Grumman E-1B (WF-2) Tracer
Grumman began work on modifying the S2F Tracker into an airborne radar platform in 1955 as a company funded project. At the same time the Navy was working on a request for proposals for just such an aircraft and Grumman offered their new design as a temporary solution while the Navy finalized their requirements. After the Navy agreed work on the design continued into 1956 with several changes being made to the design. Most importantly the TF-1 Trader was adopted as the basic fuselage from which the Tracer would be modified because the Trader which was itself derived from the S2F had a wider fuselage giving more room for electronic equipment. The first WF-2 flew on March 1, 1958 and operational aircraft began arriving at active squadrons in early 1960. Initially planned as an interim design the Tracer was the Navy’s primary carrier based airborne radar aircraft until the mid-1970s. The last of the 88 Tracers built left Navy service in November 1977.

Wingspan72 ft 7 in.
Length45 ft 4 in.
Height16 ft 10 in.
Weight26,600 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed227 MPH
Service Ceiling15,800 ft
Range1,010 miles
EnginesTwo Wright 1820-82A radial engines with 1,525 horsepower each
Crew4
ManufacturerGrumman
MarkingsAirborne Early Warning Squadron 307 (VAW-307), Naval Air Station North Island, California, 1974
Serial Number147227
DesignationE-1B

Fairey AEW.3 Gannet
Designed in response to a 1945 Royal Navy request for a dedicated anti-submarine aircraft the first Gannet flew in 1949, but did not enter service until 1955. The Gannet is widely regarded as one of the least attractive aircraft ever built, however its large fuselage made it ideal for adaptation to other uses. Introduced in 1959, the AEW.3 variant was designed as an airborne early warning aircraft for fleet defense. The addition of the large bulged radar dome under the fuselage did little for the Gannet’s looks, but it did give the Royal Navy radar coverage of their fleet out to 200 mile