C-45 Expeditor – the plane
The C-45 Expeditor was the military version of the Beechcraft Model 18 passenger aircraft. Like any plane manufacturer from the 30s, the designers of this aircraft kept a close eye on the military needs because that was where the money and large orders came from. The occasion popped up in 1941 when the US Air Force and US Navy expressed interest in buying a twin-engine plane for staff transport. And that is how the C-45 Expeditor appeared. With a crew of two (pilot and copilot) and six passenger seats, the plane was propelled by two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 “Wasp Junior” engines of 450 horsepower each. Its top speed was 362 km/h, and it could fly at a maximum altitude of 7900 meters. The C-45 has been used by numerous countries worldwide for several decades. In addition to the US and England, the plane also served 42 worldwide countries, including Japan, Iran, Honduras, Turkey, Thailand, Sweden, Portugal, etc. Today, C-45 planes are being exhibited in aviation museums in 16 countries, such as Spain, Malta, Italy, and others.
C-45 Expeditor – the kit
Revell produced and released this model on a 1:48 scale. It is the same mold used by ICM for the same plane. It is easy to figure this out because the ICM logo is visible on the model frame. I do not know if the mold was produced by the two companies, Revell and ICM, or if Revell had purchased the ICM molds. In fact, it doesn’t even matter as long as this scale model is well-detailed, with engraved panel lines. The Revell box contains a total of seven frames with plastic parts. One of the frames includes the transparent parts – the windscreen and the passengers’ windows. The total number of parts is 125, of which 11 are transparent. The model does not contain resin parts or photo-etched parts.
C-45 Expeditor – instruction sheet, colors, and decals
The assembly, painting, and registration instructions are in a full-color, 16-page A4 brochure. They are clear and detailed; from this point of view, it’s almost impossible for the model maker to make any mistakes.
Revell offers decals for two different planes: the USAF and the Fleet Air Arm. Decals are printed on high-quality paper, so I don’t think there will be any problems applying them to the model.
Revell recommends the following colors for painting the USAF variant: Revell 99—Aluminum, Revell 15—Yellow Matt, Revell 46 –NATO Olive Green, and Revell 08—Black Matt. These colors will be used for the exterior of the plane. For the interior parts and landing gear bay, you will have to use Revell 65—Bronze Green Matt. The Royal Air Force C-45 Expeditor colors are Revell 99 – Aluminum, Revell 15 – Yellow Matt, and Revell 08 – Black Matt. The recommendation for the interior parts and landing gear bay is Revell 65 – Bronze Green Mat. The instruction sheet indicates Revell 99 – Aluminium and Revell 378 – Dark Grey Sil Matt for the plane engines. I do not think these are the right colors for the engines, but in the end it’s the modelers’ choice how to paint the model. The recommendations for the minor interior details are Revell 364 – leaf green silk matt and Revell 82 – Dark Earth mat.
C-45 Expeditor – conclusions
At first glance, the C-45 Expeditor model kit may not seem overly challenging. However, its detailed design and quality materials provide ample opportunity for customization and improvement. Whether you choose to build it ‘straight from the box’ or add your own personal touches, I am confident that the result will be a stunning representation of the C-45F Expeditor in the 1:48 scale.
