Grumman G-21 / JRF Goose

We operated two G21a with retractable floats and one G21g with P&W dash 27 engines. Also had four G44 Widgeons with the continental 260HP engines. Main base Auckland NZ also Fiji and Tuvalu 1966 thru 1988

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In the summer and fall of 1958 I worked as an aerial mapping photographer for a company named K.B. Woods and Associates. My pilot, "Jay' Landis and I were flying from the Troutdale Portland a 4 engine airport to Deer Park, and then back at night. At abt 5 AM we saw a 4 engine seaplane getting ready to take off. We were in a Cessna 180. So we watched as this rather lonely little "Goose" proceeded to make a rather lonely take-off. Bob Knotts, PHCM, USN, RET.

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The Grumman Goose was featured in the 1982-83 TV adventure series "Tales of the Gold Monkey" [starring Stephen Collins]. The flight footage shot in full color for all the episodes is beautifully done. And the Goose clearly is a central feature in the program. The series is now available on DVD. My love for aviation is what inspired me to write my latest book.

HIGH FLIGHT
Aviation as a Teaching Tool for Finance,
Strategy and American Exceptionalism
By George A. Haloulakos, MBA, CFA
ISBN: 9780-1007-2738-0
Order your copy online at: ucsandiegobookstore.com
Or by phone: 858-534-4557
"Partial proceeds support aviation heritage"

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How come there's no mention of the Grumman G73 Mallard anywhere?
Built 1946 - 1951, the Mallard is the first multi-engine purpose-built executive transport, the second aircraft certified in the CAR4 transport category and the most beautiful seaplane that ever flew!

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When I arrived at NAS Alameda in 1947 they had a JRF-5A which we used for aerial photography on a regular basis. The large port side dutch door was suitable for oblique photography and the huge hatch in the bottom of the hull was suitable for aerfial mapping.
The history of this particular aircraft goes as follows: Served as a transport in Cuba, sank to the bottom of Havana harbor, recovered and re-built in Norfolk, transferred to NAS Alameda as a station aircraft.
The bottom hatch was removable and for water landings had to be re-sealed, as an Operations Officer at Alameda found out to his regret. After landing on San Francisco Bay, he discoverewd the leaking, gushing hull, adding all available power, he made it to the "Mars" ramps, just, locked the brakes until it could be towed clear and drained.
Kept at Alameda to be re-placed by a twin Beech (SNB-5P), which is another story altogether.

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Alaska Fish & Wildlife Protection Troopers has used this aircraft for quite a few years. Flying in some pretty awful Alaskan conditions. Rugged.

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During the '39-'45 war the Goose was in service with the British Fleet Air Arm. My father had a squadron in Trinidad, West Indies on maritime patrol. After the war my father moved to British Guiana where he helped to start up British Guiana Airways flying the Goose on bush flying in the region and between the other West Indian Islands where he was the only pilot licensed to fly into some of the small strips.

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nothing to do with the Goose , but where is the Mallard in this lineup. Again dissapointed in the coverage of aircraft built by any company

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Have lived on Catalina since 1960, spent a lot of time riding the Goose back and forth with many different pilots. Got a kick out of the other comments left here.

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hello excuse the inconvenience. can help me to get information about this aircraft? I would like to reproduce this aircraft in 1 / 5 scale .. I'm trying to get information about the measures throughout to the airplane, but for the moment I not managed to get a many information and those few are in contrast with other. Would you be so kind as to help me?. I thank you in advance for any help hello and see you soon.

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I was an air traffic controller at Long Beach Tracon (Calif) 1973-1975. At that time the tracon was located in the old control tower above the terminal building. A pilot (Wild Bill) from Catalina Airlines asked if anyone wanted to fly out to Catalina Island and back (I'll go). What I remember most from that trip was Bill telling me that when he crosses the harbor breakwater outbound, he lites up a cigarette. If by the time the cigarette is ready to be put out and he hasn't located the island, he must make a hard turn around, because he is about to hit the island. The water landing and takeoff was something to remember. We would just drop the landing gear and taxi up the ramp to the Catalina terminal.

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Some of your info above is just a little bit inaccurate. It was the McKinnon G-21C and G-21D models that had the four 340 hp Lycoming GSO-480-B2D6 piston engines. They were certified and approved in 1958 and 1960 respectively and in fact the very first G-21C, N150M (s /n 1201) was re-converted to become the first and only G-21D. The difference was a nose section lengthened by 36 inches and incorporating 4 more seats up there. N150M (as G-21D s /n 1251) was later (in 1966) modified to have two 550 shp PT6A-20 turbines instead of the four Lycoming piston engines. Two Gooses were converted in 1968 supposedly as C models but with the PT6A-20 engines as well per STC SA1320WE also. They weren't "real" C models and McKinnon called them G-21C "Hybrids" (the turbines are not part of the "real" C model configuration.) On the other hand, the G-21C "Hybrid" configuration was the basis of the model G-21E that was certified in 1969 and the G-21G was essentially a G-21E that was reinforced for a gross weight increase from 10,500 lbs to 12,500 lbs.

So, the G-21C and G-21D were not "turboprop-powered" unless they were "modified" by STC SA1320WE. Normally (i.e. unmodified) they were the aircraft that were powered by the GSO-480 series piston engines. The G-21E and G-21G were designed and built as turboprops from the start.

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I worked on this aircraft in the USVI under the name of Antilles Airboats. It was a fun plane to work on. And, the PWA R-985's were one of the easiest to work on since the Shakey Jake (Jacobs R-760).

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To: Peter Hanley - I knew your father when he was with Dean Franklin and Okinawa Flying Boats. I worked for V I Seaplene Shuttle. There is a book on the Mallards that I co-wrote (270 pp). Please contact me for more info at 618-307-5415.

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Have flown 21 different Gooses over the years and have just over 12000 hours in them while flying commercially on Kodiak Island and Western Alaska. Rugged plane that never let me down. I am now a flight instructor for multi engine seaplanes specifically working with the Goose and Widgeon.

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