Grumman G-44 Widgeon
- CountryUnited States of America
- TypeLight utility amphibian
- PowerplantsG-44A - Two 150kW (200hp) Ranger 6440C5 six cylinder, inverted, inline piston engines driving two blade propellers. Super Widgeon - Two 200kW (270hp) Lycoming GO480B1D flat sixes driving three blade constant speed Hartzell propellers.
- PerformanceG-44A - Max speed 257km/h (139kt), typical cruising speed 209km/h (113kt). Initial rate of climb 1000ft/min. Super Widgeon - Max speed 306km/h (165kt), typical cruising speed 282km/h (152kt). Initial rate of climb 1750ft/min. Service ceiling 18,000ft. Range with max fuel and reserves 1600km (865nm).
- WeightsG-44A - Empty 1470kg (3240lb), max takeoff 2052kg (4525lb). Super Widgeon - Empty 1724kg (3800lb), max takeoff 2500kg (5500lb).
- DimentionsWing span 12.19m (40ft 0in), length 9.47m (31ft 1in), height 3.48m (11ft 5in). Wing area 22.8m2 (245sq ft).
- CapacityMaximum accommodation for six, including pilot.
- ProductionMore than 266 Widgeons built, including 176 for military use during World War 2, and postwar 50 Grumman built G-44As and 40 SCAN30 French built G-44As. McKinnon converted more than 50 G-44s to Lycoming powered Super Widgeon configuration.
The most diminutive of Grumman's creatures of land and water produced for common utilize, the Widgeon was imagined as a light individual and official transport, after the achievement of the bigger Goose.
The model Widgeon flew without precedent for July 1940, yet America's approaching entrance into Ww2 stalled arrangements for regular citizen generation. The primary generation Widgeon was the military J4f1, a three seat hostile to submarine watch and utility adaptation for the US Navy. The US Navy and US Army Air Force requested vast quantities of Widgeons all through the war years, others saw administration with the US Coast Guard and 15 were supplied to Britain's Royal Navy, that administration initially calling the airplane Gosling. Taking all things together, 176 Widgeons were assembled for military administration amid the clash.
After the war, Grumman refined the Widgeon for business use by modifying the body profile for enhanced taking care of on water and expanding seating limit for up to six. Grumman manufactured 50 of these as the G-44a, while a further 40 were inherent France as the SCAN-30. Most SCAN-30s were conveyed to clients in the USA.
US firm Mckinnon Enterprises offered transformations amid the 1960s to both the Grumman Goose and Widgeon. Mckinnon's Super Widgeon transformation included fitting G-44as with Lycoming GO-480 level six chamber motors driving three razor sharp edge propellers, which altogether helped top rate, climb execution and run through enhanced efficiency and additional fuel tankage. Different progressions consolidated on the Super Widgeon were then current IFR aeronautics, new more extensive lodge windows, additionally soundproofing, a crisis departure hatch, and as an alternative retractable wingtip skims. Alterations to the structure and structure then permitted a build in the Super Widgeon's greatest takeoff weight.
Little quantities of Widgeons and Super Widgeons still fly, for the most part in private hands, with a couple in business administration.
Pictures of Grumman G-44 Widgeon
