Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series
HA4819E-2D Hawkeye 168599, VAW-121, USS Abraham Lincoln, September 2018
General Background
The Northrop E-2 Hawkeye is an all-weather airborne early warning aircraft (AEW). The E-2 was a twin-turboprop developed in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s for the USN. The E-2 is a carrier- capable aircraft and has received major upgrades in their electronics for the E-2B and E-2C with the E-2C also receiving improved turbo-prop engines. The E-2 has been in production since the 1960’s making it the longest production run of any carrier based aircraft. The E-2C variant became operational in 1973.
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.
