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Grumman WF-2 / E-1 Tracer

1958 COLD WAR VIETNAM WAR

History

With the rise of aircraft carriers and advances in radar technology in World War II, the U.S. Navy entered a phase of introduction and equipping of piston-powered twin-engine aircraft specifically designed for airborne early warning (AEW) missions.

These aircraft were appropriately modified to Adapted to life at sea, especially for surface operations and launch, landing and carrier storage. This was the Grumman E-1 "Tracer" series of the 1960s and 1970s, which evolved from the transport-oriented Grumman C-1 "Trader" series. The original Trader was used as a transport platform for maritime aircraft carriers in 1952, and it was in service with 83 prototypes until the late 1980s. The E-1 represented a successful conversion of the line and made its first flight on December 17, 1956.

The series was officially introduced into U.S. Navy service in 1958 and lasted 88 until 1977, before being officially replaced by the modern as the more advanced Grumman E-1 "Hawkeye" series that appeared in 1964.

Born as the XTF-1W prototype, the E-1 had a twin rudder-tail configuration with two suspended engine nacelles along a pair of high-mounted wing assemblies. The wings are designed in such a way that they can be folded sideways using a hinge system. The lateral approach is implemented by adding a large radome to the fuselage. The cockpit holds up well in the design behind the short nose cone assembly.

The side profile of the fuselage is teardrop-shaped and provides the desired aerodynamic performance. The prototype lacks the full model electronics and has a serial number of 136792. The landing gear is fully retractable in a trailing configuration, using two front main landing legs and a small tail wheel, giving the fuselage a distinctive "nose" .-up" look at rest. Tail hooks are added under the tail, For shipborne landings. One of the most noticeable features of the design is the large radome mounted in the middle of the fuselage spine as part of the Hazeltine AN/APS-82 system.

The radome is supported by a low strut frame and is aerodynamically Scientific improvements. This installation made the E-1 series highly recognizable on the decks of American Airlines at the time.

The standard tracer consisted of four personnel, including two pilots and a pair of radar/interceptors Controller.

Power for the E-1 is provided by 2 Wright R-1820-82A Cyclone Series 9-cylinder radial piston engines, each producing up to 1,525 horsepower and driving a three-blade propeller assembly. This gives the plane a top speed of 240 mph and a cruising speed of 160 mph.

The range is 1,035 miles and the mission duration is nearly seven hours. The aircraft can reach a service ceiling of 15,800 feet at a climb rate of nearly 1,120 feet per minute.

Structurally, the E-1 had a barrel length of 45 feet 4 inches, a wingspan of 72 feet 4 inches, and a height of 16 feet 10 inches. Curb weight is 20,640 lbs and maximum takeoff weight is 26,600 lbs.

The XTF-1W product was eventually renamed the XWF-1 and entered production as the WF-2 following the USN aircraft naming convention at the time. The XTF-1W itself was subsequently converted back to its C-1A Trader form, while still retaining its twin tail layout.

In the 1962 reorganization, the WF-2 was renamed the E-1B.

Tracers were still in use when the US military was heavily involved in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). E-1s in war work with battle groups in a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) role, where they can relay enemy positions/activities and schedule ground attacks. Tracer involvement continued until around 1973, while U.S. involvement in the region ended in 1975.

By 1977, all tracers were effectively removed from the U.S. Navy's inventory, ending their often overlooked contribution to U.S. Naval Aviation. The series' claim to fame is its status as a groundbreaking carrier-based AEW platform - a Navy aircraft still in use today (2013).

A total of about 88 WF-2/E-1B aircraft were produced. The tracker was nicknamed "Willy Fudd" because of his original "WF" name. Likewise, the E-2 Hawkeyes are also known by the "Super Fudd" moniker.

The US Navy currently (2013) has AEW capability through its E-2D Advanced Hawkeye platform and is one of the few propeller airframes still deployed on the decks of modern aircraft carriers.