Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Jerry Bates Giant-Scale Short Kit

96" C-46 Commando

Q: Can the C-46 be built as an electric model?

Yes — electric twins are a popular modern choice for this type of model. Two matched brushless outrunners in the .60-class range on 4S–6S LiPo, driven by matched ESCs from a single throttle channel via Y-harness. Use identical components and confirm both motors spool identically before the first flight.

The twin-engine transport that flew The Hump — the most demanding supply route of WWII — in giant scale.

Buy the Kit — $348.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

96 in

Length

67.75 in

Scale

1/13.5

Wing Area

1,075 sq in

Weight (AUW)

15–18 lb

Power

2× .45–.60

Skill

Advanced

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was the workhorse of one of the most dangerous supply operations of WWII — The Hump, the treacherous route over the Himalayas from India to China. Larger and more powerful than the C-47, the C-46 could haul more cargo at higher altitude, making it essential for supplying Nationalist China when all other routes were cut off. 3,181 were built, and many continued flying cargo missions in remote corners of the world well into the 21st century.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

96-inch Jerry Bates C-46 Commando giant-scale RC transport in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
Wing rib set and fuselage formers
Twin nacelle structure parts

Required Separately

Plans / building instructions (buy from Jerry Bates — copyright)
Spars, sheeting, and stick balsa
2× engines or motors (one per nacelle)
Cowls (built per plan — no ready-made source currently)
Covering, landing gear, electronics, servos, hardware

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

Model-specific, with real sources. The C-46 is a Bates design — a step up in scratch-building compared to the Ziroli warbirds. Cowls and canopy require building per plan. Everything else is well-sourced.

Power System

The C-46 requires TWO matched engines — one per nacelle. The plan specifies 2× .45–.60 two-stroke glow. Both must be identical. Modern builders commonly convert to electric twins for reduced noise and maintenance.

GLOW — plan spec

Engines (×2)	2× matched .45–.60 two-stroke glow, one per nacelle. Must be identical.	Horizon Hobby
Fuel tanks (×2)	Matched pair, one per nacelle, sized to engine	Dubro
Props (×2)	Matched pair; size per engine and nacelle clearance	Builder preference

ELECTRIC — popular modern alternative

Motors (×2)	2× matched brushless outrunners in the .60-class range, one per nacelle. Must be identical.	Horizon Hobby
ESCs (×2)	2× matched ESCs, one per motor. Program identically; drive from a single throttle channel via Y-harness.	Specialty RC retailer
Battery	4S–6S LiPo; position carefully for CG	Specialty RC retailer
Props (×2)	Matched pair; size to motor and nacelle clearance	Specialty RC retailer

Heads up — Both engines or ESCs must be tuned identically and driven from a single throttle input. Asymmetric thrust at low speed on a twin transport is a serious handling problem. Run both powerplants on the bench together and confirm they respond identically before the first flight.

Cowls

Built per plan

Engine cowls (×2)

No ready-made fiberglass cowls currently available — listed as "Under Development" on Jerry Bates' website. Build per plan templates or check jbplans.com for updates.

jbplans.com

This is one of the known scratch-build requirements for this kit. The cowl templates are on the plan sheets — vacuum-forming over a form made from the templates is the standard builder approach.

Canopy

Built per plan

Flight deck canopy

No ready-made canopy currently available — listed as "Under Development" on Jerry Bates' website. Build per plan templates or vacuum-form from card stock.

jbplans.com

Landing Gear

Fixed or retracts

The C-46 used retractable main gear in the full-scale aircraft. The plan shows fixed and retractable options — most builders add retracts for scale fidelity.

Main retracts	Robart or equivalent; sized to the model weight. The C-46's main gear retracts into the engine nacelles.	Robart / specialty
Nose / tail wheel	The C-46 uses tricycle gear — nose wheel plus two main gear legs	Robart / specialty
Main wheels	Scale wheels sized per plan	Robart / specialty

Servos

6+ channels

Ailerons	2× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Elevators	2× 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudder	1× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Throttles	2× 50 oz-in (one per engine, or Y-harness to single channel)	Builder preference
Gear	1× 50 oz-in (if retracts fitted)	Builder preference

Covering & Finishing

Covering	Iron-on film or lightweight fiberglass cloth. USAAF olive drab/grey or natural metal schemes.	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Paint	USAAF olive drab/neutral grey (WWII), natural aluminum (postwar), or airline livery	Builder preference

