J2F Duck

Infobox Aircraft
name= J2F Duck




caption= Grumman J2F-3 Duck in United States Coast Guard service.
type= Utility amphibian
manufacturer= Grumman
designer=
first flight= 1936
introduced= 1936
retired=
status=
primary user= United States Navy
more users= United States Coast Guard
produced=
number built= 564
developed from = JF Duck
variants with their own articles=

The Grumman J2F Duck was an American single-engine amphibious biplane.

Development

The G-15 was an improved version of the earlier JF Duck, differing by having a longer float. Allen 1983, p.49.] It was ordered by the United States Navy as the J2F Duck.

The J2F-1 Duck first flew on 2 April 1936 powered by a 750hp (559kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclone, and was delivered to the US 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 US 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.

Design

The J2F was an equal-span single-bay 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. This configuration was shared with the earlier Loening OL, Grumman having acquired the rights to Loening's hull, float and undercarriage designs. Allen 1983, p.47.] Like the F4F Wildcat, its narrow-tracked landing gear was hand-cranked.

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.

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.

Operators

;ARG [Nuñez Padin, 2002.] ;COL Allen 1983, p.77.] ;MEX
*Mexican Navy operated a small number of ex-US Navy J2F-6 post WWII. Allen 1983, p.52.] ;USA
*United States Army Air Force
*United States Coast Guard
*United States Marine Corps
*United States Navy

pecifications (J2F-6)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War IIRef Jane's | The Grumman Duck | 235-236 ]
crew=two (pilot and observer)
capacity=two rescued airmen
length main=34 ft 0 in
length alt=10.37 m
span main=39 ft 0 in
span alt=11.9 m
height main=13 ft 11 in
height alt=4.25 m
area main=409 ft²
area alt=38 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=5,480 lb
empty weight alt=2,485 kg
loaded weight main=7,700 lb
loaded weight alt=3,496 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Wright R-1820-54
type of prop=nine-cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main=900 hp
power alt=670 kW
power original=
power more=
max speed main=190 mph
max speed alt=304 km/h
max speed more=
cruise speed main=155 mph
cruise speed alt=248 km/h
cruise speed more=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=70 mph
stall speed alt=112 km/h
stall speed more=
range main=780 mi
range alt=1,255 km
range more=
ceiling main=20,000 ft
ceiling alt=6,100 m
climb rate main= ft/min
climb rate alt= m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
* 1 × Browning .30 cal machine gun (7.62 mm) on flexible mount for observer
* 650 lb (295 kg) bombs or depth charges

ee also

aircontent
related=
*JF Duck
similar aircraft=*Loening OL
lists=
see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Allen, Francis J. "A Duck Without Feathers". "Air Enthusiast". Issue 23, December 1983—March 1984. Bromley, Kent UK: Pilot Press, 1983. pp.46—55, 77—78.
* 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.