Our Aircraft’s History
GA-22A “Drake” (S/N 4040; C/S N5516M) ~ Our “Drake” is a one-of-a-kind and was a follow-on to the GA-2B “Duck”. Designed for passenger flight and possibly light cargo, the aircraft did not make it past the testing/demonstration stage.
- March 10, 1953 – Manufactured by Goodyear Aircraft Company in Akron, Ohio; utilized for demonstrations and company business around the country
- July 1966 – Donated to the EAA Air Venture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
- May 2010 – Donated to the MAPS Air Museum by the EAA Air Venture Museum, arriving on May 18, 2010.
She was renovated further here at MAPS and finished in 2013 for public display.
Specifications/Performance (GA-2B)
- Role: civilian light amphibian
- Manufacturer: Goodyear Aircraft Corp
- First flight: 1944 (GA-1); March 18, 1953 (GA-22A)
- Retired: May 20, 1965 (GA-22A)
- Built: 19 (all variants; only 1 GA-22A)
- Crew: 1
- Passengers: 2 (3 passengers on GA-22A)
- Length: 26 ft
- Wingspan: 35 ft
- Height: 9 ft 6 in
- Empty weight: 1,600 lb
- Gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Engine: Franklin 6A4-163-B3 flat-six piston engine, 165 hp
- Max speed: 125 mph
- Range: 300 mi (575 mi-GA-22A)
- Service ceiling: 15,000 ft
Armament, notable
- none
Museum display notes: in Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company colors, blue and yellow
Designed to replace: Goodyear GA-2 “Duck”
Replaced by: public favored competition; the Lake Buccaneer, Colonial Skimmer and the Republic RC-3 Seabee