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[1970.019.001] Aircraft - 'J2F-6 Aircraft, Bureau Number 33581' |
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J2F-6 Aircraft, Bureau Number 33581
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| Accession Number |
1970.019.001 |
| Accession Date |
06/05/1970 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Date Created |
1945 |
| Object Desciption |
In 1965 the Naval Aviation Museum received word that some World War II vintage aircraft long held in storage at Naval Air Station (NAS) Norfolk, Virginia, were available for display. Among them was a J2F-6 Duck, which had been accepted by the Navy in May 1945, during the closing months of World War II and operated at Naval Air Stations (NAS) South Weymouth, Massachusetts, Quonset Point, Rhode Island, New York, New York, Weeksville, North Carolina, and Norfolk before being stricken from the active inventory in 1948. Not until 1971, after the aircraft had spent time on display at the Museum Corps Museum in Quantico, Virginia, was it shipped by barge to Pensacola. Following a period of restoration, it was placed on exhibit in the museum's new structure following its completion in 1974. |
| Notes |
Built alongside the classic fighter aircraft upon which Grumman established its reputation, the JF/J2F Duck achieved a distinction of its own by becoming the first aircraft procured by the Navy to outfit its initial utility squadrons. Like the Loening OL amphibians produced during the 1920s, the Duck's float was part of the aircraft's fuselage, and incorporated retractable landing gear and a tailhook that allowed for shipboard operations. The first versions of the aircraft joined the fleet in 1934 and the J2F, which incorporated a more powerful engine and longer float, was delivered beginning in 1936. Living up to its role as a "utility" aircraft, the J2F performed a variety of missions, including transport, medical evacuation, target towing, smoke laying, and photographic survey. Equipped with machine guns and bomb racks, Ducks also flew combat patrol flights, and postwar service included flights in support of the Operation Highjump exploration of the Antarctic in 1946. By the end of World War II, Ducks had logged flights with all of the U.S. military services.
Manufacturer: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Dimensions: Length: 34 ft.; Height: 12 ft., 4 in.; Wingspan: 39 ft.
Weights: Empty: 5,445 lb.; Gross: 7,290 lb.
Power Plant: One 1,050 HP Wright R-1820-54 engine
Performance: Maximum Speed: 190 M.P.H. at 14,000 ft.: Service Ceiling: 26,700 ft.; Range: 850 miles
Armament: One .30-in. flexible machine gun; two 325 lb. depth charges or two 100 lb. bombs
Crew: Pilot, observer, and radioman/gunner (latter optional) |
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