The Widgeon was originally designed for the civil market. It is smaller, but otherwise similar to
Grumman's earlier
G-21 Goose, and was produced from 1941 to 1955. The aircraft was used during
World War II as a small patrol and utility machine by the US Navy, US Coast Guard, and
Royal Navy's
Fleet Air Arm.
The first prototype flew in
1940, and the first production aircraft went to the US Navy as an
antisubmarine aircraft. In total, 276 were built by Grumman, including 176 for the military. During World War II, they served with the US Navy, Coast Guard,
Civil Air Patrol, and Army Air Force, as well as with the British Royal Navy, which gave it the service name Gosling.
Operational history
United States Coast Guard
On August 1, 1942, a J4F-1 flown by US Coast Guard Patrol Squadron 212 based out of
Houma, Louisiana, and flown by Chief Aviation Pilot Henry White, spotted and attacked a German
U-boat off the coast of Louisiana. White reported the submarine sunk, and he was subsequently credited with sinking
U-166 and awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
However, in June 2001 the wreck of U-166 was found sitting near the wreck of
SS Robert E. Lee by an oil exploration team; and the sinking of U-166 on July 30 (i.e. two days before the Widgeon flight) is now credited to patrol craft PC-566 escorting the Robert E. Lee.[2]
White's Widgeon is now thought to have made an unsuccessful attack against
U-171, a
Type IXC U-boat identical to U-166 that reported an air attack coincident with White's attack. U-171 was undamaged by White's attack, but was sunk four months later in the
Bay of Biscay.[3]
Civil Air Patrol
The sinking of a German U-boat by the
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was claimed by one of their larger aircraft on 11 July 1942. The Grumman G-44 Widgeon, armed with two depth charges and crewed by Captain Johnny Haggins and Major Wynant Farr, was scrambled when another CAP patrol radioed that they had encountered an enemy submarine, but were returning to base due to low fuel. After scanning the area, Farr spotted the U-boat cruising beneath the surface of the waves. Unable to accurately determine the depth of the vessel, Haggins and Ferr radioed the situation back to base and followed the enemy in hopes that it would rise to
periscope depth. For three hours, the crew shadowed the submarine. Just as Haggins was about to return to base, the U-boat rose to periscope depth, and Haggins swung the aircraft around, aligned with the submarine and dove to 100 feet (30 m). Farr released one of the two depth charges, blowing the submarine's front out of the water. As it left an
oil slick, Farr made a second pass and released the other charge. Debris appeared on the ocean's surface, confirming the U-boat's demise and the CAP's first kill.[4][5]
Postwar operations
After the war, Grumman redesigned the aircraft to make it more suitable for civilian operations. A new hull improved its water handling, and six seats were installed. In total, 76 of the new G-44As were built by Grumman, the last being delivered on January 13, 1949. Another 41 were produced under license by the
Société de construction aéronavale [
fr] (SCAN) in
La Rochelle,
France, as the
SCAN 30. Most of these ended up in the United States.
Main production variant, 200 built (serial nos. 1201–1400) including J4F series military variants listed below.
G-44A
Improved postwar production variant with redesigned hull, 76 built (serial nos. 1401–1476.)
J4F-1
G-44 for the United States Coast Guard with three seats, 25 built.
J4F-2
United States Navy version of the J4F-1 with 5-seat interior, 131 built.
OA-14
Fifteen G-44s impressed into wartime service with the United States Army Air Forces.
OA-14A
One new aircraft for the Corps of Engineers.
Gosling I
Fifteen J4F-2s transferred to the Royal Navy, later renamed Widgeon I
SCAN 30
G-44A Licence-built in France using Metric standards and not Anodized as were original Grumman-built aircraft, 41 built (serial nos. 1–41.)
PACE Gannet
Pacific Aerospace Engineering Corporation conversions of S.C.A.N. 30s, powered by 300 hp (220 kW)
Lycoming R-680-13 radial engines. Later known as the Gannet Super Widgeon
31 – SCAN 30 airworthy with Orlando Financial Corporation in
Bear, Delaware.[17] It was used as
De plane! De plane! in the television show Fantasy Island where it delivered guests to the island and was put up for sale at auction in April 2016.[18]
^FAA Type Certificate Number A-734; aircraft is designated a "5 PCL-Am-FbM" which means it is a five-place Cabin Landplane-Amphibian-Flying Boat Monoplane