Warbird Information Exchange

I am kindly looking for any information on the history of Grumman Goose G-21 Serial 1240, commonly called the Aleutian Goose. I am particularly intersted in the military history. Thanks in advance and safe flying.

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Landon Studer
CAF B-29/B-24 Squadron

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

PM sent

Well, now (5/12/2010) there's no sign of that PM in my Sent Messages or otherwise.... It seems to have disappeared during the upgrade to BB3 or whatever. In any case, I did send an e-mail directly to your Triple S address - and never got a response!

BTW: you do realize that "1240" is not a valid serial number for a "Grumman" Goose, don't you?

Grumman built serials 1001 through 1200 and B-1 through B-145.

N221AG may be and have been "registered" as a "McKinnon G-21G" for 35 years, but that is NOT correct either; it was NOT built by McKinnon and regardless of whatever relationship they had with him, FWS had no authority to identify their work as McKinnon's. In fact, if you closely examine the official records in the FAA archives in Oklahoma City, at no time whatsoever did anyone (FWS or McKinnon or FAA) ever officially "certify" N780 (as it was registered at the time) as a "McKinnon G-21G" under the authority of TC 4A24. The FWS guys literally one day just started calling it that - with no supporting documentation at all!

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“To invent the airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything!” - Otto Lilienthal

Natasha: "You got plan, darling?"
Boris: "I always got plan. They don't ever work, but I always got one!"

Remember, any dummy can be a dumb-ass...
In order to be a smart-ass, you first have to be "smart"
and to be a wise-ass, you actually have to be "wise"

I told a recent acquaintance with access to old military service "record cards" for G-21 series aircraft (probably among others) about this query and he sent me the following summary of the USN service history for Goose serial number B-72 (USN Bureau of Aeronautics No. 37819):

"Built for US Navy as JRF-5, BuAer serial 37819. Acc and del (accepted & delivered) 26Jul44; records missing but with NAS Whidbey Island by Aug44; NAS Alameda Aug46 for reconditioning; Pool (think "motor pool") BAR (Bureau of Aeronautics Representative) Bethpage (duh! Grumman factory) Jun47; NAS Quonset Point Jan48 until at least 30Sep48; records missing but at NAS Quonset Point by 28Jul49 when tail-wheel collapsed on landing; records missing; in overhaul Pool BAR Bethpage by Jan50; 13th ND (Naval District) NAS Whidbey Island 12Apr50; NAF Annapolis 12Aug50; NAS Quonset Point 27Dec51 for overhaul but available for disposal 12Aug52 and SOC (Struck Off Charge) 13Oct52 (TT=1,420hrs)."

According to FAA archived records, it was transfered from the Navy to the Fish & Wildlife Service in Alaska on October 28, 1952. It was registered as "JRF-5" (not G-21A), N780, s/n B-72 to US Dept of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, Washington, DC on November 13, 1952 and that registration, as well as ones for Goose serials B-56, B-122, and B-138, were confirmed in a letter to FWS from the CAA Administrative and Records Branch, dated December 8, 1952.

A further note in the FAA archives shows that FWS did not immediately put it into service, but rather put it into non-flying storage in 1953. As of 1964, it still had not been flown by FWS. It is believed that it remained in storage right up until FWS started the turbine conversion project on it in 1969 or so - and at that time must have been the lowest time Goose in the world.

_________________
“To invent the airplane is nothing. To build one is something. But to fly is everything!” - Otto Lilienthal

Natasha: "You got plan, darling?"
Boris: "I always got plan. They don't ever work, but I always got one!"

Remember, any dummy can be a dumb-ass...
In order to be a smart-ass, you first have to be "smart"
and to be a wise-ass, you actually have to be "wise"