Warbird Information Exchange

After the discussion about Alaska's all-new all-weather flying Duck (See discussion here: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... hp?t=16689 )
I wondered if we could update any of the Duck survivors listing.

Extracted from the 4th Ed of the Warbirds Worldwide Directory (missing the middle history - I've left the first entry and latest) up to 2002, we have:

145 • JF-1 Bu9447 N1235N Intercoastal Aircraft Inc, Seattle-Boeing Field WA
Charles M. Kirk, Carson City NV 11.5.89/02
(rest. project)

536 • J2F-4 Bu1649 N63850 sold by War Assets Administration .47
Charles Greenhill/ Amphib Inc, Wheeling IL 10.98/02
(rest. to fly Wichita KS 97/98; fuse. under rest.
at Ft Worth-Meacham Field TX 99 with incomplete
second fuse., nearing completion Kenosha WI 02)

- • J2F-6 Bu32769 (to USAF as 48-0563): 10th ARS, Alaska
N8563F Lindley H. Ketchum, Anchorage AK 2.12.93/02
(long-term airworthy rest. Lake Hood AK)
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum,
Anchorage-Lake Hood: displ. during rest. 93/99
(rest. completed 02 as OA-12 "USAF Rescue")
Now flown - Oct 26, 2007. Hurrah!

- • J2F-6 Bu33549 N1214N Woodhouse Inc, Long Beach FL 63/69
Kermit A. Weeks/ Weeks Air Museum,
Tamiami FL 16.4.82/02
Current. Anyone know when last flown?

- • J2F-6 Bu33559 N3960C Ellsworth Hodges, Cherry Creek NY 63/64
N3960C Jack A. Erickson, Medford OR 17.2.93/02
(rest. completed, flies in USN scheme)
op: Tillamook NAS Museum, Tillamook OR 97/02
'Airwrthy' annualed, not flown?

- • J2F-6 Bu33581 NAS Norfolk VA: stored for NMNA 65/69
NMNA, NAS Pensacola FL .70/02
(displ. as USN "33581/149")
Current

- • J2F-6 Bu33587 N67790 Aircraft Specialties Inc, Mesa AZ 61/64
USAFM, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH .87/02
(displ. as "OA-12 USAF Rescue 8563")
Current

- • J2F-6 Bu33594 N1273N Wallace B. Pankratz, Brawley CA 59/74
N5SF Chino Warbirds Inc, Chino CA 1.01/02
(ff Chino 18.3.02 as "US Marines 33594/3-MS-1")

- • J2F-6 Bu33614 N55S Tres Americae Enterprises, Miami FL 63/69
N5855S Weeks Air Museum, Tamiami FL 1.97/02
(rest. to fly, Wichita KS 98/00)

- • J2F-6 Bu36976 N1196N C. E. Crosby, Bellingham WA 63
EAA Aviation Foundation, Oshkosh WI 76/02
(rest. by Grumman, del. to Oshkosh .82,
displ. as "USN 4-J-1" )
Current - Last flown, anyone?

- J2F-6 N68022 HK-..... N68022 reg. candidate 10.3.76
(USCR quotes id. A-632769)
Not extant, dest?

- • J2F- OB-164 Verano Linguistic Institute "Amamta" 7.46
(to Peru Navy as 164) 10.61/64
displ. on lake Parque las Leyendas, Lima 65/77

- • J2F-6 (to Mexican Navy as MV-08 ) .47
Museo de la Fuerza Aerea Mexicana,
Santa Lucia : displ. as "MV-08" 67/78

Photos also welcome - let's see if we can put together a Duck registry without Scott having to do anything!

Cheers
James

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Ah, James, you've done something I've been wanting to do for ages--create a census. So... let's see how yours matches up to mine.

1. I've heard it's under restoration.
2. Flying now.
3. Ditto. (Including the hurrah remark!)
4. Okay.
5. Okay.
6. Okay.
7. Okay.
8. Tom Friedkin, right? Airworthy.
9. I have a fuzzy photo of this airframe from 9/12/01 (yeah, the airport was dead that day. Eeriest feeling I've ever had) when I was 12. My dad had taken me for one of my Boy Scout merit badges to see these guys, and I was elated. Before then, I was unaware of aircraft restoration--my only prior experience being a book on the P-38 that is now Skidoo. I'll never forget going there. When talking to them, they said (and I may have this wrong--I was 12) that they had worked on Moonbeam McSwine or another bluenoser, as well as some other airframes. The man indicated that the Duck they were working on was Kermit's, so I assume this is the same airframe. It was pretty much an empty shell back then, but the fuselage was attached to the pontoon.
10. Good.
11. Dunno. Doubt it exists.
12. Ditto.
13. Ditto.

