1/48 ERTL/Esci Curtiss P-36A Hawk (Completed pg. 6)

The aluminium alloy used back then for fighter airplanes is called duraluminium. Its an alloy of 95% or so aluminium with copper and some other additives. Its much stronger than plain aluminium but it rust like crazy. Our old friend zinc chromate comes to the rescue. Its usually painted on in its pure form which is a greenish yellow. The color drives some people up the wall. The green zinc chromate is the yellow stuff with some black pigment mixed it. Usually just some black paint. 

I can't imagine the aircraft having bare aluminium in that part of China and not rusting away in 6 months. 

M. Brindos

I did a respray in Vallejo Silver.

Pictures to come later.  :)

 

Very nice so far Mike. Sorry it's been a while. =] Stik is right...pretty much all the pre-war stuff was NMF. Antiglare measures were an after thought. Should be an easy fix at this stage though. Toshi's right about having some less sought after aircraft in the mix. Always nice to see something different.

Looking forward to seeing you whip this Hawk into shape! =]

I did a respray in Vallejo Silver.

Pictures to come later.  :)

M. Brindos

Uh. I didn't know that. The instructions call for "Green". Pretty vague.

In the French scheme the camo call outs are Green, Yellow, and  Brown. Nothing specific. 

I'm relying on past experience here. :/

 

No worries there my friend. I suspect they are reprints of the 70s era instructions when research was far less prevelant and not at our fingertips...

As far as I know, French Hawks would be in the Dark Blue Gray, Green, and Brown over Light Blue Gray in Europe and Indochina, or Sand, Green, and Brown over Light Blue Gray in North Africa and the Middle East. After the armistice with Germany, they would have worn the Red & Yellow Vichy stripes.

Mike, the USAF Museum has the very first P-36A produced.  It has a NMF cockpit as shown in these photos:

http://aircraftwalkaround.hobbyvista.com/p36/p36.htm

iampiper13

looking awesome! What color do you use for the flightsuit?

 

I used Vallejo Desert Yellow with a Dark Brown wash in preparation for highlighting. Just part of the method I use for figure painting. :)

Uh. I didn't know that. The instructions call for "Green". Pretty vague.

In the French scheme the camo call outs are Green, Yellow, and  Brown. Nothing specific. 

I'm relying on past experience here. :/

Not to nitpick, but should that cockpit be green? I was under the impression that on NMF pre war AAC/AAF aircraft, the cockpit was often bare metal or aluminum lacquer with Black IP and control boxes. At least that is what period photos tend to show. As war neared various manufacturers used several different greens in cockpits as a reflected glare reduction measure. 

looking awesome! What color do you use for the flightsuit?

I hope you'll do a WiP Colin. I'd like to see how it goes together.

I've got some of the paint in the pit now. Just basic blocking with a green wash, but it's staring to look like it should. The details on the side walls didn't take too long once I got into it. I just tossed in some basic structures to fill it in.

The pilot looks like a manequin right now so I have to go back over him some to make him look more life-like. He's got some good details, but his face isn't one of them lol.

I've definitely got more work to do here.

Hobby Craft's "Blitz Hawk" just arrived at my door last night.  I didn't see the fixed landing gear parts, but it comes with the parts to model just about every Hawk 75 or P-36.  Even the teardrop antenna the Norwegians had on the aircraft they trained with in Canada after the fall of Norway.

I'm very excited.

No kidding?! That's exactly the one I want to build too.  :)

another piece of Chenault's legacy for my collection. 

I will be looking for this kit when I have the cash to spare.

Thanks again!

M. Brindos

H-75H got it.

I'll be keeping an eye out for that. 

Stik mentioned that Hobbycraft makes a kit of that. 

I think I now know what I'm looking for.   :D

thanks guys!

 

They do indeed... it comes with markings for China and Siam on the kit decal sheet. Possibly a Latin American country as well, IIRC. I have not looked at the one in my stash in years. I am planning to build mine in Chinese markings.

H-75H got it.

I'll be keeping an eye out for that. 

Stik mentioned that Hobbycraft makes a kit of that. 

I think I now know what I'm looking for.   :D

thanks guys!

Mikeym_us

 

 

M. Brindos

Now that's a sweet idea. I love all of the oddball aircraft in the Pacific theatre. I hope you can find some more inspiration for that build! :)

i was thinking of making Chenault's a/c when he was in China making his evaluation of the Chinese Air Force before the AVG was formed. There's just one picture that I found. Not much to go on, but it was a pretty beat up plane that had obviously seen better days.

