“Bryan was with Boeing and headed production of the PBY Catalina in Vancouver, BC, during World War II.” “The design stage took a decade and Bryan Mahon, Ross Mahon’s father, was one of our greatest resources of information,” explained Ellison. Their timing was good, however, since numerous Boeing retirees live in the Seattle area and the early 1990s offered one of the last opportunities to tap the expertise of flying boat designers and pilots who had experience with the Boeing 314 “China Clipper” and Grumman amphibians.
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Also, if not carefully controlled, the Widgeon has a tendency to porpoise during water landings, a trait that has led to serious accidents.Ĭomposite construction was the obvious answer to the corrosion problem, but rather than just build a fiberglass copy of the Widgeon, Ellison and Mahon did extensive research and soon realized they did not know enough about flying boats. However, he soon realized that an aluminum airplane operating in salt water would literally “dissolve” over time due to corrosion.
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Fisher)Įllison, who invented the Ellison Throttle Body for aircraft engines and ran that business for 34 years, had planned to buy a Widgeon to replace the deHavilland Beaver on floats he used to commute from Seattle to his boat, which was moored at Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands. Gweduck designer and owner Ben Ellison, Jim Schoeggl, who helped build the plane, and Walter Fellows of Composite Creations, at SUN ‘n FUN 2019. That’s a milestone for the project, which began in 1990 when Gweduck lead designer Ben Ellison and Ross Mahon saw a Widgeon taxi by at their home airport in Renton, Washington, near Seattle.
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One of the biggest hits at last year’s Seaplane-A-Palooza - and SUN ‘n FUN - was the Gweduck Flying Boat, an amphibian inspired by the 1940s Grumman Widgeon. As winter continues its merciless hold on most of the country, many pilots are starting to plan their 2020 airshow season, including a trip to the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, known as the official kick-off to the season.Ī precursor to the SUN ‘n FUN activities is Seaplane-A-Palooza, traditionally held the weekend before SUN ‘n FUN in Tavares, Florida, which is known as the Seaplane City.