Grumman C-1 Trader

The Grumman C-1 Trader 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) was outfitted to carry nine passengers or 3500 lb 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 83 C-1 Traders were built, of which four were converted into EC-1A Tracer electronic countermeasures aircraft. The last C-1 was retired from USN service in 1988; approximately ten are still airworthy in civil hands, operated as warbirds.

In August 2010, Brazilian Naval Aviation announced that it will buy and modernize eight C-1 to served in the carrier onboard delivery (COD) and aerial refueling roles for use on its aircraft carrier São Paulo.

Variants



 * TF-1
 * Carrier Onboard Delivery version of the S-2 Tracker with enlarged fuselage for 9 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.

Operators

 * United States Navy
 * Brazilian Navy
 * Brazilian Navy
 * Brazilian Navy

Preserved aircraft

 * C-1A C-1BuNo 136754 on static display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida
 * C-1A BuNo 136790 on static display at the Grissom Air Museum, Grissom ARB (former Grissom AFB), Indiana
 * C-1A BuNo 136792 on static display at the Quonset Air Museum, (former NAS Quonset Point), North Kingston, Rhode Island.  This aircraft was modified with the Grumman E-1 Tracer type radome assembly (but no radar) and twin tails and served (under the designation XTF-1W) as the aerodynamic prototype for the E-1.  After testing, it reverted to the transport role, (as C-1A) with radome removed but retaining the twin tails. Throughout, this aircraft retained the S-2/C-1 upward folding wings, not the E-1 wing fold which were necessitated (by the radome atop the fuselage) to fold wings back along the sides of the fuselage.
 * C-1A Trader, BuNo 146034 on display at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, former NAS Willow Grove, Horsham, PA
 * C-1A BuNo 146036 on display on the USS Midway Museum, San Diego, California,