Grumman AF Guardian - Bilder og videoer

Den Grumman AF Guardian was the first purpose-built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) carrier-based aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. It consisted of two airframes, one for detection gear, the other for weapons. The Guardian remained in service until August 1955, when it was replaced by the twin-engined Grumman S-2 Tracker. The Guardian was the largest single-engine piston-powered carrier aircraft ever to see service.

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The Grumman AF Guardian was a carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft that served in the United States Navy from 1949 to 1955. It was the first purpose-built aircraft of its kind, and the first to operate as a hunter-killer pair with a separate aircraft carrying the detection equipment and another carrying the weapons. The Guardian was developed from the Grumman XTB3F, a torpedo bomber prototype that was cancelled after World War II.
The Guardian had a distinctive appearance, with a large radial engine in the nose and a tailhook under the tail. The Guardian was initially designated as the AF-1S for the hunter version and AF-1W for the killer version, but later changed to AF-2S and AF-2W respectively. The Guardian was armed with depth charges, rockets, torpedoes, or mines, depending on the mission. The Guardian was replaced by the Grumman S-2 Tracker, a single aircraft that combined both roles and had a twin-engine configuration.