History of Grumman Tracker S2F-1
Navy Bureau Number 136427
Grumman Tracker S2F-1, converted to US-2B, 136427,
"The Iron Lady", was owned by the Webmaster from
2000-2004 dba
The Tracker Air Group.
Unfortunately I was not making the progress in getting the
aircraft back in the air as I had originally hoped when I purchased it from the Museum of
Wings and Things in 2000. Therefore I thought it in the best interest of
the aircraft sell it to someone who could make it airworthy again and get it
back in the air. This did happen and in September of 2005 136427 flew to
her new home in Arlington, Washington.
136427 "Iron Lady" Video - Anderson, IN
Below is a photographic history of 136427 while in
Anderson, IN and what we have been able to find before she arrived at Anderson
Darlington Airport in 1996
136427 preparing to start at Pope AFB,
NC.
Bureau Number
136427 in 1995 at AMARC in Tucson, AZ. Note the NAEC/Lakehurst tail
markings.
This is how Bureau
Number 136427 looked from 1978, when she entered the storage and disposal
yard at Davis-Monthan AFB, just east of Tuscan, AZ, until she was
purchased and removed in 1995 by Airplane Sales International Corp. Accepted by the US Navy on 21Dec55
as a S2F-1 Tracker from The Grumman Aircraft Company, she served with various
commands until 1978, when she was flown to Davis-Monthan and placed in
storage. Aircraft that go to the Disposal Center are cocooned as
shown above to protect the aircraft from the elements.
Although the
thousands of aircraft at the Storage Yard may have no further use to the
US military, they are put in storage and not destroyed immediately for
three main reasons. They can be a source of spare parts for the same
type still in service with the US or foreign nations, they may need to
be put back in service if a national emergency results in the need for
that type aircraft, or they can after a number of years be sold to foreign
nations, other government agencies, or private individuals. Trackers
have been sold to the California Dept. of Forestry to be used as fire bombers,
and have been sold to private companies, which then make the aircraft airworthy,
and then resell to private individuals, and organizations, as was the case for
"The Iron
Lady".
136427 at Santa Monica Airport on May 1, 1996.
Rob Hanson Photo.
Note that the NAEC/Lakehurst tail markings have
been replaced by Airplane Sales International when the prepped the Tracker
for sale. Rob Hanson Photo.
Rob Hanson Photo.
More of 136427 at Santa Monica Airport on May 1,
1996 with the webmaster standing in the aircraft. The next day we
would leave for Anderson, IN. Rob Hanson Photo.
Rob Hanson Photo.
Myself on the left and my cousin Carl Dominik
from Victorville, CA. The sun is getting ready to set. Rob
Hanson Photo.
136427 at a fuel stop in Albuquerque, NM on May
2, 1996. David Jackson Photo.
136427 at a fuel stop in Albuquerque, NM on May
2, 1996. David Jackson Photo.
In 1996, Bureau Number
136427, now registered as civilian aircraft N8112A was purchased by The
Museum of Wings & Things in Santa Monica, CA on April 29. From 1996 until
July of 1999 The Tracker was able to fly out to the air shows
listed below to represent Naval Aviation history to the spectators at these
events. The Aircraft was then sold to
David Jackson dba as The Tracker Air Group,
who then sold her to Abbatare of Arlington, WA in 2004.
The interior is in the US-2B configuration
which provides considerably more room for the crew members going to air shows
and other events. From
the military history shown below,
"The Iron Lady" was converted in 1966 to a
US-2B, which removed the anti-submarine warfare equipment. The interior
electronic gear was replaced the with seating for five passengers, making
her into a utility aircraft.
“Iron Lady” History
Navy Bureau # 136427
Year built: December 1955
FAA Registry N8112A, after 1995
Military and civilian record of
“The Iron Lady”
Accepted 21 Dec
1955 as an S2F-1(To learn more about size, performance, weapons, and
mission of the the S2F-1, go to Tracker Basics)
VS-30 Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA
20 Jan 1956
Aboard Wasp (CVS-18)
09 Aug 1957
VS-30 Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA
28 Feb 1958
Naval Air Reserve Training, Naval Air
Station Willow Grove, PA 21 Aug 1959
VS-935 Naval Air Station Willow Grove,
PA 06 Oct 1961
Naval Air Reserve Training, Naval Air
Station Willow Grove, PA 02 Jul 1962
Naval Air Station Willow Grove, PA
01 Jul 1965
Converted to US-2B @ NAS Pensacola, FL
29 Mar 1966
Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA
20 Jun 1966
Naval Air Facility Washington, Andrews
Air Force Base, MD 27 Jul 1971
Naval Air Station Lakehurst, NJ
14 May 1973
NAEC Naval Air Station Lakehurst, NJ
06 Jul 1977
MASDC Davis Monthan Air Force Base Tucson,
AZ 21 Jul 1978
Stricken
18 Apr 1982
Purchased by Airplane Sales International Corp. 28 May 1995
Purchased by The Museum of Wings &
Things 29 Apr 1996
Purchased by David Jackson dba The Tracker Air Group
25 Jul 2000
Purchased by Abbatare 4 Jun 2004
Purchased by The Air Station Museum 2008 - This has not shown up in the FAA
registry as of December 2008.
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