...and one you missed:

J2F-4 1651 is in Alaska. It's apparently a restoration project that's for sale.

EDIT: My information came from the survivors article on Ducks in Aeroplane Monthly, from either June, July, or August of 2005.

I haven't yet converted my Duck list to .xls (Excel) yet, but I will do it soon (smack dab in the middle of P-51s, and it's taking ages to get through).

I'm just making historical comments, and not to put too fine a point on it, but all the J2F-6 aircraft were built by Columbia Aircraft Corporation. So technically, they are not "Grumman" Ducks. All totalled, Columbia built half of all Duck production, and were the designers of the XJL-1 which was a proposed replacement of the Duck. Just thought people might be interested. Thanks for the details. I didn't know there were any other real Grumman Ducks around. Anybody got any information on that JF-1?

BTW, I saw the EAA and Chuck Greenhill's aircraft at Airventure. I don't know if the EAA airplane is flown. But the Greenhill airplane is absolutely beautiful. I got to crawl into it a bit as I knew Terry of Wichita Air services. It is a stunning rebuild. I will try to post photos.

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Thanks folks, a good start. I've added a couple of photos from my collection...

Updated list, with Nos added for ease of use, below.

Wolverine - we want that 'fuzzy photo!' Leave those Cessna P-51s, someone else is certain to run with that ball, while the Duck needs her friends and fans - you know it makes sense...

Forgotten Field. Great point re- the makers being Columbia - however the design remains the Grumman Duck. Quite a few aircraft have been built by other manufacturers, sometimes handing over the complete job. A parallel is the Supermarine Walrus which was handed over for later production to Saunders Roe, because (just like Grumman) the parent company got busy with some tedious fighter I can't remember the name of. Fact remains that the maker doesn't get naming rights, that's the designer and design authority. Of course the 'Super Duck' was credited to Columbia as they did design it.

Pics of Chuck Greenhill's Duck would be great. Please!

Thanks again.

From the film 'Murphy's War' these two shots are of an anonymous Duck. There were at least three 'Ducks' in the film. One was a full size mock up, destroyed by the 'U Boat'. The other two were J2F-6's Bu33587 / N67790 and Bu36976 / N1196N, the NMUSAF and EAA machines respectively.





1 145 • JF-1 Bu9447 N1235N Intercoastal Aircraft Inc, Seattle-Boeing Field WA
Charles M. Kirk, Carson City NV 11.5.89/02
(rest. project)
Under restoration – Photos – update?

2 536 • J2F-4 Bu1649 N63850 sold by War Assets Administration .47
Charles Greenhill/ Amphib Inc, Wheeling IL 10.98/02
(rest. to fly Wichita KS 97/98; fuse. under rest.
at Ft Worth-Meacham Field TX 99 with incomplete
second fuse., nearing completion Kenosha WI 02)
Now flying – FF date?

3 - • J2F-6 Bu32769 (to USAF as 48-0563): 10th ARS, Alaska
N8563F Lindley H. Ketchum, Anchorage AK 2.12.93/02
(long-term airworthy rest. Lake Hood AK)
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum,
Anchorage-Lake Hood: displ. during rest. 93/99
(rest. completed 02 as OA-12 "USAF Rescue")
Now flown - Oct 26, 2007. Hurrah!

4 - • J2F-6 Bu33549 N1214N Woodhouse Inc, Long Beach FL 63/69
Kermit A. Weeks/ Weeks Air Museum,
Tamiami FL 16.4.82/02
Current. Anyone know when last flown?





Kermit Weeks' Duck's cockpit. Not an 'authentic' restoration job, Kermit said he'd have it done differently were it done now.

5 - • J2F-6 Bu33559 N3960C Ellsworth Hodges, Cherry Creek NY 63/64
N3960C Jack A. Erickson, Medford OR 17.2.93/02
(rest. completed, flies in USN scheme)
op: Tillamook NAS Museum, Tillamook OR 97/02
'Airworthy' annualed, not flown?

