Editing Grumman E-2 Hawkeye (section)

===E-2A and E-2B Hawkeye===
In 1956, the U.S. Navy developed a requirement for an airborne early warning aircraft where its data could be integrated into the [[Naval Tactical Data System]] aboard the Navy's ships, with a design from Grumman being selected to meet this requirement in March 1957.<ref name="Swan Navyp244">Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 244.</ref> Its design, initially designated W2F-1, but later redesignated the E-2A Hawkeye, was the first carrier plane that had been designed from its wheels up as an AEW and command and control airplane. The design engineers at Grumman faced immense challenges, including the requirement that the aircraft be able to operate from the older modified {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|1}}s. These vessels were built during World War II and were smaller than modern carriers, being later modified to allow them to operate jet aircraft. Consequently, various height, weight and length restrictions had to be factored into the E-2A design, resulting in some handling characteristics which were less than ideal. However, the E-2A never operated from the modified Essex class carriers.

[[File:Grumman E-2A Hawkeye in flight in the early 1960s.jpg|thumb|left|A Grumman E-2A Hawkeye in flight in the early 1960s]]
The first prototype, acting as an aerodynamic testbed only, flew on 21 October 1960. The first fully equipped aircraft followed it on 19 April 1961 and entered service with the US Navy as the E-2A in January 1964.<ref name="JAWA76 p291">Taylor 1976, p. 291.</ref> By 1965, the project had accumulated so many development issues that it was cancelled after 59 aircraft had already been built. In particular, difficulties were being experienced due to inadequate cooling in the closely packed avionics compartment. Early computers and complex avionics systems generated considerable heat and could fail without proper ventilation. These issues continued long after the aircraft entered service. At one point, reliability was so bad that the entire fleet of aircraft was grounded.{{Citation needed|date=August 2018}}

After Navy officials had been forced to explain to Congress why four production contracts had been signed before avionics testing had been completed, action was taken; Grumman and the US Navy scrambled to improve the design. The unreliable rotary drum computer was replaced by a [[Litton Industries|Litton]] L-304 digital computer<ref>{{cite journal |title=across the editor's desk: COMPUTING AND DATA PROCESSING NEWSLETTER - LITTON'S L-304 |journal=Computers and Automation |date=Oct 1965 |volume=14 |issue=10 |pages=43–44 |url=https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_computersA_7957328/page/n41?q=%22monolithic+silicon+integrated+and+hybrid%22}}
*{{cite journal|title=COMPUTERS AND DATA PROCESSORS, NORTH AMERICA: 4. Litton Industries, Guidance and Control Systems Division, L-304 Militarized Computer, Woodland Hills, California|journal=Digital Computer Newsletter|date=Jan 1966|volume=18|issue=1|page=23|url=http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694647|language=en|access-date=February 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603105832/http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0694647|archive-date=June 3, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_littonL304mputerSystemSep66_6953238/page/n7|title=The Litton L-304 Dual Computer System|date=1966|work=trailing-edge.com|page=2|access-date=August 1, 2016|quote=L-304E with 4096 words of memory was completed and put in operation. Very shortly thereafter, the computer was tied to a typewriter, paper tape reader and punch, a small magnetic tape, a real-time clock and a small CRT display and control console.}} [http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/litton/L-304/The_Litton_L-304_Dual_Computer_System_Sep66.pdf Alt URL]
* {{cite journal|date=Dec 1967|title=1967 Pictorial Report on the Computer Field: DIGITAL COMPUTERS - TACTICAL AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM (TADPS)|url=https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_computersA_11280381/page/n33?q=%22TACTICAL+AUTOMATIC+DATA+PROCESSING+SYSTEM+%28TADPS%29%22|journal=Computers and Automation|issue=12|page=35}}</ref> and various avionics systems were replaced – the upgraded aircraft were designated E-2Bs. In total, 49 of the 59 E-2As were upgraded to E-2B standard. These aircraft replaced the E-1B Tracers in the various US Navy AEW squadrons.{{cn|date=January 2024}}