From Wikipedia:
The
Canadian Car & Foundry Co acquired a manufacturing licence for the
G-23, and improved FF-1, of which it completed a total of 52, some of which were assembled from US-built components. Thirty-four were acquired by the Spanish Republican Government in 1937 by presenting forged Turkish credentials. This batch was built primarily to bypass the US embargo placed on belligerents during the
Spanish Civil War.
[3] Referred to as the GE-23
Delfin (en
olphin) by the
Spanish Republican Air Force, the aircraft fought in the conflict, but were outclassed by opposing fighters and losses were high. Despite this, a victory against a
Heinkel He 59B would be the only recorded "kill" by a Grumman biplane fighter.
[1] Eleven survived to serve in the
Ejército del Aire Español, nicknamed
Pedro Rico for its rotundity.
[1]
Although initially rejected as a fighter by the
Royal Canadian Air Force as outdated and too slow, with the advent of war, the last 15 of the CC&F production batch were taken on strength as the
Goblin I. The aircraft type served with the RCAF from 17 September 1940 until 21 April 1942. "A" Flight of No. 118 RCAF Sqn was equipped with Goblins at Rockcliffe in
Ottawa, and subsequently became No. 118 (Fighter) Sqn., later stationed at
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where the Goblins for a time constituted the sole fighter force on the east coast.
[8]
Prior to RCAF use, single examples were delivered to
Nicaragua, one to
Japan, and another to
Mexico.
The sole G-23 purchased by the Nicaraguan government saw limited service before being relegated to a scrap yard at Zololtan Air Field in 1942, destined to remain there until 1961 when it was purchased and shipped to the US. In 1966,
Grumman restored the aircraft before passing it to the US Navy where it remains as one of the displays at the
Naval Aviation Museum at
Pensacola, Florida.
The Japanese example was purchased as an example of Grumman's undercarriage, however by the time it was delivered better designs were already in use.
[9]
The Mexican example was intended to be a pattern aircraft to allow a production line to be set up there but this never occurred.
[10]