Aircraft model
GRUMMAN G-44A
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The G-44A is the postwar Widgeon: the same twin-Ranger amphibian as the wartime G-44 but with a deeper, larger bow section forward of the step, which cured the porpoising the original was known for and improved its flotation. Six seats instead of five. 76 were built.
A Widgeon is a small twin-engined amphibian, which is a category with almost no members and a devoted following. The hull work is the thing: corrosion, rivets, previous repairs and the condition of the bilge are what a survey is for, and a salt-water history matters enormously. The inverted in-line Ranger engines are the other problem — they are rare, thirsty for their output and supported by a handful of specialists, which is why a great many Widgeons now fly behind Lycoming GO-480 conversions under supplemental type certificate. Establish which engines are actually fitted before using any published figure.
Compare with…
Put GRUMMAN G-44A side by side with up to two other models.
- GRUMMAN G-44A
What it is
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 2 |
| Engine | Ranger L-440C-5 (inline) |
| Horsepower | 200 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1945 |
| Production end | 1949 |
| Endorsements required | complex;multi-engine |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 120 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 700 nm |
| Service ceiling | 14,600 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,000 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 58 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 6 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,225 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 577 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 4,525 lb |
| Empty weight | 3,300 lb |
| Usable fuel | 108 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 22.4 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $300,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $785,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $40,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $72,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 77 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 29 |
| Median year built | 1946.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 2 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 68.97 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 34.48 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 9 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 31.03 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 4 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 29 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 29 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 29 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 5-6 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 1.8 of 103 |
| Support | 2 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 8.9 of 105 |
- Accident record: class median 28.74 · 56 models in class.
- Severity: class median 33.33.
- Access: class median 2,812.25.
- Support: class median 57.
- Liquidity: class median 21.91.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.