Grumman Widgeon

[jankees]

New model for MSFS from Flysimware, the Grumman Widgeon:

jk5359

jk5352

jk5347

jk5341

[Aharon]

Where is the location in your third screenshot please?

Regards

Aharon

[jankees]

they're all taken around Auckland, New Zealand

[Naki]

Nice!, there are three Widgeons currently under restoration in Auckland and Paihia

http://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2021/05/ar ... s.html?m=1

[Splitpin]

More great work JK ...I remember seeing these parked at Harewood now and again years and years ago, normally in the company of a DC-3 or two. They were red and white, and the engines were flat I think.
@Naki ...nice link, will keep an eye on that progress.

Sorry to hijack the thread but I found this ...
(Thanks "Aerofoto")

[dbcunnz]

I believe Mt Cook bought out the Tourist Air travel and I had a couple of trips from the Bay of Islands to Auckland return back in the early 70s before they replaced them with the bigger Grumman Goose

[cooldad]

That's correct Doug. These bring back many great memories flying with Fred Ladd to Great Barrier with my Dad for his job. We were stationed there for 4 weeks at a time when I was about 4years old.

[aerofoto]

Between September 1983 and the voluntary disbanding of SEA BEE AIR (during 1989 or 90) I was constantly photographing the operations of their GRUMMAN WIDGEON and GOOSE amphibians at Mechanic Bay in Auckland and enjoyed the privilege of flying on these aircraft almost every weekend.

I also did a lot of research about the NZ operations of these aircraft for the book "THE GRUMMAN AMPHIBIANS - GOOSE, WIDGEON, and MALLARD" by Fred KNIGHT (published by AIR BRITAIN during 2013) .... a more than 30 year research project by Fred and which is recommended for anyone with an interest in these great little aircraft.

During 2015 the ex-Chief Pilot of SEA BEE AIR released his book "A DEVIATION FROM THE NORM - A PILOTS STORY" by Norm SANSON (published by TASS PRINT AKL/NZ) and which is a great, and often "absolutely hilarious" read about his own flying career .... much of which relates to his time with both MOUNT COOK AIRLINES and SEA BEE AIR ....



Also recommended is the book "A SHOWER OF SPRAY AND WE'RE AWAY" by Fred LADD & Ross ANNABEL (published by AH & AW REED during 1971, but, still available on the NZ 2nd-hand book market today) and which is a very interesting account of his flying career before, during, and after, his RNZAF service .... including the GRUMMAN WIDGEON operations of NZTAT prior to its acquisition by MOUNT COOK AIRLINES .... and later SEA BEE AIR.



During 2012 I posted, on another FS forum, my own very comprehensive historic review of the entire GRUMMAN amphibian operations in NZ (which some may be surprised to learn extended into the Pacific Islands too) per the following-linked feature ....
"ECHOES OF AN ERA" (PART 1 and Part 2)
https://tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thre ... s-research


All of the NZ GRUMMAN WIDGEON amphibians were originally powered by 200 HP RANGER engines (as per the above imaged model) prior to being re-engined with more powerful 260 HP CONTINENTAL engines (the type Marty made reference to and as illustrated within his above NZTAT pgoto) from the early 1960's and which greatly improved the performance of these aircraft.

Not long before the end of SEA BEE AIR's operations GRUMMAN representatives came to NZ during their world wide fact finding mission trying to ascertain whether or not sufficient commercial interest remained in order to justify reopening a production line for further improved examples of these original aircraft. They were apparently astounded/impressed when they saw the SEA BEE AIR operation because these aircraft were never actually designed/intended to be operated in the conditions the airline regularly confronted .... a credit really to both SEA BEE's pilots and engineers .... not forgetting those of each of the former NZ operators too.

Here's a few of my own images of SEA BEE AIR's WIDGEON and GOOSE operations taken during during the mid to late 1980's ....


ALL PHOTOS: Mark.R.CRANSTON


GRUMMAN G-44A SUPER WIDGEON ZK-AVM





GRUMMAN G-44A SUPER WIDGEON ZK-CFA







GRUMMAN G-21A GOOSE ZK-DFC

















GRUMMAN G-21A GOOSE ZK-ENY















GRUMMAN G-21A GOOSE ZK-ENY (ZK-ENY)







GRUMMAN G-21G TURBO-GOOSE ZK-ERX





Unfortunately no CONTINENTAL powered GRUMMAN WIDGEON model is (as yet) available for FS. Only the original RANGER powered version is available so far as I'm aware and as evidenced above .... although I did knock out "unreleased" FS2004 (only) sound packs for the both RANGER and CONTINENTAL powered versions of these aircraft some years ago and in the (then) hope a CONTINENTAL powered WIDGEON model might become available for FS in the future.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[aerofoto]

Found my original scans of the SEA BEE AIR GOOSE and WIDGEON operations.

