Grumman J2F Duck, part three

 

The J2F-5 was the last variant manufactured before the USA entered the war. It was powered by a 950 hp Wright R-1820-50 radial engine, fitted inside a broad chord cowling which had the oil cooler incorporated. This variant was also fitted with stronger bomb racks, making it capable to carry 325 pound depth charges, and the rear .30 caliber machine gun. During the war, most J2F-5s were retained at bases in the United States or far from the frontline, other Ducks saw distinguished service in the Pacific, as they were used by the Marines and the US Navy to recover downed pilots from the sea and Japanese held islands.

It was a J2F-5 assigned to the naval base at Cavite, Philippines, that provided supply and medical evacuation for the Bataan garrison in early 1942. On 8th April 1942 a single J2F-5 left Cabcaben, in Bataan, with six men, among them president Carlos Romulo, who would later become president of the Republic of The Philippines. 

In order to free Grumman for production of fighters and torpedo-bombers, the US Navy transferred production of the Duck to Columbia Aircraft Corporation in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York. With the designation of J2F-6, Columbia manufactured 330 J2F-6s from 1942 until August 1945. The only remarkable difference between the J2F-5 and the J2F-6 was the introduction of the 1.050 hp Wright R-1820-54 air-cooled radial engine.

The final mission for the Duck in Coast-Guard/US Navy service took place in 1946/1947. A single J2F-6 assigned to USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282), a Wind-class icebreaker, took part, as Navy Task Force 68 in the Antarctic expedition named Operation High Jump, with Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd as Officer-in-Charge of scientific programs. That Duck performed reconnaissance flights over the South Pole region, liaison and supply flights, weather reconnaissance and acted as standby rescue and medical evacuation aircraft. The J2F-6 and the crew of the Northwind, under the command of Captain Charles W. Thomas, earned the praise of Byrd and received much of the credit the success of supporting operations for the scientific programs.

The Duck also served with the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) when a single naval J2F-5 was transferred during 1942. It was designated Grumman OA-12 and it served mostly in the North Atlantic region, based at Newfoundland and Fort MacAndrews, in Nova Scotia, Canada. It returned to the United States in 1945 and was disposed off as a surplus at Bush Field, in Augusta, Georgia on 15th June 1945.

Later, additional OA-12s were drawn from surplus US Navy stocks and overhauled at Warner Robins, Georgia for Arctic operations. Five OA-12s were assigned to the 10th Air Rescue Squadron (which would eventually become the 10th Air Rescue Group) assigned to the Alaskan Air Command, after the creation of the United States Air Force (USAF). Those Ducks operated from Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB) in Anchorage and at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks from 1948 until early 1950s. One OA-12A crashed on Lake Chekatna in August 1948 during landing. It was recovered during the 1970s and nowadays is at display (and remains airworthy) in Alaska Aviation Museum, in Anchorage.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_J2F_Duck

2. Squadron Signal - Aircraft in Action Mini 7 - Grumman JF Duck

3. https://www.valka.cz/Grumman-J2F-6-Duck-t11170

4. https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=86152

Grumman J2F Duck, part two

 

When the last production Grumman JF-3 rolled out the factory on 18th October 1935, Duck production was halted for a time until March 1936, when a completely new design was ordered.

Instead, Grumman decided to revise their G-20 design and, the result, called G-15 by the company, was given the designation of J2F by the US Navy. The J2F differed from the previous JF in many ways. It was powered by a 750 hp Wright R-1820-20 air-cooled radial engine with a short chord engine cowling. The float was extended forward by one foot (0.3048 meters), making the design longer than the regular JF Duck.

The J2F also was able of carrying more additional equipment to make the aircraft more multi-role, like target-towing, smoke-laying and photographic survey and reconnaissance, apart from medical evacuation as one stretcher could be fitted in the passenger compartment, in place of the usual two seats. It could also serve in the typical light-transport role. The airframe remained basically the same as the JF, with the exception of the longer float, and wings remained unchanged. 

The first J2F-1 flew on 3rd April 1936 and was delivered to NAS Anacostia, in Washington DC. It was equipped with fittings for a single 0.30 in machine gun, bomb racks on the lower wing, and a tailhook to operate from carriers. By 1937 a total of twenty-nine J2F1 were completed. 

The first J2F-1 was hold at Anacostia for testing purposes, one of which involved the installation of full span flaps on the trailing edges of the upper wing, to try and lower the landing speeds to 65 mph (104.607 km/h). This aircraft was unofficially known as the J2F-1A.

