Grumman AF-2 Guardian. Photo. Characteristics. 

USA

A type: Single-engine piston deck ASW search and attack aircraft

Crew: three people

As a result of at least two previous attempts of "Grumman" create replace aging aircraft TVF / TBM «Evendzher" aircraft AF-2 was "non-reactive" an offshoot of an aircraft with a combined power plant XTB3F-1 (designation of the manufacturer G-70). Built specifically to counter the growing threat from the Soviet submarine fleet, the aircraft AF-2 went into production two separate modifications, which united to fight submarines.

The AF-2W aircraft (the 153 20 was built) was the team's search element - a "snoop", its crew of four carried out a submarine search using the APS-2 airborne radar mounted under the fuselage and other special sensors, and when a submarine encountered a plane - "killer" AF-31S. The "killer" aircraft then determined the exact coordinates of the target using the APS-2 under-wing radar, the AVQ-2 searchlight and hydroacoustic buoys before the submarine was destroyed by bombs, torpedoes or depth charges-all of which could be deployed in a deeper weapon compartment (in which On the modification of AF-20W the APS-XNUMX radar equipment was installed).

Company "Grumman" built the initial industrial series of 193 AF-2S aircraft, the first copies began to arrive on the fleet during the Korean war in October 1950. The subsequent batch of 40-modified S models completed the production series in 1953. Soon these planes were replaced by a single anti-submarine platform on the fleet - the S-2 "Tracker" aircraft, and in 1955, the Guardian aircraft were transferred to the fleet reserve. After the final withdrawal of weapons from a small number of AF-2S aircraft found themselves in the US as firefighters

Basic data

dimensions:

• Length: 13,2 m
• Wingspan: 18,49 m
• Height: 4,93 m

The weight:

• BLANK: 6613 kg
• Maximum take-off: 11 567 kg

Aircraft performance characteristics:

• Maximum speed: 510 km / h
• Range: 2415 km

Power point: R-2800-48W «Double Wasp" Company "Pratt & Whitney"

Power: 2400 l. from. (1789 kW)

Date of first flight:

• 19 декабря 1946 года

The surviving airworthy modifications: AF-2S