Grumman G-164A Super Ag-Cat, plates SE-KXR

Every single plane at an air show has a story. These stories are so captivating that I decided to bring one closer to you. I've chosen the Grumman G-164A Super Ag-Cat, bearing Swedish registration SE-KXR, now famously known as Catwalk. This machine transformed from a robust agricultural aircraft into a true aerial artist.

Catwalk's journey began in 1973, in Savannah, Georgia, USA. That's where, at the Grumman factory, the G-164A Super Ag-Cat, serial number 1120, rolled off the production line. Its intended purpose was dirty, agricultural work – crop dusting. However, the plane's story was destined to take an unusual turn. After less than 20 years, in 1992, in Texas, the aircraft underwent such an incredible metamorphosis it's hard to believe. It was converted from a crop duster into a "wing walking" machine, designed for people to walk on its wings in flight. The chemical tanks were removed, and additional railings and mounts appeared at the front. A complete overhaul! But the true birth of a star came in 2004, when the aircraft underwent a general overhaul. It was then that it officially received its famous name: Catwalk. Today, this Grumman is the pride of Scandinavian Airshow and a true symbol of their aerial spectacles.

To understand why this particular aircraft is so well-suited for aerobatics, we need to go back to its roots. The Grumman G-164 Ag-Cat isn't just some random modified plane. It was originally designed for heavy-duty agricultural work, where there's no room for messing around. In the post-war years, old military training aircraft, which were delicate and therefore dangerous, were often used for dusting. Grumman, known for building robust, almost armored naval fighters, decided to create an aircraft that could withstand anything. The Ag-Cat is an engineering marvel. It was built on an incredibly durable, tubular steel frame designed to provide incredible impact resistance. The cockpit was protected from pesticides and gave the pilot superb visibility. The Ag-Cat became famous for simply being very safe – by 1968, it had accumulated over a million hours in the USA without a single fatality!

And it's precisely these characteristics – durability, stability, and robustness – that made the Ag-Cat ideal for aerobatics and wing walking. Paradoxically, its initial, demanding purpose allowed it to safely perform its current, equally demanding but vastly different role.

At the heart of Catwalk is a nine-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine with 450 horsepower. This engine is, after all, an aviation legend! It's known for its reliability and its characteristic, deep, bass roar. It's what provides all the power for the crazy aerobatics.

The last three decades have seen SE-KXR truly conquer airports worldwide. It's the platform for the daring "Skycats" team, the people who walk on the wing in flight. Strapped in, of course – that's what those extra mounts and railings are for! Their shows feature loops, barrel rolls, and skywriting with smoke. And in the evening, when the sun sets, the Skycats give way to a spectacular pyrotechnic display. Lasers and fireworks launched directly from the aircraft – it's truly something worth seeing with your own eyes.

Initially, in the 90s and early 2000s, Catwalk primarily flew in Scandinavia, although it occasionally appeared in Poland, for example, at the Góraszka picnic (2007). But since 2019, it's truly embarked on an international career. The most important event was the flight to Australia in 2019 for the prestigious Avalon International Airshow. After that success, Catwalk toured Europe, flying in Belgium (2021), Slovakia (2022), Norway (2022), Hungary (2024), and of course, here in Poland (2024 and 2025). I photographed these recent performances in Poland, of course, and you can find the pictures in my galleries.

Over three decades of flying risky, low-altitude aerobatics, Catwalk hasn't had a single accident or incident. This is testament to the professionalism of the Scandinavian Airshow team and how meticulously they care for this aircraft and their safety. And incidentally, it also confirms how Grumman designed this machine.

As you can see, the story of the Grumman G-164A Ag-Cat SE-KXR is more than just a tale about an airplane. It's a story about how a durable, utilitarian aircraft got a second life and became a star. From crop dusting to aerial spectacles – it's a journey that shows classic designs can live forever if only passionate people find them. This Grumman was lucky because such people found it. Or perhaps it found them?

I took the following three photos in 2004, at one of the first shows, right after the plane was converted to a Catwalk, with my first analog camera... Okay, not really. These are photos from Leszno from this year, just processed to look like old, analog film. Or scans from an old newspaper. Anyway, this whole post is one big double experiment conducted on a day I was supposed to be in the mountains. But the Genoa low spoiled quite a few plans.