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| The Tracker is a twin 1,136.4kW Wright R-1820-82WA-powered carrier-based antisubmarine search and attack aircraft, produced originally for the US Navy but currently also in service with the air forces and navies of several countries.
The prototype flew for the first time on 4 December 1952 and more than 1,000 S-2s were delivered by Grumman. The initial production version was designated S-2A (CP-121, formerly CS2F-1 for the Canadian version). Next came the S-2B with new anti-submarine detection equipment; the TS-2B trainer; S-2G with enlarged bomb bays to house two homing torpedoes (most converted to US-2C or RS-2C); S-2D with improved anti-submarine equipment, wider cockpit and longer range; S-2E with improved anti-submarine equipment; S-2F with uprated submarine detection equipment; S-2G, early version uprated with a Martin Marietta kit; US-2A/C, S-2A/C converted for target towing; US-2B utility/transport conversion of the S-2B; RS-2C, S-2C converted for photo-reconnaissance/ survey work; AS-2D, S-2D modified for night attack; and E-1B Tracer, AEW version with a radome on its back.
| MODEL | S-2E |
| CREW | 4 |
| ENGINE | 2 x Wright R-1820-82WA Cyclone, 1137kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 13222 kg | 29150 lb |
| Empty weight | 8505 kg | 18750 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 22.12 m | 73 ft 7 in |
| Length | 13.26 m | 44 ft 6 in |
| Height | 5.05 m | 17 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 46.08 m2 | 496.00 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 426 km/h | 265 mph |
| Cruise speed | 241 km/h | 150 mph |
| Range w/max.fuel | 2092 km | 1300 miles |
| ARMAMENT | one nuclear dive bomb, sonobouy launchers, bombs, missiles, torpedos |
| John Tenaglia, e-mail, 13.04.2010 23:15 VS-31 '62-'65....enjoyed EVER day I was there. In all the S-2 pix I see, there seems to be a piece of equipment missing. As I recall, there was a large ECM antenna just aft of the cockpit. Am I mistaken?
Thanks for the memories. reply | | William Young, e-mail, 13.04.2010 04:53 2 WestPac cruises aboard USS Bennington (CVS-20)with VS-33 S2-Es. Aircrew, #3 operator. I was one of the lucky guys that got to leave the ship almost every day. Ray Callhan and I flew several missions together off Vietnam coast and Tonkin Gulf. We got to see Hiphong Harbor less than 40 miles out and listen to "firecan" RADAR one night. reply | | BARRISTER AKPALU YARTEY, e-mail, 17.03.2010 13:50 FROM
BARRISTER AKPALU YARTEY
A SOLICITOR /ADVOCATE
AT THE SUPREME HIGH COURT
ACCRA-GHANA.
TEL: +233542672070
Fax no+23321406357
Dearest,
Good day and how are you? My wish is that you receive this letter in good faith and by his grace we are going to work good things out of in this great deal.
My name is Barrister Akpalu Yartey a Solicitor /Advocate of the supreme high court of GHANA; I am the Personal Attorney to Mr. Alan B.William an expatriate, who was a consultant with MINING GOAL COMPANY IN GHANA.
On the 21st of April 2006, my client and his wife were involved in a car accident along KUMASI /ACCRA Express Road.
Unfortunately they lost their lives in the event of the accident, since then I have made several enquiries as to locate any of his extended relatives, but all proved abortive. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet, to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I decided to contact you.
I am contacting you to assist in retrieving the money valued at about (US$12.5m) that was left behind by my client (Mr. Alan B. William) with the Barclays bank Ghana (BARCLAYS BANK) before it gets confiscated or declared unserviceable by the bank. Consequently, the bank issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or have the account confiscated within the next ten official working days.
Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over 2years now, I hereby seek your consent to act as the next of kin to the deceased, the proceeds of this account valued at (US$12.5 million dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.55% to me and 40% to you, while 5% should be for expenses or tax as your government may require. I have all the necessary legal documents that can be used to back up this project.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us succeed without any hitch. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law.
Anticipated maximum cooperation.
Barrister Akpalu Yartey (Esq.) reply | | Bob Lucas, e-mail, 17.03.2010 05:08 I was with VS-24 NAS, Quonset Pt.,from '53 until it was decomissioned as an Avation Electrican's Mate Third Class and worked on the first S2F-1, 2, &3's. Interested in finding anyone who I served with at that time. After VS-24 was de-comissioned I was with VS-39 through '55. reply | |
| | Bruce Dutcher, e-mail, 14.03.2010 23:52 Flew S-2s w / VT-28 1974-5 and C-1As w / VRC-50 stationed NAS Cubi PT Philippines w /shipboard and land based deployments. Great birds if you stay well within their performance envelope. Rudder assist is a killer. reply | | awc d p gracey usnret, e-mail, 13.03.2010 21:14 flew with VS-37 aboard USS Hornet 68-69 as seat 3. later flew in P-2 and P-3 aircraft. nothing beats an S2. reply | | LCDR GORDON A BONNEL, e-mail, 11.03.2010 18:42 Since my last post RAFS is now over 5500 S2 pilots worldwide. If you attempt to email me from the above address, don't forget to delete the () around @
Check our website www.r-a-f-s.org / reply | | Chuck Evans, e-mail, 02.03.2010 01:43 I flew my first flight in the S-2G in Dec 1974 with Mannie Farren (noted above) with VS-33 and may have been the first "real" Naval Flight Officer (NFO) to qualify to flight in the co-pilot right seat as we were heading to the S-3A transition. I logged 150 hours total and had a lot of fun in that vintage aircraft. Last flight was in August 1975 on a flight to the bone yard at Davis-Monthan AFB. reply | | Mannie Farren, e-mail, 01.03.2010 23:44 I had almost 5,000 hrs in the various versions of the S-2. Student at VT-27, VS-26, Instructor at VT-28, CAG-59 LSO, VS-41, VS-33, Safety on Kitty Hawk, and X.O. at Barking Sands, HI. LSO for 16 years. Great to hear from Joe Kuhn. Would love to fly one more time in the S-2. reply | | Joe Kuhn, e-mail, 01.03.2010 04:26 To Cliff Eastman above: Your Dad qualified me for night landings aboard the USS Randolph back in 61. He was a great guy and a great pilot! reply | | H. Allan Jemison, e-mail, 01.03.2010 00:48 I was a plane captain, electronics technician and #3 operator on the S2D's and S2E's in VS 35 from 1966 to 1968. We flew off of the USS Hornet (CVS12) and I did three WestPAC's on her.
