Canadian Warplanes 5: de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CP-121 Tracker

de Havilland Canada (Grumman)

CS2F-1/CP-121 Tracker

(RCN Photo via Mike Kaehler)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS-2F Tracker, RCN (Serial No. 1595), preparing to launch from the deck of HMCS Bonaventure, 1969.  Note how the nose wheel is off the deck and how the catapult cable hooks onto the fuselage. This aircraft survived its life at sea and went on to become C-FKUF.  It served with Conair in 1991 and was Turbo Firecat 577 in 1992.

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-1/CP-121 Tracker was a purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft equiped with propeller-driven twin radial engines.  It had a high wing that could be folded for storage on aircraft carriers, and was equipped with a tricycle undercarriage.  The type was exported by the USA to a number of navies around the world.

Introduced in 1952 in the USN, in 1954, 100 Trackers were licence-built in Canada as the C2SF by de Havilland Canada.  The C2SF replaced the Grumman TBM-3 Avengers in service with the RCN.  The first Canadian-built aircraft flew on 31 May 1956.  From 1957 onwards, these aircraft operated from the then newly deployed aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure, and various shore bases.  All the Canadian Trackers were built to the earlier "A" model airframe design with a length of 42 feet (13 m) (c.f. 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) for later model Trackers) in order to fit in HMCS  Bonaventure's hangar.  In 1960–1961, 17 CS2F-1 aircraft, which had been relegated to training and utility duties by the CS2F-2, were transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy.  From 1964, 45 CS2F-2s were upgraded by fitting revised electronic equipment and sensors, becoming CS2F-3s.  Also in 1964, a pair of CS2F-1 aircraft were stripped of armament and ASW electronics, converted to transports, and subsequently used for carrier onboard delivery.  The CS2F-1, -2, and -3 were redesignated as the CP-121 Mk.1, Mk. 2, and Mk. 3 respectively following the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968.

After HMCS Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970, all remaining Canadian Trackers were transferred to shore bases.  This limited their usefulness for ASW patrols, and between 1974 and 1981 gradually all but 20 were placed in storage and the remainder were stripped of their ASW gear.  The remaining active-duty Trackers served until 1990 on fisheries protection and maritime patrol duties.  A handful of Trackers were kept in flying condition until the late 1990s but were no longer used for active service.

A single Grumman-built S2F-1 was sold to de Havilland Canada as a pattern and test aircraft; it was assigned RCN (Serial No. 1500) and coded X-500.  This aircraft may have been dismantled by DHC and reassembled as (Serial No. 1501) with the same wing markings, although other sources claim that 1500 was returned to the US Navy as (BuNo. 136519), and that 1501 was a new aircraft assembled by DHC from Grumman-provided parts, possibly with duplicate X-500 wing markings.  1501 was later upgraded to CS2F-1 standards and used as a stationary instructional airframe.  It was placed in storage in 1972 and is currently on display in the Sherwater Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia. (SAM)

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Conair Aviation of Abbotsford, British Columbia, took possession of retired American and Canadian Trackers and converted them into Firecats, with a fire retardant tank replacing the torpedo bay.  The Firecats were made in two variants, a piston engine Firecat and a turboprop-powered Turbo Firecat.

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-1/CP-121 Tracker (43), (Serial Nos. 1501 (also X500), 1502-43), CS2F-2 (57), (Serial Nos. 1544-1600),  S2F-1 (1), (Serial No. 136519), CP-121.

(DND Photo)

A flight line can be a busy and dangerous place to be with all the aircraft movements now move the flight line to an aircraft carrier and it gets even more dangerous. Here are RCN Trackers being parked on HMCS Bonaventure, c1968.

The Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F prior to 1962) was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman, the Tracker was of conventional design — propeller-driven with twin radial engines, a high wing that could be folded for storage on aircraft carriers, and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world. Introduced in 1952, the Tracker and its E-1 Tracer derivative saw service in the U.S. Navy until the mid-1970s, and its C-1 Trader derivative until the mid-1980s, with a few aircraft remaining in service with other air arms into the 21st century. Argentina and Brazil are the last countries to still use the Tracker.

The Tracker was intended as a replacement for the Grumman AF Guardian, which was the first purpose-built aircraft system for ASW, using two airframes for two versions, one with the detection gear, and the other with the weapon systems. The Tracker combined both functions in one aircraft. Grumman's design (model G-89) was for a large high-wing monoplane with twin Wright Cyclone R-1820 nine cylinder radial engines, a yoke type arrestor hook and a crew of four.

The S2F carried the nickname "Stoof" (S-two-F) throughout its military career.

