de Havilland Canada CP-121 Tracker
De Havilland Canada · Canada · first flew 1956 · transport aircraft
The CP-121 Tracker is the Royal Canadian Navy designation for the Grumman S-2 Tracker carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft, built under licence by de Havilland Canada for RCAF and Canadian Forces Maritime Command.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Retractable weapons bay under fuselage, MAD boom at tail |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Canadian-built Grumman S-2 Tracker with twin-boom tail unit
- Two radial engines on high straight wing, folding wingtips for carrier storage
- Retractable weapons bay under fuselage, MAD boom at tail
Twin piston radials on a high straight wing, twin-boom tail with connecting horizontal stabiliser, and a deep fuselage with retractable weapons bay are definitive Tracker identifiers.
Specifications
- The de Havilland Canada CP-121 Tracker has a length of 13.26 m (44 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 22.12 m (73 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 426 km/h (265 mph).
- Typical crew: 4.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
De Havilland Canada built 100 CS2F Trackers (later redesignated CP-121) under licence from Grumman for the Royal Canadian Navy from 1956. They operated from HMCS Bonaventure and shore bases in the maritime patrol role. After carrier operations ended in 1970, surviving CP-121s flew from shore bases until retirement in 1990.
Variants
The CS2F-1 and CS2F-2 (CP-121) were the Canadian production variants; some aircraft were subsequently converted to CS2F-3 standard with updated sensors.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the Royal Canadian Navy and later Canadian Forces Maritime Command from HMCS Bonaventure and shore stations including Shearwater, Nova Scotia.
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