introduced in 1954, the S-2 Tracker was designed to find, follow and if necessary kill enemy submarines. Spanning three decades, the primary purpose of the S-2 was to be a thorn in the side of Soviet submarines. Originally designated the S-2F-1, it didn't take long for e Tracker crews to come up with the nickname STOOF (as in S-2-F).
A fixture on Essex class carriers like USS Yorktown, the S-2 expanded sub hunting to the open ocean in ways land based brethren like the P-3 Orion could not. The S-2 could turn into an offensive weapon, armed with a combination of torpedoes, rockets, mines and depth charges.
| Type | Twin-engined Anti Submarine Warfare Aircraft |
|---|---|
| Bureau Number | 151627 |
| NMNA ID | 2005.074.001 |
| Manufacturer | Grumman |
| Powerplant | Two 1137-kW (1525-hp) Wright R-1820-82 or -82A radial piston engines |
| Maximum speed | 451 km/h (280 mph) at 1220 m (4000 ft) |
| Cruising speed | 269 km/h (167 mph) |
| Climb rate | 594 m/min (1950 fpm) |
| Range | 1785 km (1105 miles) |
| Ceiling | 7560 m (24,800 ft) |
| Weights | Empty 7544 kg (16,600 lb) Maximum take-‐off 11,158 kg (24,548 lb) |
| Armament | 2181 kg (4800 lbs) of depth charges, torpedoes, or rockets |
| Dimensions | Span 21.23 m (69 ft 8 in) Length 12.80 m (42 ft) Height 4.97 m (156 ft 4 in) Wing Area 45.06 m2 (485 sq ft) |