The Tracker had an internal torpedo bay capable of carrying two lightweight aerial torpedoes or one nuclear depth charge. There were six underwing hard points for rocket pods and conventional depth charges or up to four additional torpedoes. A ventrally-mounted retractable radome for AN/APS-38 radar and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) AN/ASQ-8 mounted on an extendable rear mounted boom were also fitted. Early model Trackers had an Electronic Support Measures (ESM) pod mounted dorsally just aft of the front seat overhead hatches and were also fitted with a smoke particle detector or "sniffer" for detecting exhaust particles from diesel-electric submarines running on snorkel. Later S-2s had the sniffer removed and had the ESM antennae moved to four rounded extensions on the wingtips. A 70-million-candlepower searchlight was mounted on the starboard wing. The engine nacelles carried JEZEBEL sonobuoys in the rear (16 in early marks, 32 in the S-2E/G). Early Trackers also carried 60 explosive charges, dispensed ventrally from the rear of the fuselage and used to create sound pulses for semi-active sonar (JULIE) with the AN/AQA-3 and later AQA-4 detection sets, whereas the introduction of active sonobuoys (pingers) and AN/AQA-7 with the S-2G conversion saw these removed. Smoke dispensers were mounted on the port ventral surface of the nacelles in groups of three each.

In 1954, de Havilland Canada (DHC) entered into a contract to build Trackers under license to replace the outmoded Grumman TBM-3E Avengers being used by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). 99 Trackers were built by DHC, with the first Canadian-built aircraft flying on 31 May 1956. From 1957 onwards, these aircraft operated from the newly deployed aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure and various shore bases. All the Canadian Trackers were built to the G-89 model design with a length of 42 feet (13 m). In 1960–1961, 17 CS2F-1 aircraft, which had been relegated to training and utility duties by the CS2F-2, were transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy. From 1964, 45 CS2F-2s were upgraded by fitting revised electronic equipment and sensors, becoming CS2F-3s. Also in 1964, a pair of CS2F-1 aircraft were stripped of armament and ASW electronics, converted to transports, and subsequently used for carrier onboard delivery. The CS2F-1, -2, and -3 were redesignated as the CP-121 Mk.1, Mk. 2, and Mk. 3 respectively following the unification of Canadian forces in 1968.

After Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970, all remaining Canadian Trackers were transferred to shore bases. This limited their usefulness for ASW patrols, and between 1974 and 1981 gradually all but 20 were placed in storage and the remainder were stripped of their ASW gear. The remaining active-duty Trackers served until 1990 on fisheries protection and maritime patrol duties. A handful of Trackers were kept in flying condition until the late 1990s but were no longer used for active service.

DHC obtained a single U.S.-built S2F-1, BuNo 136519, for manufacturing verification; it was initially given RCN serial number 1500. In 1954, this aircraft was transferred to the RCN for operational testing, and was given serial number X-500. In 1956, it was upgraded to CS2F-1 standards and assigned serial number 1501, and was used as a stationary instructional airframe at Shearwater until 1972. (Wikipedia)

(RCN Photo)

12 Tracker aircraft spreading their wings before take off from HMCS Bonaventure's flight deck, 1968.

(RCN Photo)

12 Tracker aircraft preparing to take off from HMCS Bonaventure's flight deck, 1968.

(Canadian Forces Photo)

No. 880 Squadron CP-121 Trackers with ground and air crew standing in front of each aircraft at the Squadron's initial arrival at CFB Summerside, Prince Edward Island on 4 Aug 1981.  Note the aircraft are in numerical order 196, 195, 190, 189, 188, 187, 185, 178, 169, 168, etc.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4951223)

de Havilland Canada CS2 Tracker landing on HMCS Bonaventure c1957-1965.

(RCN Photo via Chris Charland)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-3/CP-121 Tracker (Serial No. 12168).  The original serial number was 1568.  It was changed to (Serial No. 12168) on 11 Jun 1970.  This aircraft served with VS 880, VU 32, VT 406 and MR 880.  12168 was struck off strength with the Canadian Forces on 8 Jan 1991.  It was sold to Conair and given the Canadian civil aircraft registration C-FKVD.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821470)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-1, CP-121 Tracker, ca 1960.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821470)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-1, CP-121 Tracker, ca 1960.  

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821192)

de Havilland (Grumman) CS2F-1 Tracker, RCN, (Serial No. 500), X, ca 1960.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821193)

de Havilland (Grumman) CS2F-1 Tracker, RCN, (Serial No. 500), X, ca 1960.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4821194)

de Havilland (Grumman) CS2F-1 Tracker, RCN, (Serial No. 500), X, ca 1960.  With magnetic anomally gear retracted and extended.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3923520)

Grumman CS2F-2 Tracker (Serial No. 170) alongside HMCS Margaree (DDH-230), ca 1960.

