Our final release of 2024 is the AF-2 Guardian! This release is a perfect example of the material driving the design, and I am chuffed at how these turned out. The Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola has a beautiful example of an AF-2S on display, and it is an aircraft that I have always loved.
The AF-2
Known as the largest single-engine piston-powered carrier-based aircraft ever built, the Grumman AF-2 Guardian is the first purpose-built anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy in the late 1950s.
During its era, the Navy's anti-submarine tactics centered around "Hunter-Killer" teams and therefore, two Guardian variants were produced: the AF-2S attack plane and the AF-2W search plane.
Powered by a 2,400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-48W "Double Wasp" radial engine, the Guardian could reach a maximum speed of 253 mph, making it a formidable force in maritime defense.
The Guardian served with distinction during the Korean War in a maritime patrol role. After being retired from the Navy in the fall of 1955, several Guardians found new life with the Aero Union, where they were repurposed for aerial firefighting operations based out of Chico, California.
The Tags:
Our Guardian tags were cut from a very rare original AF-2 canopy featuring original Navy blue paint. I found this canopy at a boneyard and couldn’t believe the data plate when I first read it. This canopy was a universal part that fit both the AF-2W (Hunter) and the AF-2S (Killer). When we first began work on this project months ago, I couldn’t decide on how best to tell the story of this aircraft given the Hunter-Killer teams that Guardians flew in. After tinkering with a few ideas, we landed on offering this tag as either an AF-2W or an AF-2S – with corresponding tag art and a dedicated card by BVR.
Variants:
Four total variants are offered this week: AF-2S Canopy Frame, AF-2W Canopy Frame, AF-2S Canopy Glass, and AF-2W Canopy Glass.
Most of this very limited 165 tag run are clear Canopy Glass tags. These tags are very rugged and many feature surface cracks and other evidence of age and wear. The Canopy Glass tags are offered in AF-2W and AF-2S and are laser etched. Each come on a card featuring the Hunter or the Killer as the lead aircraft.
The metal tags this week were cut from the canopy frame. The Canopy Frame tags are also offered as AF-2W or AF-2S and come on a matching card. These tags feature original blue Navy paint and are laser etched. We’re also listing a very limited number of Hunter-Killer Sets that come on our double card to pay homage to how the Guardians flew as teams. Our double cards have space for both the AF-2W and the AF-2S tags to be displayed. The only other double card we’ve released was the Red Arrows Hawk/Gnat combo that was only for sale in the UK.
Also available is a Frame/Glass combo that comes with an AF-2S Canopy Frame tag and an AF-2W Canopy Glass tag.
That does it for our last new release tag this year. We’ve been saving this canopy for this release, and I am honored to add the Guardian to the JE family.