Grumman C-2A Greyhound
Die Greyhound kann so bis 2028 im Einsatz bleiben, aber die US Navy hat den Ersatz bereits beschafft: die CMV-22B Osprey. Das Tiltrotor-Flugzeug soll 2023 seine volle Einsatzbereitschaft erreichen.
Technische Daten
Besatzung/Crew: 4
Antrieb/Powerplant: 2 Allison T56 A-425 mit je 3430 kW
Länge/Lenght: 17,32 m
Spannweite/Span: 24,56 m
Höhe/Height: 4,84 m
Flügelfläche/Wing area: 65 m²
Leermasse/Empty weight: 17236 kg
Nutzlast/Payload: bis zu 26 Passagiere/Passengers oder 4536 kg Fracht/Cargo
Max. Startmasse/Take-off weight: 27216 kg
Reisegeschwindigkeit/Cruise speed: 465 km/h
Höchstgeschwindigkeit/ max. speed: 635 km/h
Dienstgipfelhöhe/Service ceiling: 10200 m
Reichweite/Range: 2400 km
On the aircraft carriers of the US Navy, they are simply called COD: Carrier Onboard Delivery. The Grumman C-2A Greyhound transports mail, important goods and personnel to the deployed aircraft carriers on a mostly daily basis. Two squadrons fly the transport: the VRC-30 “Providers” on the west coast of the USA and the VRC-40 “Rawhides” on the east coast. The units each deploy with a detachment to the regions where the carriers are active in each case.
In the 1960s, Grumman had begun developing a successor to the C-1 Trader, which was still equipped with piston engines. The designers took the design of the E-2 Hawkeye as a basis and used a completely redesigned fuselage with a tail loading ramp. The first prototype took off on its maiden flight on 18 November 1964. The US Navy initially ordered 17 aircraft, all of which went out of service by 1987. A second batch of 39 more transports served as replacements and were delivered until 1990. With no replacement in sight and the aircraft slowly reaching the prescribed operational limits, Northrop Grumman launched a service life extension programme in the early 2000s that, among other things, increased the number of possible arrested landings from 15000 to 36000. Newer avionics in the cockpit and eight-bladed propellers were also used. In 2013, the company was able to complete the programme. The Greyhound can thus remain in service until 2028, but the US Navy has already procured the replacement: the CMV-22B Osprey. The tiltrotor aircraft is expected to reach full operational readiness in 2023.
