Affectionately nicknamed 'Grumman Goose'. the G-21 was Grumman's first monoplane to fly, its first twin engine aircraft, and its first aircraft to enter commercial airline service. This remarkably versatile amphibian has served for over fifty years in a variety of roles that have confirmed the strength and durability of its original design.

The inspiration for the G-21 came from a syndicate of ten wealthy New York businessmen and aviators led by Wilton Lloyd-Smith who were seeking a replacement for the Loening Air Yacht they used to commute from their Long Inland homes to their offices in Manhattan.

In 1935 they approached Grover Loening, who declined but suggested that the syndicate contact the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, for which Loening consulted and which he had helped finance. Leroy Grumman accepted and immediately went to work with designer and company co-founder William Schwendler. as well as hydrodynamicist Ralston Stab to build the new G-21 amphibian air yacht.

The outline of the new design emerged quickly, revealing a stubby yet graceful aircraft constructed of 24ST Alclad aluminum, the 0-21 was an all metal, high-winged monoplane powered by two 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. nine cylinder, air-cooled radial engines mounted on the leading edge of the high set wings. The deep fuselage served also as a hull and was equipped with hand-cranked retractable landing gear. Inside the cabin was room for four to six passengers and a flight crew of two. Depending on the level of comfort desired by the individual customer, the G-21 could be fitted with a galley and a lavatory. Floats were suspended beneath each wing and a conventional cruciform tail section installed. Misspellings: Amfibios AMPHIBOUS .

On May 29, 1937, the G-21 completed its first test flight, piloted by Robert L Hall and Bud Gillies from Grumman's Bethpage, New York factory. Flight trials went smoothly and after a lengthening of the hull step to improve the aircraft's performance on the water, the aircraft was readied for production.

The performance of the G-21 was praiseworthy for its time and rivaled commercial airliners in service. With a cruising speed of 15O miles per hour, the G-21 had a range of 500 miles. (One of the versions included in the Grumman Goose folder features Catalina Island markings shown above).

On July 3, just five weeks after its maiden flight, the first of twelve G-21s ordered was delivered to its initial customers. Wilton Lloyd-Smith and department store hair Marshall Field III. Soon other wealthy owners were enjoying the exemplary flight characteristics and handling of the G-21 Goose.

 

Among those customers were financiers Henry H. Morgan and E. Roland Harriman, C. W. Deeds of United Aircraft, Colonel McCormick of the Chicago 5-bunch, Boris Sergievsky, test pilot for Sikorsky Aircraft, and Britain's Lord Beaver brook. In addition, two were purchased by Asiatic Petroleum. Soon these aircraft were modified to G-21A standards with Wasp Jr. SB-2 engines, an increase in certificated gross weight from 7,500 to 8,000 pounds, and a slightly modified hull to reduce water spray.

The popularity of the G-21 spread as its versatility became well-known throughout the aviation community. Soon orders came in to Grumman from airlines, the military, and foreign customers, impressed by the G-21's potential. Lloyd Aero Boliviano (LAB) was the first airline to purchase the G-21 but did not put it into service. KNILM, the Dutch East Indies subsidiary of KLM, acquired two G-21's and operated them from 1940 until early 1942 when the last one was shot down by the invading Japanese. The coming of World War II prevented the adoption of the Goose on a wider scale by airlines until after the cessation of hostilities.

In 1938, the Royal Canadian Air Force was the first military service to recognize the abilities of the Goose when it ordered one in June of that year, followed soon by orders from the U.S. Army and Navy, as well as the Peruvian Air Force and the Portuguese Navy.

 

During World War II, the Army was the first to order a substantial quantity, operating 26 as OA-9s and OA-13s. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operated 169 "Gooses" designated as JRFs in utility, transport, and antisubmarine duty. In total, the air forces and navies of eleven nations have flown the Goose. France flew at least fifteen in combat in Indochina where several JRFs were armed with bombs and machine guns.

A total of 345 G-21 s were produced by October 1945 when production ended. While most of the G-21 s were quickly phased out of military service after World War II, the Goose renewed its career as an airliner in earnest.

