Update on Dave Diels’ Curtis P-36
by Dennis Norman
dennis@airacemodels.com
As I mentioned in my December 2015 column, Dave Diels is updating his line of ¹⁄₂₄-scale kits with laser-cut parts. Dave provided Rich Weber with a prototype kit of his new P-36 to build. Rich found a couple of glitches, which Dave quickly remedied. Production of Dave’s updated P-36 has since begun, and it should be available by the time you read this column.
Dave is a professional engineer who designs exceptional kits. With the latest addition of laser-cut parts, together with his Align-O-Tab construction method, a good thing has been made even better.
Dave’s kits come with excellent plans, tissue for covering, propellers, vacuum-formed canopies, wheels, wires, etc. The kits also feature top-notch decals. Both French and US markings are included with his new P-36 (see “Sources”).
History of the P-36
Advances in military aviation in the 1930s led the U.S. Army Air Corps to formulate a new pursuit design to replace Boeing’s spunky little P-26 Peashooter, which was having trouble keeping up with contemporary bombers. In response, Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Buffalo, New York, created Model 75 (the 75th airplane design developed by Curtiss).
When accepted by the U.S. Army, it was designated as the P-36 Hawk. However, exported versions were designated as the Hawk Model 75. With the P-36, an entirely new concept of US fighter design evolved. Curtiss developed an airframe that not only met current needs, but anticipated future needs, resulting in one of the greatest design longevities in aviation history. Both flight and ground crews were presented with a neat, well-liked package.
Col. Hurst G. Bowers, was the curator of the National Model Aviation Museum when AMA was located in Reston, Virginia. He told me years ago that the nimble P-36 was a delight to fly, but the relentless pressure of aviation progress in the 1930s led Curtiss to modify it from a radial-engine type to an in-line version, which gave rise to the P-40 Warhawk that was so successful in early World War II.
Hawk 75 Semi Kit from Air Ace
Air Ace Models markets a semi kit of the Curtiss Hawk 75 A-3. It provides you with a highly detailed 24-page presentation that includes a four-view scale drawing, a history of the Hawk Model 75, a cutaway drawing, numerous photographs, extensive construction notes, plus a list of books and magazine articles about the Hawk. Also mentioned are plastic kits of the P-36, which help with details of the shape and structure.
Added to this are construction plans (with complete parts drawings) and
Curtiss Hawk 75 A3
Dennis O. Norman
three sheets of Esaki tissue printed in full color for a Vichy Hawk 75 (the French Air Force version). Air Ace does not provide the wood or other materials needed for building the model, but the materials are readily available at hobby shops and/or craft stores.
For those who wish to build a Diels P-36 and cover it with Air Ace tissue, a special offering of 1/24-scale Hawk 75 printed tissue (see photo) is available. Standard Air Ace semi kits come in Peanut Scale (with a 13-inch wingspan) or Walnut Scale (approximately 5/8 inch = 1 foot). Combining a Diels updated P-36 kit with the special Air Ace coverings would produce a delightful aircraft!
Greg Thomas Takes a Break
Greg Thomas, from Thomas Designs, has announced that he is taking a well-deserved break from marketing his exquisite airplane kits to allow more time for building and flying. It is unclear whether his plans and kits will again be available, but we owe him thanks for his fine work in aeromodeling.
Best wishes to Greg, and I look forward to seeing him at upcoming contests.
Calendar Reminders for 2016
Here are a few 2016 calendar reminders.
The Flying Aces Club (FAC) Nats will be held in Geneseo, New York, July 13-16. This is the largest FAC gathering and promises to attract modelers from around the world to join the fun.
The always-impressive Dawn Patrol Rendezvous will be held at the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, on October 1-2.
Edward A. Novak, of the Glastonbury Modelers and the Pinkham Field Irregulars, sent me issue number 56 of Squadrons Up, the club’s newsletter, to remind me that 2016 is the 50th anniversary of the first FAC, which was started by the legendary Dave Stott and Bob Thompson in 1966.
To read more, contact the club’s newsletter correspondent, Paul Stott. His contact information is listed in “Sources.” Here’s to another 50!
SOURCES:
Air Ace Models
(216) 631-7887
www.airacemodels.com
Diels Engineering, Inc.
dielsengr@buckeye-express.com
www.dielsengineeringinc.com
FAC
Ross P. Mayo, president
skyami@att.net
National Museum of the US Air Force
(937) 255-3286
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Squadrons Up
Paul Stott, correspondent
(203) 929-5139
Thomas Designs
(952) 435-1086
thomasdesigns@frontiernet.net
Dawn Patrol Rendezvous
David Thomas, event coordinator
david.thomas.11@us.af.mil
National Free Flight Society (NFFS)
www.freeflight.org
