Performance and mechanical data are combined here for a faster, more compact read. Values describe the represented model or nearest clearly identified source variant.
Performance and mechanical specifications for E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
Primary role
Airborne early warning
Crew
5
Configuration
Carrier airborne early-warning aircraft
Powerplant
2 × Allison/Rolls-Royce T56 turboprops
Top speed
400 mph
Ceiling
37,000 ft
Published range
1,684 mi
Length
57 ft 8 in
Wingspan
80 ft 7 in
Max weight
≈57,500 lb
02 · SERVICE CHRONOLOGY
FROM ORIGIN TO LEGACY.
A dated sequence follows the airframe from development through operational use and later evolution. The number of milestones follows the story rather than a fixed template, and each note explains why the event mattered—not only what happened.
ORIGIN
The first E-2D flew with a new radar, mission computer, displays, and cooperative engagement architecture. [1]
DEVELOPMENT
Operational deployment and later aerial-refueling capability extended the Hawkeye's reach and time on station. [1]
SERVICE HISTORY
The first operational E-2D squadron completed transition, bringing the new radar and mission system into carrier-air-wing service. [1]
CONTEXT & LEGACY
The Advanced Hawkeye increasingly functions as an airborne node linking sensors and weapons across the carrier group. Aerial-refueling modifications lengthened missions but also changed crew workload and sortie planning. [1]
03 · ARCHIVAL IMAGE
THE AIRFRAME IN CONTEXT.
A documented photograph or archival reference connects the interactive model to a real airframe, operation, or preserved example.
A short, rights-screened motion record adds sound, movement, and operational scale without autoplaying or delaying the interactive model.
First EMALS launch: E-2D Advanced Hawkeye01:14
The E-2D completes the first EMALS launch at Lakehurst.
REUSE NOTE Embedded without modification. Commercial editorial reuse remains subject to the source record, non-endorsement, trademark, privacy/publicity, and third-party-rights limitations.
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
A short, attributed line restores a human voice to the technical record. Period statements and later recollections are identified by the date label and accompanied by a source link.
“The back end of the E-2 was like a Buck Rogers wonder.”
Frank MileyRetired U.S. Navy commander and E-2 aviator
Miley recalled how radical the Hawkeye's early airborne-computing environment appeared to its first crews.
Focused facts connect the airframe's systems to the way it was built, flown, or used.
01
Rotating sensor
The dorsal rotodome gives the radar a broad view while preserving the aircraft's carrier-compatible planform.
02
Radar generation
The APY-9 system combines electronic scanning with mechanical rotation for wide-area surveillance.
03
Five-person team
Two pilots and three mission-system operators divide flight, tracking, and battle-management work.
04
Carrier packaging
Folding wings and a strong landing-gear system allow routine catapult launches and arrested landings.
07 · HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
WHY IT MATTERS.
Its rotating radar dome and advanced sensors let the Hawkeye coordinate carrier airspace, track threats, and extend a fleet’s awareness far beyond the horizon. More than a radar platform, the E-2D acts as an airborne command-and-control node whose crew builds a shared tactical picture and directs other aircraft toward emerging contacts. [1]
Reference figures vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, test method, and source. Values here are an editorial orientation—not operational or flight-planning data.
Each numbered citation links to an operator, national museum, manufacturer, or established research institution. The scope note tells you exactly what that source supports, and each entry includes its retrieval date.
Where the represented model and source variant differ, the scope is labelled rather than silently treated as an exact match. Read the editorial policy, report a correction through the legal notice, or review 3D-model provenance in the attribution directory.
