J2F Duck
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| J2F Duck | |
|---|---|
 Grumman J2F-3 Duck in United States Coast Guard service. |
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| Type | Utility amphibian |
| Manufacturer | Grumman |
| Maiden flight | 1936 |
| Introduced | 1936 |
| Primary users | United States Navy United States Coast Guard |
| Number built | 564 |
The Grumman J2F Duck was an American single-engine amphibious biplane. The Grumman Model G.15 was an improved version of the earlier JF Duck and was ordered by the United States Navy as the J2F Duck.
The J2F was an equal-span biplane with a large monocoque central float which also housed the retractable main landing gear. It had strut-mounted stabiliser floats beneath each lower wing. A crew of two or three were carried in tandem cockpits, forward for the pilot and rear for an observer with room for a radio operator if required. It had a cabin in the fuselage for two passengers or a stretcher.
The Duck's main pontoon was blended into the fuselage, making it almost a flying boat despite its similarity to a conventional landplane which has been float-equipped. Like the F4F Wildcat, its narrow-tracked landing gear was hand-cranked.
The J2F-1 Duck first flew on April 3, 1936 powered by a 750hp (559kW) Wright Cyclone, and was delivered to the United States Navy on the same day. The J2F-2 had a Wright Cyclone engine but boosted to 790hp (589kW). Twenty J2F-3 variants were built in 1939 for use as executive transports for the Navy with plush interiors. Pressure of work following the United States entry into the war in 1941 production of the J2F Duck was transferred to the Columbia Aircraft Corporation of New York. They produced 330 aircraft for the Navy and Coast Guard.
A surplus Navy Duck was converted for use by the United States Air Force in the Air/Sea Rescue role as the OA-12 in 1942.
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[edit] Operational service
The aircraft was used by both the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, with the latter using them as utility aircraft for missions including mapping, rescue work, photography, and a target training.
[edit] Variants
- J2F-1
- Initial production version with 750hp R-1820-20 engines, 29 built.
- J2F-2
- United States Marine Corps version with nose and dorsal guns and underwing bomb racks, 21 built.
- J2F-2A
- As J2F-2 with minor changes for use in the United States Virgin Island, 9 built.
- J2F-3
- J2F-2 but powered by a 850hp R-1802-26 engine, 20 built.
- J2F-4
- J2F-2 but powered by a 850hp R-1820-30 engine and fitted with target towing equipment, 32 built.
- J2F-5
- J2F-2 but powered by a 1050hp R-1820-54 engine, 144 built.
- J2F-6
- Columbia Aircraft built version of the J2F-5 with 1050hp R-1820-64 engines in a long-chord cowl, fitted with underwing bomb-racks and provision for towing-gear, 330 built.
- OA-12
- Air/Sea Rescue conversion for the United States Army Air Force.
[edit] Operators
- United States Army Air Force
- United States Coast Guard
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Navy
[edit] Specifications (J2F-6)
Data from Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: two (pilot and observer)
- Capacity: two rescued airmen
- Length: 34 ft 0 in (10.37 m)
- Wingspan: 39 ft 0 in (11.9 m)
- Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.25 m)
- Wing area: 409 ft² (38 m²)
- Empty weight: 5,480 lb (2,485 kg)
- Loaded weight: 7,700 lb (3,496 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Wright R-1820-54 nine-cylinder radial engine, 900 hp (670 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 190 mph (304 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 155 mph (248 km/h)
- Stall speed: 70 mph (112 km/h)
- Range: 780 mi (1,255 km)
- Service ceiling 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
Armament
- 1 × Browning .30 cal machine gun (7.62 mm) on flexible mount for observer
- 650 lb (295 kg) bombs or depth charges
[edit] See also
Related development
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Nuñez Padin, 2002.
- ^ Bridgeman, Leonard. “ The Grumman Duck .” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. p. 235-236 . ISBN 1 85170 493 0.
[edit] Bibliography
- Hosek, Timothy. Grumman JF Duck - Mini in Action 7. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1996. ISBN 0-89747-366-3.
- Jarski, Adam. Grumman JF/J2F Duck (Monografie Lotnicze 98) (in Polish with English captions). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2007. ISBN 83-7237-169-0.
- Nuñez Padin, Jorge Félix. Grumman G.15, G.20 & J2F Duck (Serie Aeronaval Nro. 15) (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Museo de Aviación Naval, Instituto Naval, 2002.
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