Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Single-engine utility amphibious biplane

Power Plant:

(J2F-6)

One 783 kw (1,050 hp) Wright R-1820-54 Cyclone nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One 7.62 mm (0.3 in) fixed machine gun firing forward; one 7.62 mm (0.3 in) on swivelling mount in rear cockpit; two 147 kg (325 lb) depth charges on underwing racks

History:

Leroy Grumman was born on 4 January 1885 in New York and learnt to fly in 1918, becoming a test pilot and engineer at the United States Naval Aircraft Factory in 1920. He later joined Grover Loening at Loening Aircraft Engineering Corporation in New York City and became involved in the design of a series of observation amphibians for the United States Navy (USN). In 1928 Loening became part of Keystone, and in the following year both companies became part of Curtiss Wright in Bristol, Pennsylvania. At this time Leroy Grumman left and, with Leon Swirbul and William Schwendler, formed Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in a facility in Baldwin on Long Island, later moving to a larger facility in Bethpage in New York.

In 1932 Grumman submitted the G-7 design to the US Navy as a utility amphibian and this led to a contract for the XJF-1 fitted with a 522 kw (700 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-62 radial engine. An initial order was placed for 27 as the JF-1, deliveries beginning in 1934, but the aircraft did not reach Navy units until 1936. This was followed by 15 JF-2s and five JF-3s, eight being supplied to Argentina. Further design work led to the J2F in 1936 and 29 J2F-1s, 30 J2F-2s, 30 J2F-3s and 32 J2F-4s were produced. Further design work produced the J2F-5, of which 144 were built, these being fitted with a 701 kw (940 hp) Wright Cyclone engine.

The prototype XJF-1 was first flown on 4 May 1933 and was described as a utility biplane with equi-span staggered single-bay wings of metal construction with fabric covering, a metal monocoque fuselage, a single-step float faired into the fuselage, and wheels retracted into recesses in the side of the float.

First deliveries were in July 1934 to USN squadron VS-3, a utility unit, on the ‘USS Lexington’, followed by the ‘USS Ranger’ and the ‘USS Saratoga’. The second batch of aircraft, the JF-2, went to the United States Coast Guard (USCG). One JF-2 was supplied to the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and five JF-3s went to the US Navy.

A further 89 were supplied to the US Navy, these being an improved model known as the J2F-1 with a Wright Cyclone engine. These were fitted with arrester gear and catapult points for shipboard operation. Crew comprised a pilot and observer, and two additional personnel could be carried in a compartment low in the fuselage, side-by-side.

The first aircraft to carry armament was the J2F-2 with a 7.62 mm (0.3 in) fixed forward-firing machine gun, and a similar machine gun on a swivelling mount in the rear cockpit. Underwing racks were provided for light bombs. The J2F-3 had the Wright R-1820-36 engine, and the J2F-4 had the Wright R-1820-30 engine, 39 of these being built for target towing. The J2F-5 had the Wright R-1820-56 Cyclone, some of these being for air-sea-rescue duties with the US Coast Guard. One was delivered to the United States Air Force (USAF) as the OA-12 for evaluation.

Operationally in the Pacific the Duck was used as a general utility light transport, being used for mapping, scouting, observation, anti-submarine patrol, air-sea-rescue, reconnaissance, and target tug. On 5 January 1942 a number of US Patrol Wing 10 aircraft were destroyed at Mariveles Bay in The Philippines during a Japanese raid, the only survivor, after repairs, becoming the last aircraft to leave Bataan before its surrender to Japanese forces.

The type was used extensively for air-sea-rescue duties, amongst others, in the Pacific region and photographs show examples visiting Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases throughout Australia. Certainly a number were based in northern Australia at different times and were noted being used for communications duties. Examples are known to have visited RAAF Point Cook and Laverton, VIC. Most were shipped back to the United States after fulfilling their duties in this region and it is not known if any were written off in accidents in Australasia.

However, by late 1941, when the United States was becoming involved in World War II, the US Navy sought that Grumman Aircraft concentrate on designing and constructing fighters and torpedo bombers. Subsequently production of the J2F-6 model was transferred to Colombia Aircraft Corporation of Valley Stream, New York where 330 J2F-6s were completed, Grumman having completed 315 up to that stage. In 1946 Colombia developed an improved model known as the XJL-1, which was a monoplane, but only two were completed.

In the late 1930s the RAAF was operating the Supermarine Seagull V from its larger warships but was having problems with having enough aircraft to cope with demand in the early war years, and having problems with serviceability and a lack of spare parts. To meet the requirements for aircraft in the air-sea-rescue role, ship reconnaissance, communications, etc, the Australian Department of Air requested the Aircraft Production Commission investigate the feasibility of obtaining examples of the J2F-1, which had become known as the Duck, and perhaps obtaining a licence to manufacture the type. This plan does not seem to have progressed far, and eventually examples of the Supermarine Walrus, the Seagull Vs successor, were obtained from Royal Air Force (RAF) sources.

On 6 November 1944 a J2F-5 (Bu Aer 00734) operated by Detachment A of the Command Group of Marine Utility Squadron 2 (VJ-2) based in the Admiralty Islands crashed landing at Archerfield, QLD. It was later salvaged. This unit was later relocated to Sentani Airfield in Hollandia, Papua New Guinea on 16 November 1944.

A few have seen use in movies. One J2F-6 (N67790 – c/n 33587) was used by Peter O’Toole in ‘Murphy’s War’, filming taking place on the Orinoco River in Venezuela, flying scenes being flown by legendary American stunt pilot Frank Tallman.

A Grumman Duck also appeared in the film ‘Midway’ in 1976, episodes of the ‘Baa Baa Blacksheep’ series in 1976, ‘The Amazing Howard Hughes’ in 1977, and ‘The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell’ in 1955, etc.

After World War II the Duck soldiered on in US military service until 1950. Examples were used as VIP transports, for seeding forests and fish hatcheries, fire fighting, agricultural spraying and a variety of roles. A number have survived in museums, and a few have been airworthy.