DMold 1/48 S-2E Tracker Engine Nacelles First Look

By Fotios Rouch

First Look

The Kinetic Tracker was greatly anticipated by the US and International Navy Aviation aficionados.  Unfortunately, although we now have a plastic Tracker it comes with a host of shortcomings. A bit of trivia here.  The maker of this very nice nacelle correction set is the same maker that created the very nice resin kit of the Collect-Aire Tracker and he really knows his subject.

The correction set comes in white resin and is comprised of 12 parts. The set addresses the following kit shortcomings:

• The nacelles on the Tracker are not mirror images to each other. So for example the exhausts and vents are on the same side for both nacelles
• The nacelles are not slab sided.  They  have a nice gentle curve to them that ends at the base of the engine
• The cowlings are not perfectly circular but have a bulged area and a flattened area on top. The correction set comes in a very well cast white resin (look at the size of the castings!) with no defects.  The surface detail is elegantly reproduced and matches the plastic really well

Since the correction set includes the curved nacelles, there is no way to use the plastic wings as they are made to accept slab sided nacelles.  A little work will be required on the modeler's part but looking at the instructions shows it to be fairly doable for the experienced modeler. Test fitting the nacelle parts and the cowling shows how much work has gone into making this resin set.

This set and the forward fuselage correction set are a must have for the modeler that wants a Tracker that looks like one and not a toy that almost looks like a Tracker. CAD jockeys can crank models in record time but makers they are not!  This job takes eagle eyes and craftsmanship.  I guess their level of work will keep DMold and other talented artists busy!

Sincere thanks go to DMold for the review sample.