Grumman G-21 Goose

The Goose began life in the pre WW2 days as Grumman's first design intended for civilian use, but most of the type's production ultimately was against military orders placed during WW2. The Goose's first flight occurred in June 1937. Grumman's already extensive experience in building fighters for the US Navy was reflected in the Goose's rugged construction, features of which included a braced tailplane and deep two step hull. A retractable undercarriage was another feature. Initial civil production machines were designated the G-21A. The arrival of WW2 saw the Goose (a name originally bestowed on the aircraft by Britain's Royal Air Force) enter military service with a number of allied air arms, the largest operator being the US Navy. Military orders from the US, Britain and Canada accounted for much of the Goose's 300 unit production run. Postwar, surplus Gooses found their way into service with commercial operators worldwide, their unique amphibious capability and rugged construction ensuring their popularity in the coming decades. A number of Gooses have been converted to turboprop power, McKinnon Enterprises (initially based in the US, and then Canada) first fitting Gooses with four 255kW (340hp) Lycoming GSO480 piston engines, and then with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6s. Two versions of the latter were developed, the Turboprop Goose and the G-21G TurboGoose which introduced enlarged cabin windows and retractable wingtip floats.

The backbone of this section is from the The International Directory of Civil Aircraft by Gerard Frawley and used with permission. To get your own copy of the book click here.