GRUMMAN J4F-2 WIDGEON

This Widgeon was built by Grumman in Bethpage, NY and was accepted by the Navy on September 20, 1943. It served with support squadrons in Seattle, Washington and Memphis, Tennessee until 1948 when it was turned over to the Edo Corporation to be modified for testing of new seaplane hull designs. Modifications included a new landing gear design that retracts up along side the fuselage rather than into it. Painted yellow, redesignated E-175 and given the name "Petulant Porpoise" it was assigned to the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) and based at Langley Field, Virginia. The first hull shape tested was a half scale replica of the Martin XP5M-1. Over the next five years the aircraft was used to test other experimental hull designs.