The Wackett Widgeon seaplanes were built by the Experimental Section of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Randwick, NSW during the mid- to late-1920s.

[1] In June 1925 the Widgeon was subjected to a series of "searching tests" with satisfactory results,[4] and the engine was run for the first time at Randwick following a delay caused by the late delivery of exhaust valves.

[7] Repairs actually took much longer and modifications to improve the craft's handling were also made including a deeper step further aft, cutting away the side windscreens and new centre-section tanks faired into the airfoil instead of above the wings.

Just under five months later on 3 December 1925 the Widgeon successfully completed its first flight from Botany Bay piloted by Squadron Leader Wackett, lasting ten minutes and reaching a height of about 400 ft (120 m).

[1] Following a series of trials carried out by the Civil Aviation Branch, it was agreed that the Widgeon could be tested by the RAAF to assess its suitability as a training aircraft.

These included the addition of retractable landing gear, tailskid, dual controls, extra fuel tanks, an increase in dihedral from 3.5° to 4.75°, new deeper floats with less aileron interference, a wider windscreen, a gun-mount above the rear cabin entry, cabin side windows below the wing and a more powerful 300 hp (220 kW) ADC Nimbus engine.

These included the addition of automatic wing leading edge slats, a water rudder, an exhaust manifold ring, and a metal rear-cabin structure.

Prior to its delivery to the RAAF, the Widgeon II flew in the Sydney Aerial Derby (with floats removed) and took third place in a field of 23 aircraft in the speed section at an average of 109 mph over a course of 42 miles.

[19] On 31 March 1929, Charles Kingsford Smith made a forced landing about 220 miles WSW of Wyndham, Western Australia, an incident that became known as the Coffee Royal Affair.

A number of aircraft were requested to conduct an aerial search for the missing airman and his crew; and the Widgeon II, which had been out of commission for several months due to modifications to enable trials aboard HMAS Albatross, was prepared for the long flight from Sydney.

[21] In July and August 1929 the Widgeon II embarked on HMAS Albatross for its voyage of the New Guinea area[22] to conduct trials under tropical conditions.

[1] On 6 January 1930 the Widgeon II crashed into Port Phillip Bay off Point Cook, killing all three occupants including Captain Hugh Grosvenor, who was the heir of Lord Stalbridge and had been planning a flight from Australia to England.

[23][24] Several companies expressed an interest in manufacturing or operating Widgeons but none of these plans came to fruition: Data from Australian-built aircraft and the industry[1]General characteristics Performance