E-2 Hawkeye

Grumman · United States · first flew 1960 · transport aircraft

The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is a carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft, instantly known for the big rotating radar disc above its fuselage.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × turboprop, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Large rotating rotodome mounted on struts above the fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Large rotating rotodome mounted on struts above the fuselage
Quadruple-fin tail to clear the radar disc's downwash
High straight wing with two turboprops, folding for carrier stowage

Nothing else looks like it: a 24-foot rotating radar dome above a twin-turboprop, plus a four-fin tail spreading the load below the disc.

Specifications

The E-2 Hawkeye has a length of 17.6 m (58 ft).
It has a wingspan of 24.6 m (81 ft).
Its maximum speed is 648 km/h (403 mph).
Typical crew: 5.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1960, the Hawkeye has been in continuous production longer than almost any other US carrier aircraft, evolving from the E-2A to today's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. It provides airborne radar surveillance for carrier battle groups.

Variants

Successive versions improved the radar and avionics, from the E-2B and long-serving E-2C to the modern E-2D with its aperiodic radar and aerial-refuelling capability.

Where you'll see it

Operated chiefly by the US Navy and several allied air arms including France and Japan, the Hawkeye also flew land-based with the type's distinctive folding wings for carrier stowage.

Related aircraft

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