6 - • J2F-6 Bu33581 NAS Norfolk VA: stored for NMNA 65/69
NMNA, NAS Pensacola FL .70/02
(displ. as USN "33581/149")
Current



7 - • J2F-6 Bu33587 N67790 Aircraft Specialties Inc, Mesa AZ 61/64
USAFM, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton OH .87/02
(displ. as "OA-12 USAF Rescue 8563")
Current

8 - • J2F-6 Bu33594 N1273N Wallace B. Pankratz, Brawley CA 59/74
N5SF Chino Warbirds Inc, Chino CA 1.01/02
(ff Chino 18.3.02 as "US Marines 33594/3-MS-1")
(The Tom Friedkin aircraft)



9 - • J2F-6 Bu33614 N55S Tres Americae Enterprises, Miami FL 63/69
N5855S Weeks Air Museum, Tamiami FL 1.97/02
(rest. to fly, Wichita KS 98/00)

10 - • J2F-6 Bu36976 N1196N C. E. Crosby, Bellingham WA 63
EAA Aviation Foundation, Oshkosh WI 76/02
(rest. by Grumman, del. to Oshkosh .82,
displ. as "USN 4-J-1" )
Current - Last flown, anyone?

11 - J2F-6 N68022 HK-..... N68022 reg. candidate 10.3.76
(USCR quotes id. A-632769)
Not extant, included as was on USCR. Presumed dest.

12 - • J2F- OB-164 Verano Linguistic Institute "Amamta" 7.46
(to Peru Navy as 164) 10.61/64
displ. on lake Parque las Leyendas, Lima 65/77



13 - • J2F-6 (to Mexican Navy as MV-08 ) .47
Museo de la Fuerza Aerea Mexicana,
Santa Lucia : displ. as "MV-08" 67/78

14 - • J2F-4 1651
Alaska
Restoration project for sale?

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Hello, I red last year a nice article about Greenhill's Duck (Le fana de l'aviation, august 2006) ,
it's really an incredible plane, and the restoration works looks so nice.

Regards

What a shame, look at the corosion in the pontoon right at the waterline of the Peruvian Duck. You'd think that by now that aircraft of this vintage would be treated a little more kindly.

I still can't figure out why any aircraft WWII and prior would still be displayed outside and allowed to rot.

I'm assuming the photo dates between '65 - '77. I don't know what happened after that, but I can guess. I suspect that it wasn't 'worth' much to US or other collectors then - it's never going to be worth as much as the infinitely less rare Mustang...

I know, shocking. But there are W.W.II types on outside display (as I write) in the USA, Canada, Australia...
Cheers,

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

As an aside the Columbia XJL-1 was supposed to be a replacement for the Duck, but was manufactured to late (1946) to be put into full production. Only two were completed and only one survives intact at the Pima Air & Space Museum. The other one crashed after being restored in California.

Columbia XJL-1 (USN 31400)(N54205)

Here's a few of my pictures of Chuck Greenhill's J2F-4 Duck from a photo flight at Oshkosh 2005. The air was pretty rough that day. Dennis

Wow, only two early model Ducks survive?!


Ironically I am biulding a model of a Duck in the same Pearl Harbor markings.

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Dunno the exact date, but it was at Lakeland for Sun 'n Fun in 2005, and as it's now back at Polk City I assume it is (or was in 2005) still flown.

More info, please. Condition? Pictures? Price? E-mail me if necessary.

Thanks,
Gary

James, I read in an Air Classics that the Peruvian Duck "Amauta", and Kermit's other Duck,
BuNo33614 N55S are one in the same bird. Hope this helps...

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DBF

Were it only so easy. I have about 300-400 pages of survivors data, ranging from the Beaufighter to the Duck to the B-17 to the Caudron whatsitcalled... it goes on. That said, once I find the photograph, I will scan and send it, but I fear it's about as good as a UFO picture--maybe worse.



Maybe that's what's gunna be done on the other one...



I wish I knew more, man, but I don't. Like I said (or thought I said), the information came from a summer issue of Aeroplane Monthly in 2005. That's really all I know.

A picture in the latest (issue 17) Warbird Digest indicates that Friedkin's Duck is currently flyable but not flying in Valle. I'm assuming that some of his aircraft rotate out there, since they seem pretty tied into the PoF collection.

Nice shots Dennis.

USAFM


Penscaola


This is Tallman's machine at Toronto. My records show it as 36976. Can that be confirmed as I think he had at least two Ducks.

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