The very versatile J2F Duck was used first and foremost as an air-sea rescue aircraft.
In the world of Mother Nature, the feathery ducks aren’t very intimidating animals. That notwithstanding, several U.S. military vehicles bore the name “Duck” in World War II, including the amphibious truck (officially the DUKW, but colloquially dubbed the “Duck”) and two amphibious airplanes: the Grumman JF Duck, and the JF’s successor, the J2F Duck. The National Interest shall now discuss the sometimes forgotten but nonetheless highly valuable contributions of the J2F.
Grumman J2F Duck Initial History and Specifications
Built by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (now known as Northrop Grumman)—whose best-known World War II warplanes were the F6F Hellcat fighter plane and the TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bomber—the J2F Duck made its maiden flight on April 2, 1936, and entered into official service with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard shortly thereafter.
Tech specs and vital stats of the warbird (courtesy of the Aviation History Online Museum) were as follows:
- Crew: Two (pilot and rear gunner)
- Carrying Capacity: Provisions for two passengers located just aft of the lower wing in the main float.
- Fuselage Length: 34 ft (10.4 m)
- Wingspan: 39 ft (11.9 m)
- Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
- Empty Weight: 5,480 lbs. (2,485 kgs)
- Max Takeoff Weight: 7,325 lbs. (3,322 kgs)
- Powerplant: One Wright 1820-54 Cyclone rated at 1,050 hp (783.3 kw)
- Max Airspeed: 190 mph (305 kph)
- Cruise speed: 155 mph (249 km/h)
- Service Ceiling: 25,750 ft (7,848 m)
- “Normal” Range: 875 miles (2,408 km)
- Armament:
A total of 584 airframes were built. Foreign purchasers of the Duck included Argentine Naval Aviation, the Mexican Navy, the Colombian Navy, and the Peruvian Navy.
Operational History and Performance
“I don’t trust my luck/To be picked up by a Duck/After I’ve crashed into the sea.”—“I Wanted Wings” (2:02 mark) as sung by Dick Jonas (lt. col., U.S. Air Force, ret.)
As noted by the text caption to the “Rex’s Hangar” MSN channel in a video titled “An Often Forgotten Oddity That Served The US Navy | Grumman J2F Duck”:
“Though slightly odd in appearance, they were very successful in their assigned tasks and were looked upon fondly by the downed pilots they rescued during World War 2!”
As can be surmised from both of those above-quoted passages, the Duck was used first and foremost as an air-sea rescue aircraft. However, it was a very versatile platform, performing additional duties such as mapping, scouting/observation, antisubmarine warfare (ASW), rescue work, photographic surveys, reconnaissance, and target tug.
After World War II ended, Ducks continued to make their fair share of military contributions. For example, eight surplus U.S. Navy Ducks were converted for use by the U.S. Air Force in the air-sea rescue role as the OA-12 in 1948. In addition, as noted by the official U.S. Coast Guard history page:
“After the war, a J2F-6 assigned to the [USCG cutter] Northwind, participated in Operation High Jump, the expedition to Antarctica in 1946 and 1947.”
The Peruvian Navy was the last governmental entity to retire the J2F, doing so in 1964.
Ducks made their fair share of appearances in pop culture, including the 1970s TV series Baa Baa Black Sheep, aka Black Sheep Squadron (it was indeed via that show that I first learned about the warbird as an eleven-year-old lad) and the 1971 motion picture Murphy’s War.
Where Are They Now?
A total of nine J2Fs survive today, including four airworthy specimens:
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr was previously a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ) and 19FortyFive. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch, The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
