Hobby Master HA4819 | Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye US Navy, 168599, VAW-121, USS Abraham Lincoln, september 2018

General Background:

The E-2 Hawkeye is the Navy's all-weather, carrier-based tactical battle management airborne early warning, command and control aircraft. Forty eight E-2Ds have already been delivered to the USN with an additional 4 by the end of 2021 and another 78 by 2025. The Advanced Hawkeye will replace all 75 USN E-2C aircraft. The older E-2C and the new E-2D look very similar on the outside but the inside is a complete rebuild. Japan has received 3 of their 9 E-2Ds and orders from France.

The Aircraft:

The first E-2D flew in 2007 with new electronics, communications, new Rolls Royce engines, a glass cockpit and radar. VAW-121 “Bluetails”, an Airborne Early Warning squadron that was established in 1967 and based at NAS Norfolk. After 37 years of operating the E-2C Hawkeye the VAW-121 began to use the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. E-2D c/n AA18 serial 168599 was manufactured in 2015. During 2018 VAW-121 was assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln CV-72. In 2019 they sailed to the Middle East.

Specifications for Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye
Crew – 5 x Pilot, Copilot, Radar Officer, Combat Information Center Officer, Aircraft Control Officer
Dimensions
Length – 57 ft 8.75 in
Wingspan – 80 ft 7 in
Height – 18 ft 3.75 in
Weight
Empty – 40,200 lbs
Loaded – 43,068 lbs
Maximum takeoff – 57,500 lbs
Performance
Powerplants – 2 x Rolls-Royce T56-A-427A turboprop, 5,100 shp each
Speed
Maximum – 404 mph
Cruise – 295 mph
Ferry range – 1,680 miles
Service ceiling – 34,700 ft
Endurance – 6 hours
Avionics
AN/APS-145 radar
OL-483/AP IFF interrogator system
APX-100 IFF transponder
OL-698/ASQ Tactical Computer Group
AN/ARC-182 UHF/VHF radio
AN/ARC-158 UHF radio
AN/ARQ-34 HF radio
AN/USC-42 Mini-DAMA SATCOM system