In the 1990s I acquired the cockpit section of a former US Navy Grumman C-1A Trader, BuNo 136780. It sat in my backyard for almost a decade, but I never carried out my plans to turn it into my amateur radio station.
In 2004, I learned that the Quonset Air Museum in Rhode Island needed many of the parts on my cockpit to restore their historic C-1A, BuNo 136792. That aircraft was the aerodynamic prototype for the WF-2 (E-1B) Tracer airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft program. I decided to donate my cockpit to the Quonset Air Museum.
Tags: 500+ views Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A Grumman C-1 C-1A Trader C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A C-1 Trader Carrier Onboard Delivery COD 136780 boneyard US Navy naval aviation Quonset Air Museum QAM 136792 WF-2 Grumman WF-2 Tracer Grumman E-1B Tracer WF-2 Tracer E-1B Tracer E-1 Tracer E-1B Willy Fudd Stoof with a Roof
This front quarter view gives some idea how large the cockpit was, sitting next to an 8' x 10' storage shed.
Although the C-1 was developed from the S2F / S-2 Tracker family of aircraft, its larger fuselage and different contours meant that parts such as the escape hatches from an S-2 would not fit a C-1 or E-1.
Tags: Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A Grumman C-1 C-1A Trader C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A C-1 Trader Carrier Onboard Delivery COD 136780 boneyard US Navy naval aviation Quonset Air Museum QAM 136792 WF-2 Grumman WF-2 Tracer Grumman E-1B Tracer WF-2 Tracer E-1B Tracer E-1 Tracer E-1B Willy Fudd Stoof with a Roof
This view shows how the cockpit I used to own was cut from the aircraft aft of the cockpit bulkhead and doorway. My plan had been to replace the door, build a stand to hold the cockpit level, install seats and use it as a "ham shack," or amateur radio station. That never happened.
The legend "USS LEX" is barely visible in the placard holder beneath the pilot's side window. BuNo 136780 last served aboard USS Lexington, CV-16
Tags: 500+ views Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A Grumman C-1 C-1A Trader C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A C-1 Trader Carrier Onboard Delivery COD 136780 boneyard US Navy naval aviation Quonset Air Museum QAM 136792 WF-2 Grumman WF-2 Tracer Grumman E-1B Tracer WF-2 Tracer E-1B Tracer E-1 Tracer E-1B Willy Fudd Stoof with a Roof
When I acquired the cockpit, all of the control boxes had been removed from the overhead racks. I managed to find and acquire some of the correct control boxes, but I was never able to find many of them.
Tags: Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A Grumman C-1 C-1A Trader C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A C-1 Trader Carrier Onboard Delivery COD 136780 boneyard US Navy naval aviation Quonset Air Museum QAM 136792 WF-2 Grumman WF-2 Tracer Grumman E-1B Tracer WF-2 Tracer E-1B Tracer E-1 Tracer E-1B Willy Fudd Stoof with a Roof
There were no instruments or instrument panels in the cockpit when I acquired it. I located the panels themselves, and enough of the correct instruments to assemble most of the pilot's panel, although it is not shown here.
The rack between the pilot and co-pilot's feet was meant to hold an AN/ARC-27 UHF radio. I did find one of those radios, which weighs more than 70 pounds and contains more than 50 vacuum tubes.
Tags: Grumman C-1A Trader Grumman C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A Grumman C-1 C-1A Trader C-1 Trader Grumman C-1A C-1 Trader Carrier Onboard Delivery COD 136780 boneyard US Navy naval aviation Quonset Air Museum QAM 136792 WF-2 Grumman WF-2 Tracer Grumman E-1B Tracer WF-2 Tracer E-1B Tracer E-1 Tracer E-1B Willy Fudd Stoof with a Roof