I used to live near a shop out of Sandy,Oregon that re-engined Grumman Widgens. I thought they were using GO-480 engines but now I am not sure that my memories are correct. I evan think that I have seen a widgen with R-680 engines. Does any one else have a clearer recolection than I. I just finished reading an article about Chalk Airlines using at least one Widgen over the years which should qualify it(barely) as a propliner.
Lee McKinney

The dim memory of the Grumman Widgeon brings to mind only two things....that it had twin inline engines....and that it was the smallest of the Grumman flying boats.

Doug

You'r right Doug. They were small. They may not have been economical for carrying passengers. I dont know how many widgens were built but a lot, if not all were retrofitted with more powerful engines.
Lee

Production figures I have for the Widgeon are G-44 275, G-44A 75 and ~40 SCAN30 (French-built). The G-44 had Fairchild Ranger 6-440 motors, replaced by Lycoming R680s for the G-44A and GO480s in the McKinnon conversions. Don't know about the French ones, possibly an indigenous engine ?

The Widgeon qualifies as an 'honorary' propliner I think. In addition to Chalk's, Harrison Airways used them up the B.C. coast until the 1970s and a number were operated in Alaska on semi-scheduled service. New Zealand was another place, a couple are still in commercial service there for sightseeing.

Thankyou Brian for this info. It makes good reading for me. Do you have any idea why they used Ranger engines at first? It must have been an effort to economize. How many paying passengers can you legally put into a Widgen?
Lee McKinney

I think the Ranger was the only 200hp motor available at the time (1940). Widgeons have 4 seats in back, so you can carry 5 passengers under Part 91.

Back when I was young and working at the Lakeview, OR, airport for flying time, I had the privilege of riding in a McKinnon/Hickman Widgeon. For some reason, they brought their demonstrator the 2+ hour flight from Portland to Lakeview. The airport manager, Myron Buswell (a true aviation pioneer in Oregon) was in the right seat and I was in a PAX seat in the rear. The airplane was powered with Lycoming flat six engines, replacing the Ranger in-lines, and it had been totally torn apart and rebuilt. Manificent. We took off and flew to Klamath Falls, 100 miles west, where we landed on Klamath Lake. My only water landing, and it sounded like the bottom had been torn out. THen, off we went back to Lakeview. The only problem was that the airplane was covered with the green algae that grows in Klamath Lake. So, it looked like it had been repainted with dried chopped spinach. Must have been quite a cleaning job when they got back to Portland.

In the mid- '60s, I worked for Cordova Airlines and we had three Super Widgeons N67586 N79906 N9929H . Id like to know where N67586 is. N79906 is still here in Alaska I think, altho it was up for sale. N9929H was wrecked during pilot training in about 65. I collect photos of any widgeon super or original. John Anderson

In the mid- '60s, I worked for Cordova Airlines and we had three Super Widgeons N67586 N79906 N9929H . Id like to know where N67586 is. N79906 is still here in Alaska I think, altho it was up for sale. N9929H was wrecked during pilot training in about 65. I collect photos of any widgeon super or original. John Anderson