North Carolina Company To Restart Grumman Goose Production

If Tim Henderson and V.L. Manuel have their way, a classic aircraft design will soon once again grace the skies. The Grumman Goose may soon fly again.

The two men are partners in a company called Antilles Seaplanes, which plans to soon start producing one G-21 Goose a month.

"We're comfortable enough now that we're going to go out and get deposits (from customers)," Manuel told the Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area in North Carolina.

The classic amphibians will go for between $1.3 and $2.2 million a year. The design is certainly a proven one -- first flying more than 70 years ago. Today, there are about 15 still in the air.

The aircraft design certainly has wide appeal, Manuel said. He's gotten inquiries from rich hobbyists to small airlines and charter outfits. Henderson figures, over the next several years, he can sell 250 aircraft and make about $50 million.

"The world is crying out for an honest to goodness seaplane, not an adaptation of a seaplane," Henderson said.

FMI: www.antillesseaplanes.com