Beechcraft C-45 headache.

[foxfriend]

Hi all. I am new on here so I thought I would just tell you about my current project. That is a C-45 expediter in 72nd scale. The only kit I could find was by PM. What a mistaka ta makea!! The cowlings are horribly wrong, there are no exhausts and generally a very basic kit. I have started to make headway on the cowlings and have fabricated some exhausts, i have also cut out the flaps to display them down. To top it all I am finishing it in a U.S. Navy dayglo/white scheme which depicts an aircraft that was based at West Malling in 1962/63. HELP!!!

[Paul J]

If you are lucky enough as I was recently, try to get hold of the Hobby craft kit. It is far better but dodgy decals. And the only other option available in 1/72nd. Unless someone offers you the Rareplanes vac form kit!!

Edited October 31, 2012 by Paul J

[clift]

Actually Squadron issued the PM kit with a mess of resin update pieces, including the cowling and engines amongst other things I believe. Seems to sell around $15 US. Might be an option.

edit - just found a review of the kit here

Edited October 31, 2012 by clift

[kev67]

Rareplanes did this model in 1/72, probably allot better than the PM kit even if its a Vacform

[Seahawk]

Rareplanes did this model in 1/72, probably allot better than the PM kit even if its a Vacform

It's a lot better than the Hobbycraft kit as well. The Hobby craft kit assembles well but has its own shape problems, just different ones from the PM kit.

[Paul J]

So. There is plenty of room for a lovely brand new tooling then. Would love to see if Airfix will ever do it but quite unlikely. Maybe one of the far east companies would do well to add it to their range like Hobby Boss or Platz....

[Seahawk]

So. There is plenty of room for a lovely brand new tooling then. Would love to see if Airfix will ever do it but quite unlikely. Maybe one of the far east companies would do well to add it to their range like Hobby Boss or Platz....

More likely one of the Czech companies. A C-45 ought to be a certain ratings hit compared with some of the really obscure stuff they have already brought out. Lots of marking options!

[Scott Hemsley]

Be careful, here. Your choice of options depends on the version you're planning to do. In terms of kits, both the Rareplanes and PM versions represent the war-time variant with the short nacelles. Hobbycraft (if you can find them) released two kits of the C-45 - the war-time short nacelle version and the post-war varient with the longer nacelles.

Going by Foxfriend's comments about the 'horribly wrong' nacelles, it sounds as if he might've been expecting the post-war version with the longer nacelles.

Scott

[Test Graham]

The Hobbycraft kit comes in two versions: the postwar aircraft have longer pointier rears to the nacelles above the wings. This is probably something else you will have to do to the PM ones. Aeroclub did do replacement engines/cowlings for the kit.

Oops, sorry Scott, I missed your posting. I suspect he was just horrified with the PM ones without necessarily even looking at the rear of the nacelle fairing.

Edited October 31, 2012 by Graham Boak

[Don McIntyre]

This is one I'd love to see Revell or Airfix do in 1/48th. Would probably be more affordable than one from the Far East, just sayin' …

[Scott Hemsley]

48th or 72nd, we certainly can use a new 'tooling of these aircraft - hopefully a bit more 'accurate' than the existing kits and the way Airfix have been going lately, it might be a good choice for future consideration.

Scott

[Paul J]

There was one i 1/48th. By a company callled Battle Axe. Not sure of its quality but I recall seeing one in its plastic and the parts looked a bit like Mach Kits from France.

But as a subject it is or was such a widely used transport/ communications aeroplane its a pity there isn't a really good kit of it. |Such lovely schemes abound for it.

[Miggers]

Hi all. I am new on here so I thought I would just tell you about my current project. That is a C-45 expediter in 72nd scale. The only kit I could find was by PM. What a mistaka ta makea!! The cowlings are horribly wrong, there are no exhausts and generally a very basic kit. I have started to make headway on the cowlings and have fabricated some exhausts, i have also cut out the flaps to display them down. To top it all I am finishing it in a U.S. Navy dayglo/white scheme which depicts an aircraft that was based at West Malling in 1962/63. HELP!!!

Ok ff,what do you want to know?

