Grumman C-1 Trader Explained

The Grumman C-1 Trader (TF prior to 1962) is a carrier onboard delivery (COD) variant of the Grumman S-2 Tracker. It was replaced by a similar version of the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, the Grumman C-2 Greyhound.

Design and development

The C-1 Trader grew out of a need by the United States Navy for a new anti-submarine airplane. In response to this Grumman began development on a prototype twin-engine, high-wing aircraft which it designated the G-89. In 1952 the Navy designated this aircraft the XS2F-1 and flew it for the first time on December 4 that year. During the rest of the 1950s three major variants emerged, the C-1 Trader being one of them. The C-1 (originally the TF-1, for "Trainer", a secondary role)[1] was outfitted to carry nine passengers or 3500lb of cargo and first flew in January 1955.

Operational history

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the C-1 Trader carried mail and supplies to aircraft carriers on station in the Pacific Ocean during the Vietnam War and also served as a trainer for all-weather carrier operations. Over its production life 87 C-1 Traders were built, of which four were converted into EC-1A Tracer electronic countermeasures aircraft.[2] The last C-1 was retired from USN service in 1988; it was the second-to-last radial-engine aircraft in U.S. military service (The last C-131 wasn't retired until 1990). As of 2010, approximately ten were still airworthy in civil hands, operating as warbirds.

In 1956 the U.S. Marine Corps Test Unit Number 1 (MCTU #1) tested the concept of using the TF-1 variant as a vehicle for inserting reconnaissance teams behind enemy lines. “On 9 July 1956 MCTU Recon Marines became the first to parachute from a TF-1. Less than three weeks later, four recon parachutists launched from the USS Bennington, which was 70 miles at sea, and jumped on a desert drop zone near El Centro California, some 100 miles inland. For the first time in Marine Corps and Naval Aviation history, the technique of introducing recon personnel off a carrier sea base to an inland objective had successfully been tested.”[3]

In August 2010, Brazilian Naval Aviation announced that it would buy and modernize eight C-1 airframes to serve in carrier onboard delivery (COD) and aerial refueling roles for use on its aircraft carrier São Paulo.[4] In 2011 contract was signed with Marsh Aviation to convert four ex-US Navy C-1A Trader airframes into KC-2 Turbo Traders.[5] The first KC-2 prototype flight was expected for November 2017 and the delivery of the first operational aircraft was scheduled for December 2018.

Variants

TF-1
  • Carrier Onboard Delivery version of the S-2 Tracker with enlarged fuselage for nine passengers, redesignated C-1A in 1962, 87 built.
    TF-1Q
  • Electronic Countermeasures conversion of the TF-1, redesignated EC-1A in 1962, four conversions.
    TF-1W
  • Airborne Early Warning project that was developed in the WF-2 Tracer.
    C-1A
  • TF-1 redesignated in 1962.
    EC-1A
  • TF-1Q redesignated in 1962.
    KC-2 Turbo Trader
  • Marsh Aviation modernization project for Air-to-Air Refueling, requested for the Brazilian Navy.[6]
    G-101
  • proposed 10-12 seat passenger variant
    G-104
  • proposed tanker variant

    Operators

    (Retired)

    Surviving aircraft

    Airworthy
    On display

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Bishop, Chris . Chant . Chris . Aircraft Carriers . 2004 . Summertime Publishing Ltd. . London . 0-7603-2005-5 . 168.
    2. Book: Donald, David . Daniel J. March . Carrier Aviation Air Power Directory . 2001 . AIRtime Publishing . Norwalk, CT . 1-880588-43-9 .
    3. Book: Lanning and Stubbe. Michael, Ray. Inside Force Recon. 1989. Ivy Books. -08041-0301-1. 34. 21.
    4. Web site: Brazilian navy buys Traders.
    5. Web site: Brazilian Navy restarts KC-2 Turbo Trader contract. www.flightglobal.com.
    6. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/brazilian-traders-set-for-modernisation-365929/ "Brazilian Traders set for modernisation"
    7. http://lauridsenaviationmuseum.com/portfolio-item/c-1a-2/ "Grumman C-1 Trader/136752."
    8. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=71456 "FAA Registry/N71456."
    9. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=6193Z "FAA Registry/N6193Z."
    10. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=6193N "FAA Registry/N6193N."
    11. https://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/c-1a "Grumman C-1 Trader/136778."
    12. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=778SR "FAA Registry/N778SR."
    13. https://pacificcoastairmuseum.org/aircraft/c-1a-trader/ "Grumman C-1A Trader/136781."
    14. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=475AM "FAA Registry/N475AM."
    15. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=927BN "FAA Registry/N927BN."
    16. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=189G "FAA Registry/N189G."
    17. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7171M "FAA Registry/N7171M."
    18. https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=81193 "FAA Registry/N81193."
    19. http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=c-1_trader "Grumman C-1A Trader/136754."
    20. http://www.grissomairmuseum.com/gallery/cargotransports/plane6 "Grumman C-1A Trader/136790."
    21. Web site: USA Museum or Outside Display TF-1 /C-1A Traders. Grumman S2F Tracker Survivors. 3 August 2023.
    22. http://wingsoffreedommuseum.org/index.php/our-aircraft/17-aircraft/aircraft-fixed-wing/20-aircraft-c-1a-trader "Grumman C-1A Trader/146034."
    23. https://www.midway.org/exhibits-activities/exhibits/aircraft-gallery/propellers-airplanes/c-1-trader/ "Grumman C-1A Trader/146036."

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