E-1b?

[ElCidAv8tor05]

I was at the Blues' Homecoming Air Show today and there was a plane on display called an E-1B. My question is: what the hell is an E-1B? what were its missions, etc? It kinda looked like a retarded E-2C with a fat non-rotating radome on top. Thanks for your help.




-" Easy"

 

[SteveG75]

Grumman E-1b Tracer aka "Willie Fudd" or "Stoof with a Roof"

To provide the Navy with an airborne early-warning aircraft capable of operating from aircraft carriers, Grumman began development of a variant of the S-2A Tracker in 1954. This was designated as the WF-2, based on the C-1A and subsequently redesignated E-1B, more often being known as "Willy Fudd" to its pilots and crewmen.

Predecessor of the E-2 Hawkeye, same mission.
E-1B:

S-2A Tracker (predecessor of S-3 Viking):

S-2A was also the basis for the C-1A Trader, the first COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) which was the predecessor of the current C-2 Greyhound. Note the different rear part of the engine nacelles and lack of a mad boom below the rudder compared to the S-2A.

Dang it, I love Google.

 

[ElCidAv8tor05]

Thanks Meat, you are much wiser in the ways of google than I.



- "Easy"

 

[AllAmerican75]

The Forest Service out here in Cali uses a bunch of S-2's for putting out fires. They also have a few PBY Catalinas. It must be one helluva job to fly those things into a forest fire.

 

[Ryoukai]

It looks so stubby and silly.

 

[eddie]

It looks so stubby and silly.

I think someone recently referred to it as "cute..."

 

[scotty008]

I think someone recently referred to it as "cute..."

I think it was A-4's wife that used "cute" to describe it. He was somewhat apalled, if I recall correctly...

-spelling corrected...thanks for noticing

 

[zab1001]

or "appalled"...

that Spirit of '76 C-1 is awesome.

 

[Dunedan]

I'd sure love to see the innards of one of those, and what it was capable of. I bet keeping the sensors working was a hell of a lot harder in the Tracer than it is in the Hawkeye.

Dammit I'm turning into a dork...

 

[eddie]

I think it was A-4's wife that used "cute" to describe it. He was somewhat upalled, if I recall correctly...

Yeah, I found the thread...

 

[Goober]

The S-2...cute and nuke-equipped...

 

[MIDNJAC]

like 2 T-28's strapped together

 

[Ryoukai]

I think it was A-4's wife that used "cute" to describe it. He was somewhat apalled, if I recall correctly...

Well, I mean...come on, the damn thing looks like it's either a child's drawing of an airplane or a toy. Either way, it's stubby and silly.

 

[eddie]

like 2 T-28's strapped together

That's pretty funny!

 

[Flash]

The Forest Service out here in Cali uses a bunch of S-2's for putting out fires. They also have a few PBY Catalinas. It must be one helluva job to fly those things into a forest fire.

Taiwan and apparently Thailand still fly them as their ASW planes....

http://home.planet.nl/~roden171/operatorse.html

http://home.planet.nl/~roden171/fotos/rocaf3.jpg

http://home.planet.nl/~roden171/fotos/thai4.jpg