Design and development Grumman AF Guardian

a af-2w vs-37 in flight circa july 1957

the original design concept aircraft become guardian, xtb2f of 1944, twin-engined aircraft 3,600 lb (1,600 kg) warload , range of 3,700 mi (5,950 km). considered large practical use essex-class aircraft carrier, , cancelled in 1945, replaced modified grumman f7f tigercat, xtsf-1.

however, considered impractical, , alternative, internally developed grumman model g-70, selected instead, being given navy designation xtb3f-1. designed mixed-power aircraft, pratt & whitney double wasp radial engine in nose , westinghouse 19xb turbojet in tail. originally, westinghouse engine new x24c emerge j34 series. when became apparent x24c delivery schedules not meet airframe schedule, 19xb-2b substituted. found unsuitable, , jet engine removed without ever having been used in flight. xtb3f-1s carried crew of 2 seated side-by-side , armament of 2 20 mm cannon , 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) of bombs, torpedoes and/or rockets, , made first flight on 19 december 1945.

on 24 december 1945, navy changed role of aircraft torpedo-bomber anti-submarine warfare. required equipment not fitted single aircraft, consequently 2 variants produced, 1 guppy (hunter) , scrapper (killer). hunter aircraft not carry armament, instead 2 additional crew members , ventral radome aps-20 search eyes (radar) , electronic countermeasures (ecm) ears , consisting of apr-98 countermeasures receiver , ap-70 bearing indicator. aircraft, xtb3f-1s, first flew in november 1948. killer deleted cannon of torpedo bomber, retained bomb bay, added third crewmember, searchlight, , short-range radar, , (as xtb3f-2s) first flew in january 1949.