AZ Model 1/72 scale P -36A Hawk/H-75 Mohawk (with homemade custom decals)

HEALTH AND SAFETY WARNING: Due to health and safety concerns with the featured products in video. The featured products are recommended for persons over 14 years old.

Before the legendary Curtiss P-40, there was its predecessor the radial engine P-36/ H-75 Hawk. Minus the power plant the basic shape to the P-40 design came from the P-36. Like the P-40, the P-36/H-75, the Hawk was an important early war Allied Fighter aircraft. First flying with the USAAC in 1938, The Hawk would go on to be used by a vast array of nations (From the USA, UK, South Africa, India, France, Finland, Iran, Thailand, China, Brazil, Peru and Argentina).

The combat carrier of the P-36 began during the fall of France; a French H-75 hawk claimed the first allied kill of a Luftwaffe aircraft. During the Franco-Thai war (1940-1941) both combatants operated versions of the Hawk. The Finnish air force used the Hawk against the Soviets in 1940 & 1944. Where several of Finland’s top aces claimed most of their kills on the type.

The Hawk also was operated by the Royal Airforce; the RAF hawks mainly saw action in the India-Burma theatre of war under both RAF and Royal Indian Air force colours. The South African Air force used the type against the Italian & Vichy French forces in the East African campaign.

In the USA the P-36 was first flown by the 20th pursuit group in April 1938. The type was flown by most USAAC pursuit groups across the continental United States, the territories of Alaska and Hawaii, and the Panama Canal Zone. The USAAC Hawks had a bare metal finish with striking cowl colours & group insignia (like the one depicted in this video). But sadly even the USAAC hawks couldn’t escape combat.

The most famous example of a US hawk in action was the daring exploits of Lt Phil Rasmussen. On the infamous morning of December 7th 1941, Lt Rasmussen was awoken by the attack on Pearl Harbour. Jumping out of his bed in his bright pink pyjamas with a .45 pistol at his side, Lt Rasmussen rushed to wheeler field. Along with the help a few ground crewmen, Rasmussen took off in Number 86 from the burning airfield and claimed one kill over a Japanese attacker.

The AZ Model kit used in this video was the release with two RAF & One French. I ended up make in decals for a P-36A belonging to the 79th Pursuit Squadron, 20th Pursuit Group, Moffett Field, California circa 1939 to 1940. The decals where printed on Testors white & clear decal paper.

EDITORS NOTE: In regards to footage in this video. It comes from footage of the USAAC P-36 Hawks, 35th pursuit group, Langley Field, Virginia ,circa 1939 ( footage in the Public Domain). Since the copy I had was largely silent I synchronized it up to the audio of the engines of a B-24 liberator. The intro music comes from a 1943, public domain WW2 US propaganda short. P-36 illustrations are used under fair use guidelines.

Видео AZ Model 1/72 scale P -36A Hawk/H-75 Mohawk (with homemade custom decals) канала Shuttle Factory