Grumman G-32A | Planes of Fame Air Museum

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Grumman G-32A

HISTORY

Grumman constructed the G-32A in 1938 using F3F-2 parts and a two-place fuselage, and it first flew on 01 July 1938. The aircraft was retained by Grumman as a demonstration aircraft and was occasionally flown by Leroy Grumman himself. It was painted bright red with black and white trim, giving rise to the name "The Red Ship". In November 1942, the aircraft was transferred to the United States Army Air Corps.
After World War II, the aircraft passed through several owners until being acquired by Ben Bradley in 1949 and completely restored in 1962. The aircraft was later acquired by Doug Champlin of Mesa, Arizona. In 1971, the G-32A appeared at Oshkosh and during a demonstration flight the aircraft caught fire in midair. Although the crew survived, the airplane was destroyed in the ensuing crash.
In 1988, with the addition of wreckage of three F3F-2s, and the financial backing of other individuals interested in seeing these aircraft restored to fly, the project was placed in the hands of Herb Tischler and his Texas Aircraft Factory in Fort Worth, TX. The restorations were completed in 1993, and the G-32A and two of the F3F-2s were acquired by the Tom Friedkin family.
The G-32A has been meticulously restored with only a few modern concessions to safety and to ease the pilot workload. Modern items include modern instruments, disk brakes, and an electric motor to retract the landing gear. The restoration is powered by a Wright 1820-55 engine of 1,050 hp, producing slightly more horsepower than the original powerplant.