Grumman G-21 Goose facts for kids
class="infobox " style="float: right; clear: right; width: 315px; border-spacing: 2px; text-align: left; font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: large; padding-bottom: 0.3em;" | G-21 Goose |-
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! Role | Transport amphibious aircraft |-
! Manufacturer | Grumman |-
! First flight | 1937 |-
! Primary users | United States Navy
United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force |-
! Number built | 345 |-
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The Grumman G-21 Goose is a special kind of airplane. It's called an amphibious aircraft. This means it can land and take off from both land and water. It was first designed as a plane for businessmen. They used it to fly between Long Island and New York City. The Goose was important for Grumman, the company that built it. It was their first plane with one main wing (a monoplane). It was also their first plane with two engines. Plus, it was their first plane used for regular flights that people paid for.
During World War II, the Goose helped the US military. It carried soldiers and supplies. It also served in many other countries' air forces. The Goose even took part in battles. It was used for fighting and for training pilots. This versatile plane continued to be used even after the war ended.
How the Goose Was Designed
In 1936, some wealthy people from Long Island wanted a new airplane. They asked the Grumman company to build one for them. They needed a plane to fly to New York City. This is how the G-21 was created.
The G-21 was made completely of metal. It had high wings and two powerful engines. These engines were called Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. They each had 450 horsepower. The engines were placed on the front edge of the wings.
The bottom part of the plane was shaped like a boat. This allowed it to float on water. It also had landing gear that could be pulled up by hand. This gear would hide inside the plane when it was flying or on water. The very first G-21 plane flew on May 29, 1937.
The inside of the plane was very roomy. This made it useful for many things. It could be a fancy plane for rich travelers. Or it could carry many people as a transport plane. There were even plans to use the G-21 as a regular passenger plane that could land on water.
Images for kids
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A McKinnon G-21G Turbo Goose. This version has different engines.
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An Alaska Island Air G-21A in 1989.
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The Kaman K-16B, a special research plane based on the Goose.
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A Grumman JRF-5.
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A Goose used by the Royal Canadian Air Force.
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A JRF-5 used by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
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A British Guiana Airways Grumman Goose around 1955. It is at Piarco Airport in Trinidad.
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A Goose painted in Pan Am airline colors. It is at a museum in Long Island.
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A drawing showing the Grumman JRF-5 Goose from three different views.
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See also
In Spanish: Grumman JRF Goose para niños
