What nickname did the Grumman E-1B Tracer have?

Short answer

Two nicknames: "Stoof with a Roof," because it descended from the "Stoof"-nicknamed S-2 Tracker via the C-1 Trader and added a distinctive radome, and "Willy Fudd," from its WF designation under the US Navy's 1922 system. It served as a carrier-based early warning aircraft from 1960 to 1977.

Published: November 5, 2026 · Updated: November 5, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What nickname did the Grumman E-1B Tracer have?

USS Intrepid (CVS-11) refuels USS Agerholm (DD-826) in July 1967

"Stoof with a Roof"

The Tracer was derived from the C-1 Trader, itself derived from the S-2 Tracker carrier-based anti-submarine aircraft, known as the S2F under the old designation system and nicknamed "Stoof"; that's how the WF/E-1, with its distinctive radome, came to be known as "Stoof with a Roof."

"Willy Fudd"

The E-1 was given the designation WF under the US Navy's 1922 aircraft designation system, and that designation earned it the nickname "Willy Fudd."

The Aircraft and Its Service

The E-1 was a carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft with a crew of four: two flight crew and two radar/interception controllers. 88 were built, and it served between 1960 and 1977, until the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye replaced it in the mid-1960s. During the early years of the Vietnam War the E-1s saw heavy use: they provided target vectors to combat air patrol (CAP) fighters and controlled Alpha strikes over North Vietnam. With a range of 250-300 miles, the E-1B gave attack aircraft early warning of enemy MiG activity.