The Goodyear GA-2 Duck was a 1940s

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

three-seat light

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boats ...

built by the

Goodyear Aircraft Corporation Goodyear may relate to: Companies * Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company * Goodyear Redwood Company, foresting company operated from 1916 to 1932 * Edward Goodyear, a florist company in London, England * Goodyear Lumber Company, one of many lumber ...

. The design team included

David Thurston David Thurston (20 September 1918 – 10 December 2013) was an American aircraft designer noted for his work on small amphibious aircraft, including the Colonial Skimmer, Lake Buccaneer, Thurston Teal and AeroMarine Seafire. He also wrote three ...

, who later developed several other light seaplanes including the Colonial Skimmer, Lake Buccaneer, Thurston Teal and Seafire. Only 19 aircraft were built, and these were used only for testing and as demonstrators.

Design and development

The Goodyear Aircraft Corporation began to design a small light amphibian before the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The prototype designated GA-1 first flew in September 1944. It was a cantilever high-wing monoplane with underwing stabilizing floats. The GA-1 had an all-metal fabric-covered wing, an all-metal single-step hull, and a cruciform tail unit. It had a retractable tail-wheel, accommodation for two, and a pylon-mounted piston engine with a pusher propeller.

Operational history

After successful testing of the prototype, 18 demonstration aircraft were built. These differed from the prototype in that they had room for the pilot and two passengers. Two versions were built, the GA-2 with a Franklin 6A4-145-A3 piston engine, and the GA-2B with a Franklin 6A4-165-B3 flat-six piston engine. Although the aircraft were successfully tested and demonstrated, the costs involved in producing the aircraft prevented it being sold at a price that private pilots could afford, and the project was abandoned. In 1950, a revised four-seat variant the GA-22 Drake was flown, followed in 1953 by the GA-22A Drake; only one of each was built.

Variants

;GA-1 Duck :Prototype two-seater originally powered by a Franklin 4ACG-100-H3 piston engine, later fitted with a 125 hp (93 kW) Franklin 6A engine, one built. ;GA-2 Duck :Demonstration three-seat aircraft with a Franklin 6A4-145-A3 engine, 16 built, some later modified as GA-2Bs. ;GA-2B Duck :Demonstration three-seat aircraft with a Franklin 6A4-165-B3 engine, six modified from GA-2s in 1949. ;GA-22 Drake :Revised larger variant with four-seats, two built (one as a GA-22A with a revised hull) with the first flight in 1950. ;GA-22A Drake :Revised larger variant with four-seats, powered by a Continental E225-8 and converted into a flying boat with a revised hull; first flight in 1953.

Surviving aircraft

The last aircraft built, the GA-22A Drake registered N5516M, was stored by the EAA Air Venture Museum until 2010. The airplane was transferred to the Military Aviation Preservation Society in

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...

where it was fully restored and put on display in 2013.

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (GA-2)

See also

References

Further reading