Grumman C-1 Trader

Grumman C-1 Trader
Country	USA
Role	Carrier onboard delivery
First fly	9 January 1955
Built	87

The Grumman C-1 Trader is a carrier onboard delivery (COD) variant of the Grumman S-2 Tracker. It was replaced by a similar version of the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, the Grumman C-2 Greyhound.

Source: Grumman C-1 Trader on Wikipedia

Grumman C-1A Trader Walk Around
Photographer	Cees Hendriks
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	22

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Grumman C-1A Trader Walk Around
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Grumman C-1A Trader

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The Fleet’s Vital Link

The Grumman C-1A Trader was the first purpose-built Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) aircraft for the U.S. Navy. Derived from the S-2 Tracker anti-submarine plane, the Trader traded its cousin’s torpedoes and sonobuoys for a cavernous fuselage capable of hauling mail, high-priority spare parts, and personnel. Known affectionately (or occasionally derisively) as the “COD Fish,” it was a familiar sight on the flight decks of every American carrier from the mid-1950s until the late 1980s.

Attribute	Technical Specification (C-1A)
Role	Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) / Transport
Crew	3 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Loadmaster)
First Flight	January 19, 1955
Powerplant	2 × Wright R-1820-82WA Cyclone 9-cylinder radials
Horsepower	1,525 hp (1,137 kW) per engine
Maximum Speed	280 mph (450 km/h)
Payload Capacity	9 Passengers or 3,500 lbs (1,600 kg) of cargo
Range	1,110 miles (1,786 km)

Design & Naval Utility

The “Box” Fuselage: To maximize cargo volume, Grumman widened and deepened the S-2 Tracker’s fuselage. This allowed it to carry small jet engines, bulky electronics, or standard Navy mail bags across the ocean to a waiting carrier group.
Sto-Wing Technology: Like most Grumman carrier planes, it featured the patented “Sto-Wing” system, allowing the wings to fold parallel to the fuselage. This saved precious deck and hangar space on crowded carriers.
Radial Reliability: The Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines were legendary for their toughness. Even though they required high-octane aviation gasoline (Avgas) long after the rest of the fleet moved to jet fuel, their dependability in the harsh salt-spray environment was unmatched.
The Tailhook & Bridle: Despite being a “utility” plane, the Trader was a full participant in carrier life, requiring an arrestor hook for landings and a launch bridle for the catapults of the era.

Service History & Legacy

The Vietnam Lifeline: During the Vietnam War, C-1A detachments operated from shore bases in the Philippines and South Vietnam, flying constant “shuttles” to the carriers on Yankee Station, delivering everything from fresh food to urgent replacement parts for combat-damaged jets.
The Last of the Radials: When the last C-1A was retired in 1988, it marked the end of an era as the U.S. Navy’s last radial-piston engine aircraft to serve on carrier decks.
Electronic Evolution: A few Traders were converted into EC-1A variants for electronic countermeasures training, while the basic airframe also served as the prototype for the “Stoof with a Roof”—the E-1 Tracer Airborne Early Warning aircraft.
Modern Survivors: Because of their robust construction and multi-passenger capacity, many Traders found second lives in civilian hands. Several remain airworthy today as popular warbirds on the airshow circuit.