It would make an interesting subject.

I don't even remember if it was a P-35 or a P-36, but it caught my attention.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe I heard it was a P-35 that Chenault was flying.

 

Mikeym_us

 

 

M. Brindos

Now that's a sweet idea. I love all of the oddball aircraft in the Pacific theatre. I hope you can find some more inspiration for that build! :)

i was thinking of making Chenault's a/c when he was in China making his evaluation of the Chinese Air Force before the AVG was formed. There's just one picture that I found. Not much to go on, but it was a pretty beat up plane that had obviously seen better days.

It would make an interesting subject.

I don't even remember if it was a P-35 or a P-36, but it caught my attention.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe I heard it was a P-35 that Chenault was flying.

 

Actually that would be Curtiss-Wright's H-75H, a fixed gear export demonstrator model of what would become the P-36.  The Chinese also bought 3 CW-21's which was a different aircraft from the Hawk H-75.

M. Brindos

Now that's a sweet idea. I love all of the oddball aircraft in the Pacific theatre. I hope you can find some more inspiration for that build! :)

i was thinking of making Chenault's a/c when he was in China making his evaluation of the Chinese Air Force before the AVG was formed. There's just one picture that I found. Not much to go on, but it was a pretty beat up plane that had obviously seen better days.

It would make an interesting subject.

I don't even remember if it was a P-35 or a P-36, but it caught my attention.

 

 

I believe I heard it was a P-35 that Chenault was flying.

Thank you, my friends.

I'm enjoying this build very much.  :)

my biggest hurdle in the place I'm now living in, is finding a warm, dry place outside to spray some primer. 

But I'll get it figured out And I'll get some paint flowing soon.  :)

Very interesting W.I.P and I'm vicariously enjoying this  one. The pre war aircraft are my favorite subjects and I know that this one will not dissapoint in your capable hands.

As always, I love your scratch building.  Your subject is also something I don't see a lot of on the forum.  I'm looking forward to your paint scheme!

Toshi

Now that's a sweet idea. I love all of the oddball aircraft in the Pacific theatre. I hope you can find some more inspiration for that build! :)

i was thinking of making Chenault's a/c when he was in China making his evaluation of the Chinese Air Force before the AVG was formed. There's just one picture that I found. Not much to go on, but it was a pretty beat up plane that had obviously seen better days.

It would make an interesting subject.

I don't even remember if it was a P-35 or a P-36, but it caught my attention.

I have one partially built and sidelined. Mostly due to own wanting to deal with that razorback issue. Otherwise it really is a beauty. I'm planning on completing mine as one of the doomed fighters in the Philippines in 1941 flying from Del Carmen field. 

I took a look at that P-35A. That looks like a really nice kit. I will have to keep a thrifty eye on eBay for one of those.  

Thanks for cluing me in on that kit!  :)

They do a very nice P-35, and a P-26 as well. The only gig on the P-35 is that the rear canopy is too rounded on top. It should have a sharper razorback like the early Thinderbolt. Otherwise that kit is sweet. At least to me.

I didn't know about those. What about a P-35?

The Hobbycraft Hawk family of kits are not bad. From what I have read, most of the issues on their P-40s was due to not altering the parts that were common with both types. They are certainly better that this offering in both the cockpit and engines. They even offer the fixed landing gear version. If you can find one at a good price, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks, John. Your suggestion is more than valid. Unfortunately I don't have any spare engines that I could use on this kit and I can't spare the cash for any AM at this time.

Fortunately I find the challenge of scratch building very enjoyable. Lol

I know most of us would've scrapped the engine and cockpit for fully detailed resin improvements, but at this time it's not something I can afford.

Honestly, I'm really hoping RoG or Airfix might make a new tool of this classic pre/early warbird.

As was mentioned earlier, there are a lot of really cool paint schemes that this classic airframe could sport. I'm a huge fan of the pre-war American markings. :) I think they are beautiful and I've never had one for my own collection.

Now I have the opportunity and I'm very happy so far.  :D

I understand not wanting or having money to spend on extras.  That being said, the engine in particular is used on several aircraft, and I thought you might have an old kit or one that could be scrapped out to supply a better engine.  Justy a thought.  Good luck regardless.

John

Well, both Falcon and Squadron make vacuform canopies for the Hobbycraft P-36/Hawk 75/Mohawk kits that will most likely work for you...