Grumman?s success with its famous JRF/G-21 ?Goose? was so great that Grumman saw the need for a less costly, smaller version that targeted smaller companies, executives, celebrities and sportsmen. This became the G-44 ?Widgeon?. It cost about $30,000, which was 1/2 the price of a ?Goose?. Thirty were built for civilian customers by 7 December 1941 after which most of these were impressed into USAAC service or the Civil Air Patrol. Just prior to WWII, the Coast Guard ordered 25 as J4F-1s which differed from the G-44 by having a upper fuselage stretcher hatch instead of a cabin door. During the war the USCG used these and 11 Navy J4F-2s on anti-submarine patrols and Portugal purchased 12, 131 J4F-2s with cabin doors went to the Navy, 17 were Lend Leased to England as ?Gosling? and one was acquired by Paraguay. Brazil also received 14 J4F-2s. Post-war ?Widgeons? were operated by Thailand?s and Israel?s military, too.