The Museo Storico AM, reopened on june 16, 2023 as MUSAM after restyling.

Photographer: Toshiyuki Toda.

Canada's first Tracker, with MAD boom extended and radome lowered. Delivered to DHC as a pattern and test aircraft in May 1954, serialled X-500. Transferred to the RCN 13 Dec 1954 as 1500 (carried below the tailfin in this photo) and loaned back to DHC. Returned to the RCN 18 Dec 1955 as 1501. Converted to CS2F-1 standard, f/f as such 8 Jan 1957. Eventually to the Shearwater Aviation Museum for display. Often incorrectly quoted as ex BuNo 136519, but its identity is in fact unknown. Sources say that this aircraft was assembled by DHC from sections supplied by Grumman, in which case it may never have received a Grumman c/n. Tracker production numbers support this claim. Photo from: Department of National Defence (Canada)

This unit was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Sicily.

Originally built for USN with Bureau Number 136739. Transferred to JMSDF 31 January 1959. All of the JMSDF S2F-1s displayed the USN Bureau Number under the horizonal stabilizer.

Originally built for USN as Bureau Number 136743. Transferred to the JMSDF on 12 March 1959. Photographer A. Watanabe.

Originally built for USN with Bureau Number 144707. Transferred to the JMSDF 20 June 1959. The JMSDF operated a total of 60 S2F-1 a/c, with the last retiring 30 March 1984.

Originally built for USN with Bureau Number 136568. 4101 was the first S2F-1 transferred to the JMSDF, arriving on 8 April 1957. The 14th Kokutai was based at Atsugi in 1975.

Originally built for USN as S2F-1 Bureau Number 144720. Transferred to the JMSDF on 20 June 1959. In 1970 -1971 it was converted to a S2F-U target towing a/c. All the JMSDF S2F-1s retained the USN Bureau Number on the fuselage under the horizonal stabilizer. Sorry for the slightly blurry image.

Ex-US Navy 144710

Ex Japanese military. Civil registration N3880N assigned but appears never to have flown as such. Scrapped at Hemet-Ryan.

The only Tracker of 6 present that was still wearing its original Japanese markings.

S2F Tracker trials on the Dutch carrier Karel Doorman. Some VS-30 aircraft were embarked for a few days. This one became a Conair Firecat, C-GHNU. Photo from: Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie

This Tracker never served as an airtanker, and was never officially registered. It is an S2F-1, ex BuA136745, which was delivered to the Japanese Navy on 12 Mar 1959 as 4146. In Oct 1983 it was acquired by Hemet Valley Flying Service as a spares aircraft and stored at at the Hemet-Ryan airtanker base. In 2001 it was restored and placed on display as a memorial. The text on the memorial plaque reads: "Dedicated in memory of Lloyd M. Venable - A pioneer in the aviation industry - Founder of Hemet Valley Flying Service - 1946. Born Oct 3, 1906 - Died Feb 1, 1991."

Ex US Navy 136668 and JMSDF 4116.

Last military service was with the JMSDF and wore the code 4116. At the time this photo was taken the aircraft looked to be in decent shape, but it would never fly again. It was still stored at Mesa by 2011 and probably still there at the time of upload.