GRUMMAN S-2A TRACKER 133160
MSN 131
(AA000018)

 

 

QAM thanks David Bussey for funding the acquisition of this aircraft.

 
30JUL54
   Accepted by USN as model S2F-1 Contract Number 51635.
24SEP54
   Assigned Quonset Point.
29SEP54
   Assigned VS22, Norfolk.
03FEB56
   Assigned D & R BuAer FA, Norfolk.
09APR56
   Assigned Jacksonville.
18JUL57
   Assigned NAS Nart, New York.
19OCT61
   Assigned VS872, Alameda.
02JUL62
   Assigned NARTU, Alameda.
30NOV62
   Assigned to Storage Facility, Litchfield Park.
27OCT65
  

Purchase Order No. CG/82772 issued by the Australian Consulate General in New York authorises the following purchases:

One S-2 FOB Peconic, L.I., New York
$5,000.00
One S-2A BUNO 133160 FOB San Diego, California
$15,000.00
Preparation for single flight capability of Item 2
$3,500.00
Ferry cost to San Diego of Item 2
$75.00
Total
$23,575.00

13JAN66
  
Amendment Number One
Purchase Order No CG/82772A adds the cost of shipping the two aircraft
From Port of New York
$15,992.00
From Port of San Diego
$16,658.00
Total Additional
$32,650.00

16MAR66
   Amendment Number Two
Purchase Order No CG/82772B cancels the two previous Purchase Orders and inserts:
One S-2E Aircraft (stricken)
$5,000.00
S-2A Aircraft BUNO 133160 (Retired) including preparation for single flight capability and ferry cost to San Diego
$18,575.00
Dis-assembly, packaging and inland transport of Item 1
TBA
Freight from port of New York to Australia Item 1
$15,364.00
Preservation, covers, safety locks, jury struts etc and inland transport, Item 2
$6,720.00
Freight from San Diego to Australia, Item 2
$10,374.00
Total
$56,033.00

06APR66
   Amendment Number Three
Purchase Order No CG/82772C indicates the price of Item 3 above:
Dis-assembly, packaging and inland transport of Item 1 (the S-2E)
$10,000.00
Total
$66,033.00

04AUG66
 Lieutenant Commander N.J. Saltz, USN joined NAS Nowra as Inspection Officer. (Source: 7) See 04MAY67.
08AUG66
 To NARF North Island.
17DEC66
 Still assigned NARF North Island.
66-67
 S-2A 133160 was made available to CPO Jock Collins and CPO Arthur Sharland as a training airframe while they were stationed at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego where they underwent thirteen months training as Tracker engineering instructors. The airframe also served as a repository for other training material acquired during their course. (Source: 1)
07NOV66

The U.S. freighter Australian Surf docked in Sydney from New York. On board were two Grumman Tracker instructional airframes, S-2A 133160 and S-2E 151646. While it was being transferred from the dock to a barge, the S-2E was dropped into Sydney Harbour when a sling broke. (Source: 4). After it was raised, the S-2E was located on the banks of the Parramatta River at Gladesville. (Source: 5).
After being transported to Nowra, some sections were retained as training aids but much of the airframe was scrapped. The cockpit section is displayed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Nowra. (Source: 1)

 
The following entries apply to the S-2E which accompanied QAM's S-2A to Australia.
66
 During the last quarter of 1966 it was reported by HMAS Albatross: "An unexpected bonus to training was the arrival of the electronic equipments which had been salvaged from the stricken S-2E aircraft which arrived recently from the U.S.A.; these equipments represent about 80% of the normal range of equipments carried and will make invaluable training aids." (Source: 7)
The timing of this report suggests that the "equipments", although allotted to HMAS Albatross, were yet to be physically delivered.
23MAR67
 HMAS Melbourne berthed at the Oil Wharf in Sydney Harbour. "An S-2E Tracker aircraft was embarked by crane from a lighter for transport to Jervis Bay for RANAS Nowra." HMAS Melbourne sailed for Jervis Bay on 28MAR67. (Source: 8)
02APR67
 "An S-2E aircraft was offloaded from HMAS Melbourne on to a lighter for HMAS Cresswell for onward transport to RANAS Nowra." (Source: 8)
"The first two Tracker aircraft, a damaged S-2E and an old S-2A arrived during this quarter. Off-loading the damaged S-2E from HMAS Melbourne on to a lighter in Jervis Bay proved very difficult. This procedure is not recommended for the handling of undamaged Tracker aircraft. The journey from the Jervis Bay Marine Section to HMAS Albatross, a distance of twenty five miles, tested the patience of those motorists who were inconvenienced but the full journey took only three and a quarter hours. Adequate advance preparations, which consisted of small adjustments to some posts and wires plus some lopping of trees, ensured a minimum of inconvenience and delay enroute." (Source: 7)
blank
     
