Grumman G-44 Widgeon

SCAN 20

The Société des Constructions Aéronavales or SCAN was a small company based at La Rochelle.

During the war they had designed the SCAN 20,a four-place trainer with an engine mounted on struts above the fuselage centre driving a 3-bladed pusher propeller.

The SCAN 20 prototype made its first flight after the war on 6 October 1945.

The French navy ordered a small batch of 23 production machines fitted with a Potez 8D30 engine of 450 hp.

After the construction of the SCAN 20 was terminated, this small firm introduced for both civil and governmental use an all-metal small amphibian flying boat as the SCAN 30.

The SCAN 30 had a very close resemblance to the US Grumman Widgeon.

This was not by accident, but purposely since SCAN had acquired the licence construction rights for this American type for production in their La Rochelle plant.

The SCAN 30 was offered with various type of engines as demanded by the customer.

The SCAN 30 prototype F-WFDM made its maiden flight on 14 May 1953 fitted with Gipsy Queen II engines.

In total SCAN manufactured a batch of 41 of this versatile small amphibian.

They were delivered to various world-wide customers but most of these were in fact directly exported to the United States.

It is possible that some of them are still flying around, most likely as a ‘Grumman Widgeon’.After production of the SCAN 30 was terminated, the company was not further involved in aircraft construction, but in the construction of boats.

Even in 1976 two flying boat airframes were auctioned by SCAN as scrap and most likely these were SCAN 30’s and they could have been the never-sold c/n 17 and c/n 18!

Technical details:

Power plants: 2 Salmson 8AS-00(240 hp)/Lycoming R-860 E(300 hp)/Gipsy Queen II(200 hp) Lycoming GO-435-C2(260 hp)

Dimensions: wingspan 13.15 m

length 9.52 m

height 3.77 m

wing area 22.3 m2

Weights: empty 1600 kg all-up loaded 2350-2495 kg depending on version

Performances: max. speed 304 km/h at sea level range 750 km service ceiling 2450 m

Equipment: capacity for one pilot and three passengers

The following SCAN 30’s were built:

c/n 01 F-WFDM (prototype)
c/n 14 N58LM
c/n 28 N2812D
c/n 1 F-WFHA
c/n 15 N60LM
c/n 29 N2813D

c/n 2 F-WFHB
c/n 16 N7912C
c/n 30 N2814D
c/n 3 F-WFHC
c/n 17 no trace
c/n 31 N7921C

c/n 4 F-WFHD
c/n 18 no trace
c/n 32 N7916C
c/n 5 F-WFHE
c/n 19 F-BGTD
c/n 33 N4451

c/n 6 F-BFHF
c/n 20 N7917C
c/n 34 N4452
c/n 7 F-BFHG
c/n 21 N7775C
c/n 35 N4120A
c/n 8 F-BFHH
c/n 22 unknown (to USA)
c/n 36 F-OABR
c/n 9 N62G
c/n 23 unknown (to USA) c/n 37 unknown (to USA)
c/n 10 N3923

c/n 24 unknown (to USA)
c/n 38 F-OALL
c/n 11 N7918C
c/n 25 N7913C
c/n 39 F-OALM
c/n 12 N7911C
c/n 26 N2810D
c/n 40 F-OALN
c/n 13 N3924
c/n 27 N2811D
c/n 41 N4122A