Grumman J2F Duck

History of the Grumman J2F Duck

The Grumman J2F Duck (company name G-15) is an American single-engine amphibious biplane. It was used by all major branches of the U.S. Armed Forces from the mid-1930s until shortly after World War II, primarily for resupply and air and sea rescue missions. It was also used by the Argentine Navy, which received its first example in 1937.

After the war, J2F Ducks were used by independent civilian operators as well as the armed forces of Colombia and Mexico.

The J2F is an improved version of the earlier JF Duck, the main difference being a longer float and a more powerful engine (900 hp vs 775 hp).

The J2F-1 Duck first flew on April 2, 1936, powered by a 750 hp (559 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone, and delivered to the U.S. Navy the same day. The J2F-2 is equipped with an upgraded 790 hp (589 kW) Wright Cyclone engine. Twenty J2F-3 variants were built in 1939 for use by the Navy as executive transports with luxurious interiors.

After the United States entered the war in 1941, the production of the J2F duck was transferred to the Columbia Aircraft Company in New York due to work pressures. They produced 330 aircraft for the Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.

If standard Navy naming conventions were followed, these would be designated JL-1, but this is not the case, all Columbia-built airframes are delivered as J2F-6.

In 1948, the U.S. Air Force converted several surplus Navy Ducks as OA-12s for air and sea rescue missions.

Specification

Basics

Years in Service

1936

Origins

United States

Crew

2

Production

564

Manufacturer

Grumman - USA

Carrier

Argentina; Colombia; Mexico; USA

Roles

Special Mission: Anti-ship

Equipped to find, track, and attack enemy surface elements through visual acquisition, radar support, and ship-based weapons.

nautical/navy

Water mobility capability for a variety of land-based or ship-based maritime missions, supported by Allied Naval Surface Forces.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

34. 0 feet

(10.37m)

Width/span

39. 0 feet

(11.90m)

Height

13.9 feet

(4.25m)

Cured weight

5,478 lbs

(2,485 kg)

MTOW

7,707 lbs

(3,496 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?2,229

(+1,011 kg)

Performance

Installed:

1 x Wright R-1820-54 9 cylinder radial piston engine 900 hp.

Maximum speed

189 km/h

(304 km/h | 164 knots)

Maximum

20,013 feet

(6,100 m | 4 km)

Area

780 km

(1,255 km | 2,324 nautical miles)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapons

Standard: 1 x 7.62mm Browning machine gun in the observer cockpit. Optional: Bombs up to 650 lbs or depth charges.