Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon "Petulant Porpoise"
In the late 1930s, Grumman successfully marketed the G-21 Goose as a "air yacht," with good performance and generous interior space; it was initially meant mainly for wealthy buyers who wanted something to fly around in on weekends in the Hamptons or to Catalina Island. Since that was the Goose's original market, the price tag was a bit high for other possible buyers. With this in mind, Grumman scaled down the Goose to the G-44 Widgeon.
Selling the Widgeon would have to wait, however--Grumman had barely flown the first prototype in 1940 before the US Navy requested the Widgeon be put in production as the J4F. As a result, the first production Widgeons ended up in Navy service. World War II broke out soon thereafter, and the entire production run was reserved for military service. J4Fs were originally intended as utility aircraft and supplements to the Navy's large numbers of PBY Catalinas and the US Coast Guard's Goose fleet, but in 1942 they were pressed into service as antisubmarine aircraft, armed with depth charges. German U-boats were ravaging the US East Coast and sinkings skyrocketed; anything that could fly was over the coast.
The Widgeon's comparatively long loiter time made it a good patrol aircraft, even if it was a little limited on armament. It could carry two depth charges, and more importantly, it carried the deadliest foe of the U-boat: a radio. If a J4F crew sighted a U-boat, they did not need to attack it--just shadow it until heavier ASW forces could be brought to bear. This is not to say the Widgeon could do nothing but shadow submarines: a Civil Air Patrol Widgeon scored the CAP's first sinking on 11 July 1942. Another J4F flown by a Coast Guard crew made that service's first U-boat kill a month later.
As the U-boat threat receded, the Widgeons of the US Navy, Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol returned to more generalized duties and search and rescue. After the war, most were sold off as surplus to civilian owners or friendly militaries, while Grumman kept the Widgeon in production for a short time; a number were also license-built in postwar France. 317 Widgeons were produced, and quite a few are still in service with private owners, and upgrade kits are still being manufactured.
This J4F-2 is unique. Delivered to the US Navy as 32976 in 1943, it had a quiet war as a utility aircraft at NAS Seattle, Washington. In 1948, it was handed over to the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) and extensively modified to test hull designs for future amphibians. It was based at Langley AFB, Virginia and the Naval Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, but used by both NACA and US Navy crews. 32976 was nicknamed the "Petulant Porpoise," and was so modified that it barely resembles a Widgeon. It would be the last J4F in Navy service, and was retired in 1954. Passed on to the Smithsonian, it eventually ended up at the Pima Air and Space Museum in 1987.
To preserve its unique design, the "Porpoise" is displayed inside, next to Pima's other unique amphibians. The overall yellow scheme was for greater visibility in test photographs. Speaking of photographs, I wish mine had turned out better; for some reason, both pictures I took of the Widgeon blurred a little.
Grumman J4F-2 Widgeon "Petulant Porpoise"
In the late 1930s, Grumman successfully marketed the G-21 Goose as a "air yacht," with good performance and generous interior space; it was initially meant mainly for wealthy buyers who wanted something to fly around in on weekends in the Hamptons or to Catalina Island. Since that was the Goose's original market, the price tag was a bit high for other possible buyers. With this in mind, Grumman scaled down the Goose to the G-44 Widgeon.
Selling the Widgeon would have to wait, however--Grumman had barely flown the first prototype in 1940 before the US Navy requested the Widgeon be put in production as the J4F. As a result, the first production Widgeons ended up in Navy service. World War II broke out soon thereafter, and the entire production run was reserved for military service. J4Fs were originally intended as utility aircraft and supplements to the Navy's large numbers of PBY Catalinas and the US Coast Guard's Goose fleet, but in 1942 they were pressed into service as antisubmarine aircraft, armed with depth charges. German U-boats were ravaging the US East Coast and sinkings skyrocketed; anything that could fly was over the coast.
The Widgeon's comparatively long loiter time made it a good patrol aircraft, even if it was a little limited on armament. It could carry two depth charges, and more importantly, it carried the deadliest foe of the U-boat: a radio. If a J4F crew sighted a U-boat, they did not need to attack it--just shadow it until heavier ASW forces could be brought to bear. This is not to say the Widgeon could do nothing but shadow submarines: a Civil Air Patrol Widgeon scored the CAP's first sinking on 11 July 1942. Another J4F flown by a Coast Guard crew made that service's first U-boat kill a month later.
As the U-boat threat receded, the Widgeons of the US Navy, Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol returned to more generalized duties and search and rescue. After the war, most were sold off as surplus to civilian owners or friendly militaries, while Grumman kept the Widgeon in production for a short time; a number were also license-built in postwar France. 317 Widgeons were produced, and quite a few are still in service with private owners, and upgrade kits are still being manufactured.
This J4F-2 is unique. Delivered to the US Navy as 32976 in 1943, it had a quiet war as a utility aircraft at NAS Seattle, Washington. In 1948, it was handed over to the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) and extensively modified to test hull designs for future amphibians. It was based at Langley AFB, Virginia and the Naval Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, but used by both NACA and US Navy crews. 32976 was nicknamed the "Petulant Porpoise," and was so modified that it barely resembles a Widgeon. It would be the last J4F in Navy service, and was retired in 1954. Passed on to the Smithsonian, it eventually ended up at the Pima Air and Space Museum in 1987.
To preserve its unique design, the "Porpoise" is displayed inside, next to Pima's other unique amphibians. The overall yellow scheme was for greater visibility in test photographs. Speaking of photographs, I wish mine had turned out better; for some reason, both pictures I took of the Widgeon blurred a little.