12/22/2006. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "Grumman began work on a replacement for the J2F-1 Duck in June 1939; the aircraft was assigned Model Number G-42. However the demand for F4F Wildcats, F6F Hellcats, TBF Avengers and J2F Ducks took precedence and work on the G-42 was discontinued. In late 1942, work again commenced on the design and progressed slowly until 1943 when the project was transferred to the Columbia Aircraft Corporation of Valley Steam, Long Island, New York, USA, which was then building J2F-6 Ducks.

The Navy ordered two prototypes (BuNo 31399 and 31400) as XJL-1s but the aircraft were not completed until 1946. The aircraft could accommodate a crew of two and four passengers. The first aircraft made its first flight on October 25, 1946 and this aircraft, the second prototype, made its first flight shortly thereafter. Both were tested at the Naval Air Test Center, NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, USA, in 1947 and then they were placed in storage at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Both were sold as surplus in 1959 and were assigned civil registration N54207 and N54205 respectively. N54205 is preserved at Pima Air Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA."

12/22/2006. Remarks by John Zublin: "N54207 was sold to R.W. Martin in 1986 and reregistered as N48RW. Unfortunately it crashed at Camp Pendleton, California, USA, on March 12, 1997. It is under restoration at R.W. Martin Inc., French Valley Airport, Murrietta, California."