Hardware

Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	96 in
Fuselage length	67.75 in
Scale	1/13.5
Wing area	1,075 sq in
Weight (AUW)	15–18 lb
Power	2× .45–.60 two-stroke glow (one per nacelle)
Gear	Tricycle — nose wheel + main gear retracts into nacelles
Cowls	Under Development (jbplans.com) — built per plan currently
Canopy	Under Development (jbplans.com) — built per plan currently
Min. radio channels	6+

Specs from Jerry Bates' published C-46 Commando 1/13.5 scale plan specification. Jerry Bates also offers a larger 1/9 scale C-46 at 144" wingspan — confirm you are ordering for the correct version. Check jbplans.com periodically as cowls and canopy may become available.

Jerry Bates

Jerry Bates Plans produces some of the most accurate and detailed giant-scale RC transport and warbird designs available. His plans are based on factory drawings and feature exceptional structural detail. Bates designs are known as more demanding builds than mainstream commercial kits — rewarding for experienced scratch-builders.

Plans sold at jbplans.com · Plans must be purchased separately (copyright).

Get Bates Plans

The Build Journey

The C-46 is a more demanding build than the Ziroli warbirds — twin engines, tricycle gear, and scratch-built cowls and canopy require additional planning and skill. It rewards experienced builders who want to tackle something outside the mainstream. Treat these ranges as a rough sense of scope.

Where a short kit saves you time

Jerry Bates' plans include full-size templates for all structural parts. A Kit Cutters short kit removes the entire cutting stage — your ribs, formers, and nacelle parts arrive precision laser-cut and labeled, so you start at assembly rather than at the cutting board.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib, former, and nacelle part from raw stock using the plan templates, then build.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All structural parts arrive laser-cut and labeled. Skip straight to assembly.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

The C-46's distinctive double-bubble fuselage cross-section.

Align and pin main fuselage formers
Build the double-bubble fuselage profile
Install firewall and nose gear bay
Frame the flight deck area

Stage 2: Wing & Nacelle Assembly

Wing panels with twin engine nacelles and gear bays.

Build port and starboard wing panels
Build both engine nacelles
Install main gear retract bays
Sheet and cap the wing

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

Conventional tail group.

Build the horizontal stabilizer
Build elevator surfaces
Assemble fin and rudder
Install and align tail assembly

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Twin-engine installation, cowls, and pre-flight.

Build and fit engine cowls per plan
Install both engines / motors
Plumb tricycle gear system
Match and sync both throttle inputs before first flight

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. To complete it you'll also need the Jerry Bates plans, spars and sheeting, two matched engines or motors, cowls (built per plan — no ready-made source currently), covering, landing gear, and radio gear. The "Everything Else You Need" section above lists each item.

Not currently. Jerry Bates' own product page lists both cowls and canopy as "Under Development." Builders vacuum-form or scratch-build them per plan. Check jbplans.com periodically for updates — these may become available.

Two — one per nacelle. The plan specifies 2x .45–.60 two-stroke glow engines. Both must be identical for symmetric thrust. Modern builders commonly use two matched brushless motors, which are quieter and simpler to maintain than glow twins.

Yes — electric twins are popular for this type of model. Two matched brushless outrunners in the .60-class range on 4S–6S LiPo, driven by matched ESCs from a single throttle channel via Y-harness. Use identical components and confirm both motors spool identically before the first flight.

Plans are purchased separately from Jerry Bates Plans at jbplans.com (copyrighted). Kit Cutters supplies the laser-cut wood; Jerry Bates supplies the plans.

The Curtiss C-46 Commando was a twin-engine military transport best known for flying The Hump — the dangerous supply route over the Himalayas from India to China during WWII. Larger and more powerful than the C-47, it could carry more cargo at higher altitude. 3,181 were built and many continued flying in civilian cargo operations into the 21st century.

1/13.5 scale. The wingspan is 96", length 67.75", wing area 1,075 sq in, and finished weight is 15–18 lb. Jerry Bates also offers a larger 1/9 scale C-46 at 144" wingspan — confirm you are ordering the correct plan and accessories for the 1/13.5 scale version.

96" wingspan, 67.75" length, 1,075 sq in of wing area at 1/13.5 scale. Finished weight is 15–18 lb. These figures come from Jerry Bates' published C-46 Commando specification.

Ready to Build Your C-46 Commando?

Buy the 96" C-46 Commando Kit — $348.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors.

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