Off the top of my head(it is flat though),Aeroclub(Johnaero on here)did a pair of replacement cowls for it,

(the PM kit)though whether they were wartime or post war I don't know.

The kit ones are a bit too pointed at their L/E's and not quite squared off enough.

The wing tips need a bit of reshaping to get 'em right,exhausts adding(use cotton bud tube)and IIRC,without

a trip to the loft airfield,it's a bit "panel liney",so a bit of reduction work and a rescribe could be the order of the day.

It has a nice big cabin door and windows,so the interior can be fitted out to good effect if so desired.

of the day there.

[Jennings Heilig]

I'd kill for a decent 1/48 C-45/SNB. The ancient Battle Axe kit was, um... "rough".

[foxfriend]

Be careful, here. Your choice of options depends on the version you're planning to do. In terms of kits, both the Rareplanes and PM versions represent the war-time variant with the short nacelles. Hobbycraft (if you can find them) released two kits of the C-45 - the war-time short nacelle version and the post-war varient with the longer nacelles.

Going by Foxfriend's comments about the 'horribly wrong' nacelles, it sounds as if he might've been expecting the post-war version with the longer nacelles.

Scott

Hi Scott.

Thanks for the comments on the c-45. Yes, you were quite correct, I was hoping to get the longer nacelles on the kit. I have been doing battle with it this evening and have managed to make up some longer nacelles, which have now been glued into position. They are looking okay, and hopefully after some filling and fileing they might look something like they should!! I will go on to various websites in search of the aeroclub set, although I don't hold out much hope for finding any, still you never know your luck!

[Miggers]

Just send John Aero a PM,he is Mr Aeroclub !!!

[Scott Hemsley]

I've also got a set of John's replacement cowls , but they are only replacements for the cowlings, not the upper nacelles which Foxfriend was originally commenting on.

Scott

[fightersweep]

Hi all;

I know this a ye olde thread, but I just stumbled across it looking for info on the PM and Hobbycraft kits.

 

I've got both kits in front of me and wonder which one I should tackle. I'm leaning towards the HB kit, but was wondering what shape issues this kit has over the PM kit. First thing I've noticed is the lack of flare out from the inner nacelles to the wing root on the HB kit, whereas the PM kit has this feature. Which is right as I've found plans on the net that show both a straight leading edge and a flare leading to the wing root. Overall though, I'm favouring the Hobbycraft kits at present.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Scott Hemsley]

I recently (2015) completed a reworking of the Expeditor (C-45) based on the HobbyCraft kit(s) and FWIW, you can find my RFI with a link to the WIP.  Unfortunately, in order to correct many of the kit's shortcomings and indeed those of any 1/72 kit, I used elements of both HobbyCraft kits (C-45H & C-45F) as well as the PM kit.  All will be explained in the WIP.  It was not, by any means, a weekend project ... but I think the results were worth it. You can find the aforementioned RFI/WIP http://z15.invisionfree.com/72nd_Aircraft/ar/t7607.htm 

 (you may have to cut n' paste  the URL as I'm having issues getting it to work with the link function)

 

Just proves that we need a new tool of the Beech 18 in 1/72, both the C-45F and C-45H versions.

 

 

Scott

Edited January 18, 2017 by Scott Hemsley

[fightersweep]

Hi Scott;

 

Many thanks for the info and links...very helpful and a great build too! 

 

I tried to do a bit of digging online and was surprised to find that there were more variations with the Beech 18 than I realised, and that there aren't many drawings online that seem to agree with each other. For example, many show the wing leading edge as a continuous straight line right up to the fuselage....others show the flare out from the nacelle to the fuselage. I still haven't found out if there were variations in the leading edge shape.

 

I'm looking at building a Beech 18S, which according to Wikipedia had a slightly longer nose. Would that mean that the Hobbycraft kit might be correct in this instance? I also haven't managed to decipher if an 18S has the long or the short nacelles. Seems to be a minefield to a Beech 18 know-nothing like myself!

