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So far I've found photos of 3 versions
that were licensed by the Connecticut DMV.
There is a 2613T, a U104U and a A3175P (which
is the one given to the NASM). I would hazard a
guess that the T is the older version, followed
by the U and then the P just because the
number 2613T is sequentially lower than U104U.
I've written to the Conn DMV to see if there is
any other info on file.
According to
Aerofiles
(scroll down to Fulton),
there were 3 FAA approved prototypes -
NX60374, NX61037and N74104. According
to
NSAM there was a N74153, certified in
December 1950 and a N74154, certified in June
1953. So the records of what was produced when
are not yet complete.
Another interesting fact from
Aerofiles (scroll down to GA-2 Duck) is that
four sets of fabric covered wings from the GA-2
Duck, manufactured as dealer demonstrators, were
sold for use on the 1947 Fulton AIRPHIBIAN
prototype. The Duck wingspan was
36'0" and the N74154 wing span was 36'6". The
Duck also used a 145 hp Franklin 6A4 as a pusher
engine and the N74 used the same engine as a
puller. Whereas the later AIRPHIBIANS were
modifications of the STINSON voyager 185.
They are very different,
hopefully my dad will give me some reasons
behind the differences. I'll refer to them as
the T, the U and the A.
(That is Wayne's hand in the T photo and
he is also driving the U in the bottom picture. We
are trying to find out the name of the woman in
the color picture of the T).
- The wheels. The
U's wheel cowling and lead in to the body and
the body attachment are radically different from
the T's. The U is much more aerodynamic. I think
the U even
looks lower. It seems as if the angle of the
wheel to body is different. There are also
running lights in the wheel cowling of the U and
not in the T.
- The air intakes
are also
different. I blew up the photos and saw that the top
openings of the U are quite square with rounded
corners. The openings of the T are much more
rounded on the outside top corners. It also
seems that the U's bottom opening is narrower
than the T's.
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N74104 |
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These are the only photos that I found of N
numbers. N74154 (license plate
A3175P, which was given to the NASM) and the N74104, which
looks like it goes with license plate U104U.
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| GA-2 Duck |
Stinson Voyager 185 |
AIRPHIBIAN
Cutaway Drawing |
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