Reuploaded them to another image hosting service .... so .... the "PHOTOBUCKET" watermarks appearing within each of the photos as originally presented by me yesterday are now no evident

The images within my above-linked "ECHOES OF AN ERA" feature are still "PB branded" and will take a wee nit longer to address .... but .... will be addressed as time permits

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[emfrat]

I knew I had one somewhere! This is the Joe Binka Widgeon Radial in my FSX. It is still available on flightsim.com and there are hints and files at SOH and also at flightsim, to do some much-needed tweaking.

[cooldad]

I really enjoyed those photos Mark, the end of an era!

I painted up an old G44 for FS in TAT colours but could never get the writing on the hull to read correctly ( one side should be a mirror image but it was backwards on one side).

Paul

[aerofoto]

Glad to know you enjoyed those SEA BEE photos Paul

I've even more glad I tuned up at SEA BEE and dedicated my time to photographing their operations between 1983 and 1989 as extensively as I did

Like to see some imagery of your NZTAT textures Paul .... if they're for the BINKA model and if you still have any.

A number of variations of the NZTAT livery were applied to the 6 WIDGEON's between 1955 and 70 .... same as applies to the SEA BEE aircraft too.

Sometimes the best way to handle fonts/titles is to use kit "decals" (which, I believe, are available for NZTAT WIDGEON's .... and possibly the other NZ operators too) .... even though how those fonts then actually look on 3D models may sometimes be dictated by the contours on these models,

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[emfrat]

Glad you mentioned the decals, Mark. The first Widgeon I had was in FS2002, and it had a company name decal on the sides of the forward hull, probably to avoid mirroring. When this FS2002 model was ported to FS9, the texturing brought it undone and left a big hole in the hull. Later, there was a better model made for FS9 (and also a payware one for FSX). I have both, because JK did some of his excellent paints for them. The only rumbly was/is the Binka model which shows its age a bit - just like my memory bank
ATB
Mike

[aerofoto]

As you say .... the BINKA models are now a product of their time/age.

The benefit of one of the 2 BINKA models though is it represents the original RANGER engined version and which is the correct configuration for NZTAT textures from 1955 until around the mid 60's .... by which time all of the NZ WIDGEON's (with the exception of -BPX which was written-off during the very early 60's) had been converted to CONTINENTAL power.

Sadly there's never been a CONTINENTAL powered WIDGEON model for FS .... so far as I'm aware

I produced a still unreleased sound pack for a CONTINENTAL powered WIDGEON in the hope one might eventuate from the BINKA model, but, it never did

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[jankees]

wow, fantastic pictures of these Geese and Widgeons, I may paint a few more!

Meanwhile, I've uploaded six Widgeon paints on flightsim.to, including two New Zealand ones:
jk5666

jk5630

jk5657

jk5608

jk5580

jk5567

so if you did buy the Widgeon, give them a try, and let me know what you think?

[aerofoto]

I like the AMPHIBIAN AIRWAYS one best (ZK-BAY) .... given its supporting model features the "correct" RANGER engine configuration.

NZTAT aircraft (ZK-AVM, -BAY, -BGQ, -BPX, -CFA, and -CHG .... to which a number of livery variations apply) originally featured the same RANGER engine configuration too until converted to CONTINENTAL power during the early to mid 1960's.

Not sure, but, Wellington based OLD MODELS may still offer a decals for the AMPHIBIAN AIRWAYS aircraft (ZK-AVM and -BAY) and which include "both fonts" (as well as that following the NZTAT acquision too) .... I think ....




Also found this font which was the 2nd used on their 2 WIDGEON's ....



There was also a logo added to the bow of each aircraft too but I'm having difficulty sourcing that, but, I recall it "IS" represented within the book "TAKING OFF" by Richard WAUGH and his team.


OLD MODELS also offer decals for the NZTAT aircraft too ....




.... as well as various decals for MOUNT COOK AIRLINES, STUART ISLAND AIRWAYS, SEA BEA AIR, AQUATIC & VINTAGE AIRWAYS, and SALT AIR WIDGEON's as as well ....













Any Discoloured portions of some features appearing in each the above featured decal images are intended to try'n frustrate online stealing of data, but, the colours etc "are" correct on their actual sheets.

Their decals and prices "very reasonable" and are really the best/only references suitable for FS textruction.

So far as I'm aware the NZ WIDGEON operations have been properly/"fully" represented for FS.

Therefore a "NZ specific" FS fleet project representing our WIDGEON aircraft, and their liveries through the years, could well be a good and quite well received idea .... by some ... .just "a suggestion"

You might find my following-linked illustrated history about the NZ aircraft to be quite helpful in this respect of this "suggestion" ....
https://tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thre ... s-research


Mark C
AKL/NZ