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Graham Boak]

I've just looked at Wiki, but can't see where says that the Model 18S had a longer nose.  It does say that the longer nose was introduced on the C-45F, considerably later.  This is confirmed in Putnam's Beech Aircraft, where the C-45F was the last wartime/military production version, all later military versions were rebuilds.  The extended nacelles were introduced on the civil D18S in 1947, as part of a general aerodynamic clean-up.    Most of the Canadian aircraft were delivered between 1944 and 1951, and said to be variants of the D18S.  This does imply to me that the longer nose and nacelles are correct for the Hobbycraft kit, but not for the PM one.

 

I haven't found a reference to the inner wing, but suspect that this will have been present on the D18S (almost certainly) and possibly also on the C-45F, but not before.  Memory is nagging at me that this has been discussed before, probably on this forum or Hyperscale, but not recently.  I have not seen any reference suggesting (or denying) that the rebuilds adopted the kink in the leading edge.

 

Depending upon just which example you want to model may well take a bit of digging, but I think it's safe to say that all but the very last wartime examples, including the "non-C45s", will have had the short nose, short nacelles and straight leading edge, as on the PM kit, whereas the postwar new-build (including RCAF) examples will be as the Hobbycraft kit.  It's fair to add that the PM nacelles are very poor.

 

PS memory has just prodded me that the Hobbycraft kit existed in two versions.  Unfortunately both the ones I have are the same, later, style but possibly the kit exists with a straight leading edge, snub nose and round-tail nacelle fairings?  Or some combination, anyway?

Edited January 18, 2017 by Graham Boak

[fightersweep]

Hi Graham;

 

Many thanks for the detailed reply. Beech 18s are more complicated than I first thought! I'm looking at building the Beech 18 that belonged to Graham Warner ( G-BKGL ) and want to build it as it was circa 1983. I know this airframe still flies, so it should be easier to turn up information. A site that I visited stated that it was a Beech 18S (3TM). I think I got the C-45F confused with the F2 as wiki states that the 18S served as a basis for the F-2, which I took to mean the C-45F which had the longer nose. I now see that the F-2 and the C-45F were two different types (I think).

 

Then again, I see reference to a model 18S and a B18S. Two different types again?

I've just found a reference that say G-BKGL was a model D18S

I am actually getting confused now.

 

Best regards;
Steve

[Graham Boak]

The RCAF Expediter 3TM was a variant of the D18S.  The 18S was the most successful prewar light variant, with 12 built (out of 39 total).  It was followed by (amongst ones with different suffixes) the B18S, which was the basis of the F-2, C-45, C-45A and C-45C variants.  F stands for Foto, which was used for what we call PR aircraft.  The F-2s were used mainly for mapping work, including some brightly coloured examples (OK, at least one) in Alaska.  A small batch of civil aircraft were built in 1944 as the C18S, and postwar all wartime examples (bar AT-11s/SNB-1) were eligible for registration as C18S.  The main postwar variant was the D18S; the 1954 E18S was a considerable rework of the design, with the G18S following from 1960.  I don't know what if anything happened to the F18S,

 

I suspect that there's no such thing as an uncomplicated aircraft, but there's certainly no avoiding it for any type produced in such numbers for a wide range of uses over such a long time, particularly once the civil users and modifiers got hold of it.  I suspect that a lot of the references simplify matters (and thus add confusion) because of an understandable lack of knowledge, and a less satisfactory unwillingness to check.

[fightersweep]

Hi Graham;

 

Many thanks for all that information and that clarifies it perfectly now. D18S 3TM it is! I now know what references I'm looking for. I appreciate you taking the time to explain.

 

Best regards;

Steve

[Work In Progress]

Top-notch Twin Beech bearding there, Graham.

 

"particularly once the civil users and modifiers got hold of it."

 

Indeed. So many individual airframes have led so many different lives in the hands of so many different users, serving different purposes in wildly differing environments, many of them at the stragglier end of regulatory oversight, and mightlily complicated by many of them disappearing back into the Beech factory for 'remanufacture', a term which covers many graces and many sins.

 

A Beech 18 is not so much an aeroplane as an ingredient, and the meals made of them are many and varied.

 

Similarly, I don't think I've ever seen two identical Harvards / Texans / call-them-what-you-will.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Work In Progress