Grumman C-2

Grumman C-2 Greyhound
Grumman C-2A "Greyhound" of the US Navy
Type:	Transport plane
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	Grumman Aerospace Corporation
First flight:	November 18, 1964
Commissioning:	1965
Production time:	1965 to 1968 1985 to 1989
Number of pieces:	58

The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine transport aircraft of the US Navy that is used to supply aircraft carriers at sea. This offshore supply is called Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD).

development

The C-2A Greyhound was developed by the Grumman Aerospace Corporation using fuselage parts, the wings and the engines of the Grumman E-2 C; with the new machine the Grumman C-1 Trader was replaced in the role of COD. A ramp in the rear part of the fuselage still marks the C-2A compared to the E-2C. The two prototypes flew in 1964 and production began in 1965. The first C-2A units underwent a major overhaul in 1973 that extended their life expectancy. In 1984 a contract was signed to build 39 new units to replace the oldest ones. These new units are known as the Reproduced C-2A or C-2A (R) because of their similarity to the original . These machines received numerous improvements including, for example, the hull and electronics. All old machines were taken out of service by 1987; the last new unit entered service in 1990.

Possible uses

Compare E-2 and C-2

A C-2A lands on the USS Kitty Hawk

C-2A with folded wings

A modernized C-2A on the USS Carl Vinson in July 2009

C-2A as a passenger aircraft

Driven by two Allison T56 - Turboprop - engines can receive the C-2A about 4500 Kg load; either as cargo, with passengers, or both. It can also be equipped as a simple hospital aircraft to fly out slightly wounded soldiers. Important cargo such as replacement engines can also be transported from land to the combat units within a few hours. The large cargo hatch at the rear and a large cargo door on the side as well as the built-in winches enable the machine to be loaded and unloaded quickly. Furthermore, the C-2A offers the possibility of dropping cargo from the opened loading hatch. All in all, the C-2A can cover a wide range of possible uses. Furthermore, it has (in addition to the foldable wings, which are essential on aircraft carriers in order to keep the footprint of the machine as small as possible) a built-in jump-start aid for its engines. So it can remain ready for use even in remote positions.

commitment

In the period from November 1985 to February 1987, the VR-24 transport squadron performed an extraordinary mission: it transported one million tons of cargo, one million letters and 14,000 passengers to locations in the Mediterranean and Europe . The squadron also provided support for the carrier strike groups (CSG) during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and during Operation Enduring Freedom .

During their service life, the units go through a so-called SLEP ( Service Life Extension Program ) in order to be qualified from the currently planned 15,000 landings and 10,000 flight hours to 36,000 landings and 15,000 flight hours. The modernizations concern the airframe, the electronics and the equipment with the six-blade “Navy Propeller 2000” (NP-2000). These measures are intended to make the C-2A an economical and maintenance-friendly aircraft until its replacement. The successor to the Grumman C-2 will be the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey in the variant CMV-22B from 2020 .

Incidents

During the operation of the C-2 there were nine known total losses from 1965 to November 2017. In six of them 59 people were killed. Three of these accidents occurred in connection with the Vietnam War . Examples:

• On November 22, 2017, a US Navy C-2A (registration number Bu 162175 ) crashed into the Philippine Sea . The machine was in flight from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni (Japan) to the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan . Eight of the eleven inmates were recovered alive; the other three are missing.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
Type	Carrier-based transport aircraft
length	17.30 m
span	24.60 m
Wing area	65 m²
Wing extension	9.31
Wing loading	minimum (empty weight): 236 kg / m² nominal (normal takeoff weight): 345 kg / m² maximum (maximum take-off weight): 379 kg / m²
height	4.85 m
Empty weight	15,310 kg
Normal takeoff weight	22,405 kg
Maximum takeoff weight	24,655 kg
Fuel capacity	6900 l
Top speed	553 km / h
Marching speed	465 km / h
Minimum speed	152 km / h
Service ceiling	10,210 m
Rate of climb	13.3 m / s
Range:	2407 km
Engine	two Allison T56 -A-425- Turboprops with 3400 kW each
Payload	up to 9,350 kg transport load
crew	4th

C-2A Greyhound VRC 40 "Rawhides"

Web links

Commons : Grumman C-2 Greyhound  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Official site of the US Navy for C-2A (Engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Accident statistics Grumman C-2 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 24, 2017.
2. ^ Accident report C-2 Greyhound Bu 162175 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 24, 2017.