Grumman E-1 Tracer

what is it?

The Grumman E-1 Tracer (WF prior to 1962) was the first purpose-built airborne early warning aircraft used by the United States Navy. It was a derivative of the Grumman C-1 Trader and entered service in 1960. It was replaced by the more modern Grumman E-2 Hawkeye by the mid-1960s-1970s.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 22.1 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 383 km/htop speed
• size 12.1 tmax take-off weight
• built 88made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 70 years ago, in 1956.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 22.1 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight

1956-12-17

introduced

1958

retired

1977

status

retired

number built

88

role

carrier-based airborne early warning

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Grumman

engines

2× Wright R-1820-82A Cyclone / R-1820-82WA

crew

4

length

13.8 m

wingspan

22.1 m

height

5.1 m

max take-off weight

12.1 t

top speed

383 km/h

cruise speed

262 km/h

range

—

ceiling

4,816 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family