67
 S-2A 133160 was transported to Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown in early 1967 for depreservation and inspection to determine its airworthiness under the supervision of CPO Arthur Sharland. (Source: 1)
"The flight delivery from Bankstown of the vintage S-2A after preparation by sailors from HMAS Albatross under the direction of Lieutenant H.W. Hayter, ex RCN, was made without incident. The pilot for the occasion was LCDR N.J. Saltz, USN, currently serving as Inspection Officer at Naval Air Station, Nowra. The combined experience of these two officers made such a flight possible at this time." See 04AUG66. (Source: 7)
04MAY67
 S-2A 133160 was cleared for a one-off flight with the undercarriage locked down. The aircraft was flown by Lieutenant Commander N.J. Saltz, a USN pilot on exchange with the RAN. Co-pilot was Lieutenant Commander Ken Douglas, RAN. CPO Arthur Sharland occupied the observer's seat. So successful was the test flight that it was decided to go directly to Nowra without returning to Bankstown. The arrival at Nowra was witnessed by CPO Jock Collins who recalled that the aircraft was still wearing USN markings. (Source: 1 & 2)
"I had an officer at the training school who was so keen to have this aircraft as his 'private toy', I cut a hole in the starboard side of the fuselage. This hole also enabled viewing of the radome and MAD locking and operating mechanisms. This enabled us to use the aircraft for ground running and taxying as a training aid for ground crew but unfit for flying." Jock Collins subsequently confirmed the existence on the QAM Tracker of the hole he cut in the fuselage skin. Jock believes that the fire damage in the radio compartment occurred after the aircraft left Naval service. (Source: 1)
c70
 The S-2A was allotted to HMAS Nirimba, a training station at Schofields near Sydney where it was to be used as a “Repair Procedure Fuselage”. In view of this planned role, together with the requirement that it be transported through the streets of Sydney, the S-2A had its wings, engines, tail group and internal systems removed at Nowra. (Source: 1)
04FEB70
 HMAS Sydney anchored in Jervis Bay. "The prime purpose of anchoring in Jervis Bay was to exercise Cargo handling operations for the forthcoming turn-round at Vung Tau. With the assistance of helicopters from Nowra reasonably realistic conditions were simulated and the exercise proved beneficial." (Source: 6)
It is likely that the S-2A Tracker fuselage was loaded on HMAS Sydney during these exercises although there is no specific mention of it in the Report of Proceedings.
05FEB70
 HMAS Sydney weighed anchor and sailed for Sydney. (Source: 6)
06FEB70
 HMAS Sydney berthed at the Fitting Out Wharf in Sydney Harbour, later sailing for Vung Tau on 16FEB70. (Source: 6)
21SEP70
 The S-2A was noted at HMAS Nirimba having been “transferred recently from Nowra”. (Source: 3)
13JUL88
 Purchased from Gary W. Volkers by David Bussey and donated to QAM.
08JUN90
 QAM recovery team departed for Schofields.
16JUN90
 Aircraft arrived at QAM Caloundra.
12JUL12
 Advice received from the United States Government via the Australian Department of Defence that this airframe is subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations!

 

 

SOURCES
1
 Letter dated 3 November 1995 from Jock Collins BEM (1933-2006), QAM member and retired Chief Instructor at the RAN’s School of Aircraft Maintenance. Also subsequent correspondence on the same subject.
2
 Log Book of Lt Cmdr Ken Douglas inspected by Bob Windy Geale. Confirms the date and the aircraft identity.
3
 Aviation Historical Society of Australia Journal, Vol 11 No 5
4
 Daily Mirror, Sydney, 9 November 1966.
5
 Australian Air Log of April 1967 Vol. 3 No. 4.
6
 AWM 78, Reports of Proceedings, HMA Ships and Establishments, HMAS Sydney, Item No. 329/14 Part 2, January-December 1970.
7
 AWM 78, Reports of Proceedings, HMA Ships and Establishments, RAN Air Station Nowra [HMAS Albatross], File No. AWM78/426/1, March 1964 - December 1967.
8
 AWM 78, Reports of Proceedings, HMA Ships and Establishments, HMAS Melbourne, File No. AWM78/222/8, January 1966 - December 1967.

 

Compiled by Ron Cuskelly

 

 

See Tracker Instructional Airframes in Australia


 

ISSUE
DATE
REMARKS
13
18SEP23
Added three images of the aircraft at Nowra in OCT67 thanks to Alan Flett.
Image 1 Image 2 Image 3
12
30APR22
Major update from Sources 6, 7 and 8. Note that the chronology also includes references to an S-2E which accompanied QAM's S-2A to Australia. To avoid confusion between the two aircraft, entries specific to the S-2E are highlighted. The RAN reports usually present the type designators S-2A and S-2E without the hyphen. For correctness and consistency, the hyphen has been added to these references.
11
26OCT18
The Australian history was rewritten for clarity.
10
17SEP17
Added a recent image
9
27AUG17
Added an image of another S-2A Tracker in the colours of VS-22 of the U.S. Navy.
8
26AUG17
Added a recent image thanks to Nick Sayer.
7
10JUL17
Added an image of the aircraft in use as a trainaid at Nowra. Thanks to Terry Hetherington of the FAAM.
6
16DEC16
Added three images of the aircraft being transported from Garden Island to Bankstown in June 1967. Thanks to Ray Snook.
Image 1 Image 2 Image 3
5
20OCT13
Added a recent image.
4
07DEC12
Added a reference to this airframe being subject to ITAR.
3
10DEC11
Added two images from an unknown source of the aircraft intact at Nowra in 1969.
2
24MAY02
-