Structurally, the E-1 was given a running length of 45 feet, 4 inches, a wingspan of 72 feet, 4 inches and a height of 16 feet, 10 inches. Empty listed weight was 20,640lbs with a maximum take-off weight of 26,600lbs.
The XTF-1W product was eventually redesignated under the XWF-1 identifier and entered production as the WF-2 under the then-current USN aircraft naming convention. The XTF-1W itself was then converted back to its C-1A Trader form while still holding on to its twin-fin tail arrangement. In the 1962 reorganization, the WF-2 was redesignated as the E-1B.
Tracers were still in use by the time of heavy involvement of American forces in the Vietnam War (1955-1975). E-1s in the war served in the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) role alongside fighter groups where they could relay enemy positions/activity and arrange ground strikes. Tracers were involved until about 1973 and the American commitment in the region ended in 1975. All Tracers were effectively removed from the USN inventory by 1977, bringing an end to their often overlooked contribution to American naval aviation. One claim to fame of the series was its status as a trend-setting carried based AEW platform - a category of naval aircraft that remains in play to this day (2013).
In all, some 88 WF-2/E-1B aircraft were produced. Due to its original "WF" designation, Tracers were nicknamed "Willy Fudd". Similarly, E-2 Hawkeyes were known under the nickname of "Super Fudd". The USN currently (2013) enjoys AEW capabilities through its E-2D "Advanced Hawkeye" platform and is one of the few propeller-driven airframes still operating on modern carrier decks.
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