I loved that plane and everything about her. She was slow, perhaps, but a reliable workhorse. reply | | Jim Swift, e-mail, 03.09.2010 21:10 In the specifications under ARMAMENT it lists one nuclear DIVE BOMB! Yikes! Dive bombing in a STOOF is a crazy idea but NUCLEAR divebombing??? I think that should have read "one nuclear DEPTH bomb".
And Hi to John "Tags" Tenaglia Class 38-60. reply | | Wayne Corley, e-mail, 19.02.2010 06:50 I worked as an AT (Aviation Electronics Technician),a Tweetie Bird as the Blackshoe Navy called us, on the S2E. I was in VS-33 at NAS North Island from late 1968 to 1971.I was aboard the USS Bennington and USS Hornet briefly,and then on the Ticonderoga for 6 months.I have a lot of memories of working on those old planes.I wonder what I did with those safety wire pliers. reply | | Cliff Eastman, e-mail, 15.02.2010 02:57 Proud to say that my Dad, Capt A.C. "Ace" Eastman , spent many an hour in the left seat of the Stoof. I remember many of the stories of hops, cat shots and traps from the decks of carriers like the Wasp, Essex and Randolph. Dad was attached to VS-30, VS-36, VS-31 (CO) and VX-1 while flying the S2. Other than some early hops in the F6F in the early 50's, the S2 was his favorite airframe. reply |
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| | Leonard J.Clayton, e-mail, 05.02.2010 02:03 I was a plane captain in VS-28 and served with LT.Joseph H.Peek on the Med cruise in 1964 i thought the S2-Subtracker was a great plane,I was in the squadron from Sept.1963 until July of 1965 and i had a great time.Our sister squadron was VS-31.LT.Peek is in the first row of our first squadron picture in the MED.cruise book. reply | | Jerry L Becker, e-mail, 03.02.2010 04:50 I was in VT27 at New Iberia La from early 1962 until I got my wings in Aug 1962. Assigned to the RAG (VS41)at North Island near San Diego and then VS37 aboard the USS Hornet (now a museum at Alameda Ca)until I left the squadron in July 1966. Lots of Stoof stories, a fair amount of single engine time in the S2 and a minute or so of glider time in that wonderful airplane. reply | | Ray Callahan, e-mail, 02.02.2010 07:34 I was a 3 and 4 crewman in VS-33 from 1966 to 1969. I have 1100 hours in D's and E's and really liked the airplane. I had about 30 hours stick time, due to some uneventful flights which just sparked my interest in becoming a pilot. After VS-33, I got my commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings and eventually my CFI, CFII and ATP ratings. Flew Lear 24's and 25's, Hawker 700 and 800's and Citations for 7 years. In 2005, I had the opportunity to fly an S-2F1 in San Antonio. One hour cost me 100 gallons of 100LL, but it was worth every penny. It really made my day to get behind the controls again. The S-2 was our generation aircraft and it was a fine airplane indeed. The jets were great, but the the sound of a radial warms the heart. reply | | Marty Hall, e-mail, 21.01.2010 06:15 See home.awcable.com /~mjhall / for the life story of one TF-1Z /C-1Z, Wheel Chair Seven that was the personal ride of COMSEVENFLT when he'd visit the fleet under way. She made a wheels up landing on a Japanese river bed and flew again.
BTW... web site under repair so things are not quite working as they should. Comments are welcome... reply | | Marty Hall, e-mail, 21.01.2010 06:14 See home.awcable.com /~mjhall / for the life story of one TF-1Z /C-1Z, Wheel Chair Seven that was the personal ride of COMSEVENFLT when he'd visit the fleet under way. She made a wheels up landing on a Japanese river bed and flew again.
BTW... web site under repair so things are not quite working as they should. Comments are welcome... reply | | Don Nix, e-mail, 14.01.2010 19:48 Flew from Atsugi Naval Base, Japan and landed on board USS Ticonderoga (CVA 14) in 1957 in a S-2F. What a blast. reply |
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Cliff Eastman
One time your father came out to go home and when he got in his VW to go, I got in front of his car to direct him out of his parking spot, he told me I did a great job, I was only 19 at the time, he was a fun guy
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