C-2A Greyhound - U.S. Navy's carrier-onboard-delivery (COD) aircraft

The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft, designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is carrier onboard delivery (COD). The aircraft provides critical logistics support to carrier strike groups. The aircraft is mainly used to transport high-priority cargo, mail, and passengers between carriers and shore bases, and can also deliver cargo like jet engines and special stores.

Variants :

- YC-2A
Prototype, two converted from E-2A Hawkeyes with redesigned fuselage.
- C-2A
Production variant, 17 built.
- C-2A(R)
"Reprocured" C-2A with improved systems based on the E-2C variant, 39 built.

Accidents :

On 29 April 1965, YC-2A BuNo 148147 was on a test flight when it was ditched into Long Island Sound, where the four crewmen died of exposure.[17]
On 2 July 1969, Lieutenant Commander Peter Monroe Kennedy was presented the Air Medal with bronze star, the first award for heroic achievement in aerial flights for a carrier onboard delivery aircraft. While returning to Naval Air Station Cubi Point from USS Kitty Hawk operating in Southeast Asia, a failure in the engine gearbox and propeller assembly resulted in the loss of the entire port propeller assembly and substantial portions of the gearbox and nacelle. The separated propeller penetrated the fuselage, causing decompression at over 20,000 feet. Kennedy and his copilot secured the engine, descended to a lower altitude, and returned to Cubi Point.[citation needed][importance?]
On 2 October 1969, C-2A BuNo 152796 from VRC-50, carrying 6 crew members and 21 passengers crashed in the Gulf of Tonkin en route from Naval Air Station Cubi Point to USS Constellation in the Gulf of Tonkin. All aboard were killed and are officially listed as missing in action as their bodies were never recovered.[18]
On 15 December 1970, C-2A BuNo 155120 from VRC-50 crashed shortly after launch from USS Ranger, killing all 4 crew members and 5 passengers.[19]
On 12 December 1971, C-2A BuNo 152793 crashed en route from Cubi Point to Tan Son Nhat International Airport, killing all 4 crew members and 6 passengers.[20]
On 29 January 1972, C-2A BuNo 155122 crashed while attempting to land on the USS Independence in the Mediterranean Sea, killing both crewmen.[21]
On 16 November 1973, C-2A BuNo 152787 crashed into the sea after takeoff from Chania International Airport, killing 7 of 10 persons on board.[22]
On 22 November 2017, a C-2A carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed in waters southeast of Japan's Okinawa Island while in flight to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

General characteristics

Crew: 2 pilots, 2 aircrew
Capacity: 26 passengers, 12 litter patients
Payload: 10,000 lb (4,536 kg)
Length: 56 ft 10 in (17.30 m)
Wingspan: 80 ft 7 in (24.60 m)
Height: 15 ft 10½ in (4.85 m)
Wing area: 700 ft² (65 m²)
Empty weight: 33,746 lb (15,310 kg)
Useful load: 20,608 lb (9,350 kg)
Loaded weight: 49,394 lb (22,405 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 60,000 lb (24,655 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Allison T56-A-425 turboprops, 4,600 shp (3,400 kW) each

Performance :
Maximum speed: 343 knots (394 mph, 635 km/h) at 12,000 ft (3,660 m)
Cruise speed: 251 knots (289 mph, 465 km/h) at 28,700 ft (8,750 m)
Stall speed: 82 knots (94 mph, 152 km/h) at idle power
Range: 1,300 nm (1,496 mi, 2,400 km)
Service ceiling: 33,500 ft (10,210 m)
Rate of climb: 3,700 ft/min (at sea level) (13.3 m/s)
Wing loading: 77.6 lb/ft² (378.9 kg/m²)
(Source : en.wikipedia.org)

Like the Post? Share with your Friends:-

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Pinterest
• StumbleUpon
• Digg
• LinkedIn
• Reddit
• Delicious
• Technorati