RAN Grumman Tracker takes off from HMAS Melbourne

Run-o-the-mill military flying often has attendant risks and dangers that commercial fliers would never have to meet in thousands of hours flying. The 10 years of RAN operations with the Grumman Tracker were no exception–where every take-off from the tiny deck of HMAS Melbourne, and especially every landing-on, was a real hazard and test of flying skill. The wingspan of the Tracker was seventy-two feet (45m), so the starboard wing could collect the Melbourne’s superstructure if the pilot strayed a little off-line. Not happy prospect for a crew arriving back on deck in dirty weather when the deck could be moving three to four metres in any direction at the moment of touch down ...at night!

The Grumman S2 Tracker, designed by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Bethpage NY, is a remarkable aircraft that packs a large amount of diverse equipment into a small space. The idea was to combine two roles into one aircraft–that of Anti-Submarine-Warfare and of Search and Strike. With its two 1525hp Wright Cyclone engines the Tracker became highly successful and long-lived despite its operating in a jet era. This rugged machine had a range of 1300miles (2,095km), a maximum speed of 267 mph (430km/h) and could carry two torpedoes or 4 depth charges in the bomb bay and was fitted with under-wing racks for bombs or rockets. A searchlight occupied the large faring on the starboard wing and a Magnetic Anomaly Detector could be extended from the tail. A retractable ventral bin held a radar unit. Eight sonobuoys could be ejected from housing tubes fitted in the rear of each engine nacelle. Somewhere among all this equipment, a crew of four were incorporated.

The RAN took delivery of 32 of the rugged machines, mostly S-2EG models, and operated them from HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Albatross at Nowra. The Melbourne-based aircraft were operated by VS 816 Sqdn and those at HMAS Albatross, Nowra were used for training in VC 851 Sqdn. The Navy’s Historic Flight Tracker, the subject of Marshall's painting was, at the time of painting, a favourite performer at HMAS Albatross Flying Days at Nowra, NSW. It is now part of the Fleet Air Arm Museum’s static display and a fine reminder of the carrier skills that the Navy has now lost.

Above: RAN Tracker 884 over the Fleet Air Arm Museum at the Nowra air base, Nowra.

RAN Skyhawks shared the deck of HMAS Melbourne with the twin-engined Grumman Tracker and the Westland Sea King Helicopters.