 

Uniquely adapted for travel in virtually any environment, the Goose saw widespread service with small airlines in the Caribbean, California, and Alaska. Among those flying the G-21 were Reeve Aleutian Airways, Alaska Coastal Airlines, Chalk's Flying Service, and Mackey Airlines.

 

Antilles Air Boats was particularly noted for flying the Goose around the Caribbean from their base in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. Avalon Air Transport (later Catalina Airlines) competed for a while with Catalina Seaplanes, connecting southern California with Catalina Island. Can't you just 'feel' the power of the Goose (left) warming up?

 

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The US Navy just loved the Grumman Goose:

One of the most desirable of antique airplanes is the Grumman Goose. With amphibious capability, a tail dragger landing gear configuration, and two Pratt & Whitney 450 hp engines, the Goose can go almost anywhere. It is not fast, but the airplane can carry eight people, and do it with style!!

 

The airplane was used during the War by the U.S. Army Air Force, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Coast Guard as a coastal patrol airplane, a training tool, and as an air-sea rescue machine. After the War, they were quickly snapped up as surplus airplanes to go into service with the civilian Goose as airline airplanes and executive transports for the sporting type of executive.

 

The G-21 Grumman Goose proved a remarkably successful airplane that appealed to civil and military operators alike for its amphibious capability, capacious fuselage and modest fuel requirements. The version taken by the US Navy was designated JRF, and this was developed in variants up to the JRF-5 with cameras for photo-survey, and the JRF-6B LendLease model intended for air/sea rescue and navigation training. A number of these essentially similar models were delivered to France after World War II for use in the coastal reconnaissance and air/sea rescue roles, proving invaluable as the French authorities redrew their coastal charts to take account of World War II wrecks and other features. (the version shown above is not included in the folder)

 

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The 'Step':

Most flying boats and floatplane's have a 'step'.. which is a break in the bottom of the plane that helps separate the hull of the plane from the water. On our Grumman Goose, notice the rows of holes, which help prevent the creation of a vacuum between the plane and the water. Taking off from the water has two distinct stages, which consist of picking up enough speed to lift out of the water and "ride the step," and then picking up more speed for the wings' lift to literally pull the rest of the plane out of the water. The Goose takes off and lands at a speed somewhere around 60 mph.

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Dr. Glen Volyn, FG designer, sent in this photo of a very early beta Grumman Goose proofing. Notice several other betas in the background'	SPECS: Wing Span: 49 ft Length: 38ft 6in Payload: 7 passengers Max Weight: 8000 lb Max Speed: 201 mph Range: 640 miles Powerplant: 2 PW Wasp Junior
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to Beta build the Goose. This is my first Beta assembly. Please notice the build of version #1 is missing one wing float. The reason is the inquisitive and playful furry creature we call Moose. When and if I find the part, I will attach it. On track this time, YMP Trains
Modeler/writer Joe Golden shows us all how to spend just a little more time and make your Grumman Goose a work of art. He simply printed a couple more copies of the engine sheet, cut out the engine components, and created a thing of beauty. Note the 'cylinders' are even rounded. Joe's working on a Grumman Goose tutorial and we'll upload it as soon as it's ready. 1 - Printed 3 copies of the engine 2 - Mounted on thick board (artist illustration board) 3 - Trimmed out one full engine plate, one with just the center and the cylinders, and one with just the center and the purple wires. 4 - Glued on top of each other, capped of with the little dome-thing. For the raised exhaust pipe I mounted a copy to the thick board and trimmed out, glued in place over the straight- printed one. I also printed additional pieces so I could layer the little access doors and panels. Layering pieces is the absolutely easiest and quickest way to add detail and depth to any model. It works great, simple to do, but looks like a million bucks! Even if the layered piece doesn't jump out, the little side shadows the cast add a lot. My first use was on the V-300 Early Helicopter. I layered a single piece around the pilots compartment. Doesn't jump out, but really fools the eye into thinking it's thicker and rounder than it really is. That one piece has now led me to hundreds in some cases. Joe

Amphibian Grumman Goose G-21 Three View