S-2GT Turbo-Tracker in RAN Service

[rickshaw 307]

S-2GT Turbo-Tracker in RAN Service

 

In 1967, the Royal Australian Navy received the first of its 18 S-2E Tracker ASW aircraft. In 1976, 13 of these aircraft were written off or damaged in a deliberately lit fire in their hangar at the Nowra Naval Air Base in Australia in an act of sabotage. Those 13 aircraft were replaced with S-2G tracker aircraft purchased from the USN stocks in the United States. In 1980, the decision was taken to replace HMAS Melbourne with a new, larger carrier. In 1983, the decision was taken to update the S-2G to turbine engines, Pratt and Whitney PT-6 engines being chosen, to give the RAN an all turbine fleet, removing the necessity to carry two types of fuel onboard the carrier.

 

This is the kit I'm starting with:

 

 

This is the S-2G conversion kit, from Uncle Les over at Beyond the Sprues forum:

 

 

This is the Turbo Firetracker conversion kit to bring it up to a Turbo Tracker:

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img908/3672/rRRdA9.jpg[/img]

 

The build is finished:

 

 

http://imageshack.com/a/img923/4916/1sRc1F.jpg[/img]

 

The Model

 

As you can see, this was a Hobbycraft S-2 Tracker kit, married to an Uncle Les S-2G conversion kit, plus two new Turboprop engines from Lone Wulf models. The decals came from a set I purchased off of Ebay. Painted with a hairy stick, using Tamiya and Vallejo Acrylic paints.

[dadofthree 204]

Very nice! another fine WHIF

[thomasweir 28]

Looks great

[Corsairfoxfouruncle 8,402]

That looks really good in Aussie colors. Great looking model 👍

[Romeo Alpha Yankee 4,231]

That would have been something to see in real life. Saw the RAN trackers in my youth at a couple of Nowra airshows.

 

The Tracker looks great with turbo props!  You've done a great job the R