Beyond Anti-Submarine Warfare
Within three years of the Tracker's becoming operational in 1952, Grumman delivered (at the Navy's request) a transport version of the Tracker, called the Trader. Although the versions looked alike at first glance, the new aircraft had a broader body, and its greater interior space made it better suited for transporting personnel or cargo.
not a Tracker, but a Trader
National Archives and Records Administration
Grumman Tracer
U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation
Grumman was very busy indeed; another spin-off followed a year later. The larger airframe designed for the Trader also became the basis of an early-warning aircraft, the Tracer. For obvious reasons, the appearance of the Tracer was distinctive. As I recall, when one of them flew over Hicksville in those years, it usually was accompanied at takeoff by a Trader - unless it was it a Tracker - the crew of which monitored the domed aircraft, likely watching for aerodynamic problems or other flight issues.
The radar dome was, of course, something new for Grumman, and it had an impact on Grumman tradition: it forced the company to revisit its venerable Stow-Wing hinge design. To avoid hitting the dome, the Tracer's wings had to fold backward, rather than upward as usual.
The Tracer served in Vietnam, providing attack vectors for U.S. aircraft, and also alerting U.S. forces to enemy interceptor activity. It was finally withdrawn from service in 1977.
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