(DND Photos)

de Havilland (Grumman) CS2F-1 Tracker, RCN No. 881 Squadron, ca 1957-58, HMCS Bonaventure.

(DND Photo via James Craik)

RCN de Havilland CS2F Tracker (Serial No. 1592) operating from HMCS Bonaventure.

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)

An extraordinary story of survival involving RCN Tracker 1592 and HMCS Bonaventure.

On 16 Feb 1969 Tracker 1592 was number two to launch from the Bonaventure. Recovering the launch bridle from the previous aircraft launched the catapult launch crew hooked up aircraft 1592.  The catapult shot seemed normal until the 30 foot mark was reached.  At this point the catapult launch bridle failed and as a result the aircraft was launched off the bow of the ship with insufficient speed to get airborne and just fell into the ocean in front of the Bonaventure. The ship struck the aircraft as the crew escaped.  The crew were sucked under the ship and one of the pilots, Lt Flannagan, was pulled through the Bonaventure screws at the other end of the ship loosing one of his legs below the knee.  He was rescued by HO4S-3 55891 flown by Sub-Lt Real Dubois.  The hoist operator was Leading Seaman Craster with Leading Seaman Cameron jumping in the water to connect Lt Flannagan to the rescue harness (horse collar).  Luckily the helicopter crew could see that Lt Flannagan was gravely injured and went to him before rescuing the other crew members.  In spite of the loss of a leg, from the knee down, Lt Flannagan returned to flying duties on the Tracker and later helicopters including the Sea King.  The launch bridle failed due to the loop splice pulling free from the retaining swaged tube fitting.  The tube had not been forced completely over the spliced joint before swaging.  (DND photo)

The Tracker crew, Pilot Lt Jack Flannagan, Pilot Lt Chuck MacIntyre, Crewman Leading Seaman W.M. Smit, andCrewman Leading Seaman Robert Winger, all survived.

(RCN Photo via Mike Kaehler)

de Havilland (Grumman) Tracker, RCN (Serial No. 1570) with ordnance. ca 1965.

(RCN Photo)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS-2F Tracker in flight over HMCS Bonaventure.

(Author Photo)

de Havilland (Grumman) Tracker, RCN (Serial No. 12195), CFB Trenton, Ontario, 1978.

(Alain Rioux Photo)

de Havilland (Grumman) CP-121 (CS2F-2) Tracker (Serial No. 121551), Air Force Heritage Park, CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba.

(Balcer Photo)

de Havilland (Grumman) CP-121 (CS2F-2) Tracker (Serial No. 121507), CFB Borden, Ontario.

(Author Photos)

de Havilland (Grumman) CP-121 Tracker, (Serial No. 121131), Summerside, PEI.

(Author Photo)

de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F-1/CP-121 Tracker (Serial No. X5000), (Serial No. 1501).  Tracker number 1501 is especially noteworthy because it is the first Tracker built for the RCN. It actually started as a US Navy Grumman-built S2F-1 purchased by de Havilland Canada to verify the fidelity of the production jigs and tooling supplied by Grumman. Following its pattern verification role the aircraft received the serial number X-500, the “X” indicating its test function and “500” being a contraction of its interim RCN serial number 1500. The X-500 was accepted for the RCN on 13 December 1954 and was used for testing a wide variety of avionics and anti-submarine systems both at de Havilland (Toronto) and the National Aeronautical Establishment at Uplands (Ottawa). X-500 was also used to evaluate a stream of Engineering Change Proposals from Grumman's own evolving Tracker evaluation program. As Canadian production progressed, de Havilland used X-500 to verify the installation of subcontractor-built assemblies and fabrication details.

By October 1956 the RCN had re-serialed X-500 as 1501. De Havilland brought the aircraft closer to Canadian CS2F-1 standards during the final month of 1956 and first flew in this configuration on 8 January 1957. The RCN allocated 1501 to the Naval Air Maintenance School (NAMS) on 26 April 1957 where it became instructional airframe A706 used to train maintenance personnel. This was the only American airframe acquired by the Canadian government and no Grumman-built assemblies were used in the production of the following 99 Canadian Trackers. Tracker 1501 is currently being refurbished by the Shearwater Aviation Museum.  (SAM)

(RCN Photo via Mike Kaehler)

You are the 3000th catapult launch, says the sign held by Lt G.F. Smith, as aircraft number 1560 of VS 880 gets ready on HMCS Bonaventure.

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