NAS Grosse Ile Aircraft

NAS GROSSE ILE

GRUMMAN S-2 TRACKER

Photograph furnished by William T. Larkins

The Pima Air & Space Museum has S2F BuNo 136468 in its
collection; it served at NAS Grosse Ile from 3/29/63 - 9/20/68. If
anyone would like to contribute information or photos about it,
please contact me: Kirsten Tedesco, Curator, 520-574-0462,
6000 E. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ 85706. Thanks.

Part of the history of the above S2F-1 furnished by Hal Neubauer:

                                    It is an S2F-1 BuNo 136468 Mfg. under contract #53099
                                    Accepted by Navy 4/13/56
                                    Assigned VS-30 on 4/24/56 at Norfolk
                                    Aboard: USS Leyte
                                    Aboard: USS Lake Champlain
                                    Assigned O&R Bur. Weapons on 10/27/59 at Pensacola
                                    Assigned VS-37 on 5/3/60 at San Diego
                                    Aboard: Hornet
                                    Assigned VS-33 on 12/1/60 at San Diego
                                    Aboard: USS Bennington
                                    At North Island
                                    Assigned NAS Grosse Ile on 3/29/63 For Naval Air Reserve Training.
                                    On 9/20/68 it apparently was assigned to NASDC for retirement. At this
                                        point the record is unclear.

These photographs may not be used or published, neither commercially nor for other purposes, in any form, including but not restricting to the Internet, magazines and books, without the photographer's permission. For all inquiries please contact the photographer by e-mail or by other means.

Classic ASW aircraft, a twin engine shoulder wing aircraft. The S-2 was compact and ugly, with a retractable MAD boom and ventral search radar. Launchers for sonobouys were incorporated in the engine nacelles. The S-2 had a long career, and some are still in service, while others have a second life as fire fighting aircraft --- sometimes re-engined with turboprops. In military service, some were modified to US-2 light transports or RS-2 reconnaissance aircraft. The E-1 Tracker and C-1 Trader were AEW and COD versions of the S-2.

Regarding normal ASW altitudes. Normal sub patrol & search altitude was 500 feet for S2F's. When contact was made they would descend to 50 feet and go on instruments to maintain that altitude especially at night. The lower altitude was to enable the ASQ 8 (MAD equipment) to have maximum search depth while still maintaining a safe flying altitude. -- Hal Neubaurer

Type	S-2F
Function	ASW
Year	1952
Crew	4
Number of Engines	2
Engines	Wright R-1820-82WA
Wing Span	22.12m
Length	13.26m
Height	5.05m
Wing Area	46.08m2
Empty Weight	8505kg
Max. Weight	13222kg
Speed	425km/h
Ceiling	6400m
Range	2100km