can't read grumman goose serial in photo

[brewerjerry]

Hi

     Anyone with better eyesight able to make out the serial on this RCAF grumman goose ? 

  is it 392 ? 

     cheers

       jerry 

 

p.s.

      any suggestions on the fuselage stripe and cowling colours

     might it be red ? 

 

 

 

https://www.oldphotos.ca/archivos/record.php?collectionID=2&recordID=845350642

 

 

Edited February 14, 2024 by brewerjerry

[gingerbob]

The tail (fuselage) number looks like '232' to me (although with a second look the first and last digits don't seem to have identical shape), and on the nose is '[probably a digit],3 or 8,2'.  However, just aft of the cockpit side-window appears to be an '8' on its own, unless I'm misinterpreting something else (could it be a 'B'?)

 

I haven't yet gone looking for Canadian Goose numbers to see if the above makes sense.

 

bob

Edited February 14, 2024 by gingerbob

[Hornet133]

Canadian Goose serials were Mk. I (2), (Serial Nos. FP471, FP473), Mk. II (29), (Serial Nos. 382-397, 796-798, 917, 924-926, 939-944), for a total of 31 aircraft.

 

So '392' would fit, something starting with '2' is not possible. I will leave it to you to decide.

[Tail-Dragon]

 

Lots of Canadian Goose's (Geese?) photos and info here ...

 

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-4-grumman-goose

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi All

          thanks for the replies, i will sit down with a coffee and the list of 31 seials later and try a process of elimination

  i think it will be an interesting change from a camo one, i will probably go with red as the colour for the stripe and cowlings 

     cheers

         jerry 

[fubar57]

10 hours ago, Hornet133 said:

Canadian Goose serials were Mk. I (2), (Serial Nos. FP471, FP473), Mk. II (29), (Serial Nos. 382-397, 796-798, 917, 924-926, 939-944), for a total of 31 aircraft.

 

So '392' would fit, something starting with '2' is not possible. I will leave it to you to decide.

Interesting if it was "392". It would have spent time in my home town in 1952. Ahead of my time by a few years. Macmillan & Blodell also owned a company Goose during my time, dark green and light green and my have been one of the above serial numbers

 

https://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=37944

Edited February 14, 2024 by fubar57
Forgot to add the furlushinger link

[stevehnz]

If I was a betting man, I'd go with 392 Jerry. As I see it, that is the only available serial that fits in @Hornet133's list that could be a possible match to the shapes we can see in the photo.

Steve.

[Ed Russell]

Larger version here, where the bow serial is quite visible - it must be 332, 382 or 392.

https://www.facebook.com/OldKelowna/photos/a.692259397506007/738718699526743/?paipv=0&eav=AfYAJTXBpVGSyvqepGWjBum3Ttg0HegvwJpP7tV8Sy4iBbbDLnvogIQAx9i3S1eXLLs&_rdr

Given the list above, 392 seems most likely.

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi all

          thanks for the replies

    seems 392 was with 166 Squadron, RCAF Station Sea Island, BC, from 44 - 45

   so it seems the likely candidate and it does seem to have a small letter B behind the cockpit, which my eyesight had missed thanks 

       cheers

          jerry 

[dogsbody]

Information from Carl! ( @Carl V )

 

1. This Goose is from 166 (Communications) Squadron which operated from Sea Island from September 1943 to October 1945. It was equipped with a grab bag of aircraft including a fair number of 

      examples of the Goose. It was employed in a variety of roles including communications, transport and ASR.

2.  It seems to have been one of these late-war units of which very little has been written and not that many photos of its aircraft, at least ones that can be identified as with this unit,

       have turned up. I have checked my records and have asked my good friend Dogsbody to post the few that I have on my behalf. They are all scans from comparatively small snapshots so

       are not outstanding for clarity. However, to my mind, they are quite atmospheric.

 

Photo 1.   Goose 384 on a lake near the BC/Washington border during a search for a 5 OTU Liberator.

Photo 2.   Goose 384 after a landing in which the undercarriage failed to lock down.

Photo 3.   Judging by the Expediter in the foreground, this paint scheme seems to be common to the squadron's aircraft.

Photo 4 & 5. Goose 396. This may well have been a favoured beaching location. Judging by the insignia, this was at a later date than Photo 1.

Photos 6 to 9. Goose 389 after landing at Bella Bella in the water with the wheels down.

 

Carl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris, for Carl

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi Chris / Carl

      thanks for posting the photos etc 

 

 

Hi All

          I am starting to wonder what colour the fuselage prop warning lines are ? 

   if they were red that could make the cowlings & fuselage stripe = deep blue ? 

  or are they orange and the cowlings & fuselage stripe  = red ?

   any ideas

     cheers

       jerry 

      

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2024 by brewerjerry

[gingerbob]

I'd be very surprised if the warning stripe was anything other than "standard red".

 

bob

[Tail-Dragon]

From :  'silverhawk author - Harold A. Skaarup'

 

https://www.silverhawkauthor.com/post/canadian-warplanes-4-grumman-goose

 

 

"Grumman G-21A Goose Mk. I (2), (Serial Nos. FP471, FP473), Mk. II (29), (Serial Nos. 382-397, 796-798, 917, 924-926, 939-944), for a total of 31 aircraft.

The first RCAF Grumman Goose Mk. II (Serial No. 917) was flown by No. 12 (Communication) Squadron then transferred to No. 13 Squadron in November 1940. 917 crashed on 21 July 1942. In March 1944, the Canadian government purchased sixteen ex-U.S. Navy Grumman Goose aircraft and three were assigned to No. 12 (Communications) Squadron, (Serial Nos. 383, 386 and 390). All three were painted with the first No. 12 (Communication) Squadron nose art, a Maple Leaf Roundel and red cowling with aircraft red lightning flash markings."

 

The only period color photo I found (camo'd) shows a red prop warning stripe.

 

[brewerjerry]

Hi 

    Thanks what was throwing me was in the B&W photos the fuselage stripe look a different shade to the red prop warning stripes, especially on the photo of 388, and also the one with the beech next to the goose 

  Red it will be, i think roundel red for prop warning stripe, gloss for fuselage stripe

    cheers

       jerry 

    

[Paul Lucas]

@brewerjerry, an idle thought, because I don't know for certain, but I would suggest 'bright' red, (Post Office Red) for the prop warning stripe and 'dull' red, as used in the national markings, for the fuselage stripe and cowling markings.

[gingerbob]

Having looked at the photos in this thread again, I'm not convinced that the cowls/lightning stripe are red.  I'd vote for roundel blue or possibly even black?

[Phoenix44]

Unless I'm missing something, most of the photos show the roundel blue to be quite pale and the roundel and fin flash red to be very dark (ortho film perhaps?) I'd be surprised if the flash and cowlings were blue therefore. 

[gingerbob]

Oops, I "read" them wrong!  Maybe it is a Quebecois Goose?

[brewerjerry]

Hi

    I have been browsing the net, mainly seeing postwar c-47, lancaster and beech photos, all show red lightning stripes 

  so I will eventually use red in the way as suggested by @Paul Lucas

   cheers

     jerry 

[JWM]

Here

The arrow is exactly in shade of a maple leaf.

https://assets-global.website-files.com/60d3c6d0e106af90561564f7/60fabd4823c2cf6fe234396b_Grumman-Goose-Mk--II--RCAF--Serial-No--3-----2-July-1948---MIKAN-No--3584148.jpeg

It is red, isn't?