The Goose represented a number of firsts for the company, including it being Grumman’s first monoplane to fly, their first twin-engined aircraft and their first aircraft to enter commercial airline service 1. The hull was lengthened to improve the Goose’s performance on the water and was soon ready for production. Hall and Bud Gillies flew the aircraft from Grumman’s factory in Bethpage, New York, and after a successful maiden flight, additional flight trials went smoothly. Leroy Grumman accepted the offer, and got to work with William Schwendler (who co-founder the company, and designed alongside Grumman) and hydrodynamics expert Ralston Stalb.Ī year later, the Grumman Goose (Model G-21) prototype had its first flight, on May 29, 1937. They had previously approached Grover Loening, who declined their offer to build a new aircraft, but Grover pointed them to Grumman. It’s said that the Grumman Goose came about when the company was approached by a group of wealthy businessmen led by Wilton Lloyd-Smith in 1936, who were looking to replace the Loening Air Yacht they used to commute from their Long Island homes to offices in Manhattan. Of the 345 Grumman Goose aircraft made, an estimated 30 remain airworthy.įew amphibious planes are as well-known as the Grumman G-21 Goose, which was produced by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation from 1937 to August 1945.
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