In 1938 Grumman was tasked with the manufacture of thirty J2F-2. This variant was powered by a 790 hp Wright R-1820-30 radial engine and was armed with a single forward-firing 0.30 in machine gun, plus a flexible one placed at the rear cockpit. This variant was mainly built of the Unites States Marine Corps.

During the next two years, nine J2F-2s were stationed at Charlotte Amalie, Saint Thomas, American Virgin Islands, as part of the neutrality patrols over the Caribbean Sea. Those J2F-2A Ducks belonged to VMS-3 and were modified with twin rear machine guns and two additional bomb racks under the lower wings. 

Twenty unarmed J2F-3s were ordered in January 1939 destined for the US Naval Attaches and the Commander of the US Naval Academy, prepared for VIP use. Those "admiral barges" (as they were commonly known) were plush and painted in dark blue and silver. The J2F-3 was powered by a 790 hp Wright R-1820-36 engine, driving a three-bladed constant-speed propeller.

During late 1939 and early 1940, as war was getting closer to the United State's borders, new military outposts were established. Therefore more Ducks were needed to support the extended patrol areas. The J2F was ideal for operating from those improvised outposts, which were usually shallow inlet facilities, or single ramp docking facilities. In September 1939 production of thirty-two J2F-4s began at Grumman. This version was the same as all previous variants, with minor modifications in cockpit instruments and engine operation.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_J2F_Duck

2. Squadron Signal - Aircraft in Action Mini 7 - Grumman JF Duck

Grumman J2F Duck - Foreign users

 

The Grumman J2F Duck is an American amphibious single-engined biplane. It was an improved version of the JF Duck and was used by the following foreign users:

• Argentina: After the success of the JF Duck in the Argentine Navy, in 1939 their fleet of G-20 (company designation given to the JF Duck) was expanded by four Grumman G-15 (company designation given to the Grumman J2F4) with their tailhooks removed. Those Ducks were assigned to two observation units, one at BAN (Base Aérea Naval - Naval Air Base) Comandante Espora (Escuadrón 2 - Squadron 2) and the other at BAN Puerto Indio (Escuadrón 3 - Squadron 3). Few G-15 and G-20 remained airworthy by the end of the Second World War. 
  In 1948 Argentina bought 22 additional J2F-5 and nine J2F-6s from surplus US Navy stock. Some of those Ducks took part in the Revolución Libertadora that, in 1955 ousted Juan Perón. Although observation squadrons were disbanded in 1956, a number of Ducks were still flying in Argentina in 1959.
  The Ducks allowed for the creation of the first true naval aviation observation squadrons within the Argentine Navy. They served as the eyes of the fleet when the ships weren't equipped with radar technology or, later, when they were absent. The Ducks also served as general utility planes and were used to direct naval gunfire, as torpedo spotters, aerial photographic platforms, target towers, medical evacuation aircraft, search & rescue role and submarine support operations role. For four years, 1946-1950, at least one Argentine Duck was entirely painted black for night operations and for undisclosed "special missions". 
• Colombia: This country became a signatory of the Rio Pact, so called Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance and, therefore, took delivery of three ex-USAF OA-12Bs (designation given to the J2F6 serving with the USAF) in 1948. They were overhauled at Warner-Robins Air Force Base, in Georgia. There are no further details about their service in Colombia and, as we couldn't find graphical support, the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Mexico: Two Columbia J2F6 (just J2F6 manufactured by Columbia Aircraft Corporation in New York) were acquired by Mexico in 1947 for use with the Aviación Naval Mexicana (Mexican Naval Aviation). They operated in the Veracruz region from 1947 to 1951, when they were sold back to the USA.
• Peru: The Peruvian Instituto Lingüístico de Verano (Summer Language School) bought a single Columbia J2F6 in 1946. It was named "Amauta" and, in 1961 it passed on to the Peruvian Navy until 1964 when it was written off and sold, one year later to Parque de las Leyendas (Park of Legends) in Lima, the capital of Peru. It was displayed there as an attraction until 1977.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_J2F_Duck

2. Squadron Signal - Aircraft in Action Mini 7 - Grumman JF Duck

3. https://www.airliners.net/photo/Peru-Navy/Grumman-J2F-6-Duck-G-15/2289182

4. https://www.facebook.com/aviacionyaeronautica/posts/1600289339992284/ (translated)