The Marmo Method Modelbuilding Guide #6: Building The Williams Bros. 1/72 scale Curtiss C-46A Commando

The Marmo Method Modelbuilding Guide #6

Building The Williams Bros. 1/72 scale Curtiss C-46A Commando

by Richard Marmo

Copyright 2018 Richard Marmo

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All photos by the author except where otherwise credited.

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Table Of Contents

Introduction

Getting Started

Main Gear Doors/Wheel Wells

Wings, Horizontals & Nacelles

Cowls, Cowl Flaps & Engines

Fuselage & Cockpit

Mating The Wing & Fuselage

The Horizontals

Canopy, Landing Gear, Props & Other Details

The Final Touches

Done At Last!

Links

The IPMS/USA & How To Join

About The Author

Introduction

Anyone who was building plastic model aircraft kits in the 1960s, 70s and later eventually became familiar with offerings from a company called Williams Bros. What they chose for subjects were generally ignored by other manufacturers, but welcomed with open arms by most modelers. Never mind the fact that their kits would be classified today as limited production efforts and suggested for experienced model builders. Suggested is probably too kind a word because some of them I've built left me wanting to throw the model against the nearest wall! A more realistic choice of words would be recommended for experienced model builders with only as the final word! Still, the subjects they picked couldn't be found elsewhere and...if you were good enough to successfully complete one to a high level...winning your category at an IPMS/USA National Convention was certainly not out of the question.

Eventually the two brothers, Granger & Larry, passed and we all thought that was the end of the unique subjects and challenging kits that was Williams Bros. We were wrong. In 2005, Daniel Brett bought Williams Bros. and moved the entire operation to Texas with plans to continue production under the Williams Brothers Model Products name. Would they be any easier to build? Absolutely not, though some of the instructions were improved or clarified and the kits tweaked a bit where possible. But if you've enjoyed Williams Bros. kits in the past, would you want it any other way?

I was commissioned by John Ling to build a C-46A, using the Williams Bros. kit as the base model. Requested additional detail that utilized provided aftermarket components included:

Maestro Models MAX MMP 7224 C-46 Commando photoetch set (maestromodels.com)

Scale Aircraft Conversions #72006 metal landing gear

True Details C-46 canopy

Metal 3-blade propellors (manufacturer unknown)

Other than the aftermarket components that John provided, the model was to be built essentially out-of-the-box to a professional level of quality.

Getting Started

This is an original Williams Bros. boxtop. As far as I know, it was never changed until the company was bought and moved to Texas.

The new boxtop from Brett Industries was far more dramatic, but retained the original Williams Bros logo that was slightly modified to reflect the new ownership. At the same time, the scale was dropped from the boxtop,