounded here, four Gooses retired earlier were all but submerged in tropical foliage. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-5 Goose N7F (c/n B-55, ex RCAF) is a fine example of the personalised Grumman amphibian air-yacht. These are popular in USA, having customised interiors with camping features. Seen at Oshkosh in July 1989. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Much modified JRF-5 Goose N780 "The Aleutian Goose" (c/n B-72) on a rain-swept ramp at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1979 owned by US Department of Interior. This aircraft was rebuilt by McKinnon with PT6A turbines as a G-21E Turbo Goose, then later upgraded to a McKinnon G-21G with Garrett AiResearch TPE331 turbines. It has a stretched hull, long dorsal fin and wrap-around windscreen. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Another McKinnon turboprop modification was the G-21C Turbine Goose with PT6A-20s. This aircraft (c/n 1083) was privately owned in the United Kingdom as G-ASXG when rebuilt in 1968 by Marshalls at Cambridge, using a McKinnon conversion kit. Seen here at Vancouver in 1981 as C-FAWH with Air BC. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman JRF-5 Goose N7811 (c/n B-122) at Anchorage, September 1979, owned by the State of Alaska. It is still going strong in Alaska, with Peninsular Airways. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon N68102 (c/n 1351) at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1979, retaining the original Fairchild Ranger engines with two bladed props. Wing floats are fixed, but it has some modifications, including one-piece cockpit windscreen. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman G-44A Widgeon N1423 (c/n 1423) at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska in September 1981 retains the original Fairchild Ranger engines, two bladed props and fixed wing floats. Owner Red Dodge was an Alaskan charter business, which operated a mixed fleet from Super Cub floatplanes to leased Lockheed Hercules. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Royal Thai Air Force G-44A Widgeon 2/94 (c/n 1449) seen displayed at the air force museum at the old Don Muang Air Base, Bangkok in March 2012. Photo: John Chapman
	Grumman Widgeon N160W (c/n 1206) was one of a number of early civil production Widgeons impressed by USAAF as OA-14s. Seen at Fairbanks, Alaska in September 1981, with more powerful Lycoming GO-480 engines, three bladed props and one-piece windscreen. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	G-44A Widgeon VH-WET (c/n 1466) in February 1990 at its home base Cairns, Queensland, operated by Coral Wings. First flown y Grumman in November 1946, this aircraft had an eventful life in New Guinea, New Zealand, Australia, back to New Guinea and is now about to fly again in NZ. It had been modified to McKinnon "Super Widgeon", with Continental IO-470s, by TEAL in Auckland in 1962. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	What a difference a paint scheme makes. Here's VH-WET (c/n 1466) at Cairns in October 1990 freshly repainted, reportedly for an overseas cigarette TV commercial filmed in New Guinea. John Jones, owner of Coral Wings, retained this scheme until he sold the aircraft four years later to Rabaul. Photo Geoff Goodall
	The same Widgeon as the previous two pictures (c/n 1466) seen at the same location 42 years earlier as VH-AZO, en route to New Guinea while operated by Qantas on behalf of Australian Petroleum Company. Photo: Geoff Goodall collection
	Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon N302 (c/n 1294) at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska in September 1979, parked outside the office of its owner bush pilot Oren Hudson. It has been re-engined, but the engine type is not given in the US Civil Register. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Idyllic campsite scene at Round Lake, near Oshkosh, Wisconsin in August 1989. The Widgeon is N54VT (see next picture), one of thirty floatplanes using this lake during the annual Oshkosh EAA fly-in. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon N54VT (c/n 1277) moored on Round Lake, Wisconsin, August 1989. In the past, this aircraft spent time in Panama and Costa Rica, and has been through one of the upgrading programs, with Lycoming GO-480s and three bladed props. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Widgeon takeoff on Auckland Harbour NZ from Sea Bee Air's ZK-CFA (see next picture) Photo: Geoff Goodall
	G-44A Widgeon ZK-CFA (c/n 1439) at Mechanics Bay seaplane base, Auckland NZ in October 1977 while operating scheduled passenger services with Sea Bee Air. It had been modified to McKinnon Super Widgeon in 1963 by TEAL at Auckland, installing Continental IO-470s. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	G-44 N37DF (c/n 1215) at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Florida in August 1989. Although an early civil production Widgeon, used by Pan American Airways for seaplane pilot training, this aircraft has had upgrade modifications with more modern engines and retractable floats. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon N45CA (c/n 1380) at Fairbanks, Alaska in September 1981, owned by Charlie Allen Flying Service. It was one of five Widgeons parked at the floatplane lake on the International Airport. This was a McKinnon "Super Widgeon" modification with Lycoming GO-480s. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Another Widgeon at Fairbanks in September 1981 was this J4F-2 N3767Z (c/n 1346), re-engined with Lycoming GO-480s with 3 bladed props. Owner was Usibelli Coal Mine at Healy, Alaska. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon N9900H (c/n 1328) at Anchorage-Merrill Field, Alaska in September 1981. It has been re-engined with Lycoming GO-435s and has the one-piece windscreen modification. Photo: Geoff Goodall
	Grumman XJL-1 Bu31399 displayed at Pima Aerospace Museum, Tucson, Arizona in 2012. Only two prototypes were ordered by the US Navy, both built under licence by Columbia Aircraft Corporation. Photo: David Osborn