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S-2 Tracker

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S2F-1 Tracker
Image:S-2E_Tracker.jpg 300px ''US Navy S-2E Tracker ready for launching from'' Bennington'' (CVS-20), 30 November 1967. Note the searchlight on the starboard wing.''
'''Dimensions'''
Length	12.88 m	42 ft 3 in
Wingspan	21.23 m	69 ft 8 in
Height	4.95 m	16 ft 3 in
'''Weights'''
Empty	8,310 kg	18,315 lb
'''Performance'''
Maximum speed	462 km/h	287 mph
Range	1,350 km	840 mi

The Grumman '''S-2 (formerly S2F) Tracker''' was the first US Navy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft designed specifically for the purpose. Its predecessor, the AF-2 Guardian, used two aircraft for ASW, one with the detection gear, and the other with the weapons. This was very inefficient, and the Navy wanted a design that carried both. The replacement aircraft was to carry radar, a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD), ECM, acoustic equipment, and a searchlight, and be able to be armed with bombs, mines, torpedoes, and rockets. Grumman's design (model '''G-89''') was for a large high-wing monoplane with twin Wright Cyclone radial engines. Both the two prototypes '''XS2F-1''' and 15 production aircraft, '''S2F-1''' were ordered at the same time, on 30 June 1950. First flight was 4 December 1952, and production aircraft entered service, with VS-26, in February 1954. Followon versions included the '''WF Tracer''' and '''TF Trader''', which became the E-1 Tracer and C-1 Trader in the rationalization of 1962. The S-2 carried the nickname "Stoof" (S-two-F) throughout its military career. Grumman produced 1,185 Trackers, and another 99 were manufactured under license in Canada. Versions of the Tracker were sold to various nations, including Australia, Japan and Republic of China Taiwan. The Tracker was eventually superseded for US military use by the S-3 Viking - the last USN Tracker squadron was disestablished in 1976 - but a number live on as firefighting aircraft. Trackers continued to provide excellent service in Naval forces of other countries for years after the US discontinued them; for example the Royal Australian Navy continued to use Trackers as front line ASW assets until the mid 1980's. The Argentine Navy received its first S-2A models on the 1960s and later used the improved S-2E from the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo. In the 1990s, they were upgraded with local software and by Israel with turbo prop engines nicknamed S-2T Turbo Trackers. With the retire of its unique aircraft carrier, the Argentines currently use them from the NAeL São Paulo of the Brazilian Navy. In the late 1980s and early 90's Conair Aviation of Abbotsford, Common Era BCE, Canada took posession of retired US and Canadian Trackers and converted them into Firecats, with a retardant tank replacing the torpedo bay. The Firecats were made in two variants, a piston engined Firecat and a Turbo Firecat.

Variants
* '''S-2A''' - Anti-submarine warfare aircraft. This was the first production model. * '''TS-2A''' - training version * '''US-2A''' - Utility transport conversion. * '''S-2B''' - Modified to carry AQA-3 Jezebel passive long-range acoustic search equipment. * '''US-2B''' - Utility transport conversion. * '''S-2C''' - Larger weapons bay, and larger tail. * '''RS-2C''' - Photo-reconnaissance aircraft. * '''US-2C''' - Utility transport conversion. * '''S-2D''' - Larger version. * '''S-2E''' * '''S-2F''' * '''CS2F-1''' - Anti-submarine warfare aircraft for Canada. * '''CS2F-2''' - Canada, later designated '''CP-121''' * '''S-2G''' - The final production version. * '''S-2UP''' * '''S-2T Turbo Tracker''' * '''S-2AT''' - Firefighter version. * '''S-2ET''' * '''Marsh S-2 Turbo Tracker''' * '''Conair Firecat''' or '''Turbo Firecat''' - Single-seat firefighting aircraft.

Units using the Tracker
* United States Navy * United States Marine Corps * Royal Australian Navy Image:Final Approach.jpg thumb|300px|View from an Australian Tracker on final approach to HMAS ''Melbourne'' ** The RAN operated 2 Squadrons of S2E and S2G variants from 1967 until 1984. ** VS-816 front line squadron although based at Nowra, frequently embarked the Majestic class aircraft carrier Majestic class aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne (1945) HMAS Melbourne, CVS-21, as part of the 21st Carrier Air Group whenever that ship was deployed. ** VC-851 training squadron was based at NAS Nowra, HMAS Albatross. **During about twenty years of operation of the Tracker, the RAN lost only one S2 during aircraft operations due to an accident at sea. However, in the mid 1970's a deliberately lit fire in a hangar at Nowra destroyed or badly damaged a large proportion of the RAN's compliment of Trackers. These were subsequently replaced with ex-USN aircraft. The replacement aircraft were all S2Gs, including the original aircraft modified by the USN to that status. **This saw the introduction of AQA7 acoustic gear into RAN service and all RAN operational Trackers were subsequently modified to this standard. the AQA7 significantly enhanced the RAN's ASW capability. * Royal Canadian Navy Image:S2TrackerSaoPaulo.jpg thumb|300px|Argentine Tracker operating from [[NAeL Sao Paulo]] * Argentine Navy, ** Comando de Aviacion Naval Argentina ''(naval aviation)'' *** Escuadrilla Aeronaval Antisubmarina ''(antisubmarine naval squadron)'' Operator of S-2A and S-2E since 1960s, 6 modernized S-2T Turbo Trackers are currently in use * Força Aérea Brasileira ** Brazilian Trackers where use by the air force on belhaf the navy until their retirement. They operate from aircraft carrier NAeL Minas Gerais * Aeronautica Militarie * Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force * Fuerza de Aviacon de Naval * Republic of China Air Force * Royal Thai Naval Air Division * Turk Donama Havaciligi * Marine Luchtvaart Dienst * Aviación Naval Uruguaya ** The first three S2A Tracker owned by the Uruguayan Navy Aviation arrived on 10 April 1965 to the Capitan Curbelo Navy Base. ** On 15 September 1982 one S2G arrived. ** On 2 February 1983 another two S2G arrived. ** By september 2004 the remaining Uruguayan Trackers are not in flight condition. * Armada Venezolana

External links

- The S-2 Tracker Museum
- Another site with good detail
- S-2 Tracker at Patuxent River Naval Air Museum
- Memorias del Tiempo de Vuelo
- The Grumman Tracker, Trader, & Tracer {{airlistbox}} Category:Carrier-based aircraft Category:U.S. ASW aircraft 1950-1959 de:Grumman S-2 fr:Tracker S-2FT nl:Grumman Tracker

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