Curtiss P-36 Hawk

Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Hawk Model 75, was a United States-built fighter aircraft of the late 1930s. Developed by Curtiss-Wright under designer Donovan Berlin, it represented a significant shift from biplane to modern monoplane design for the United States Army Air Corps. Though quickly surpassed by more advanced contemporaries, its robust airframe became the direct progenitor of the famed Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and saw extensive combat service with several nations during World War II.

Development and design

The P-36 originated from Curtiss-Wright's private venture, the Model 75, designed to meet a United States Army Air Corps pursuit aircraft competition in 1935. Chief designer Donovan Berlin created an all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit, and initially powered by a Wright R-1670 radial engine. After losing the initial fly-off to the Seversky P-35, the design was re-engined with a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine. This revised aircraft won a follow-on contract in 1937, leading to the United States Army Air Corps designation P-36. The design featured a semi-monocoque fuselage, stressed skin construction, and was armed with one .30-caliber and one .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.

Operational history

With the United States Army Air Corps, the P-36A equipped several pursuit squadrons but was considered obsolete by the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. A handful of P-36As from the 15th Pursuit Group engaged Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft during the attack, scoring some of the first United States aerial victories of World War II. Its most significant combat service was with the French Air Force, which purchased the aircraft as the H75. H75 pilots achieved considerable success during the Battle of France in 1940 against the Luftwaffe, with aces like Edmond Marin la Meslée scoring multiple victories. Exported models saw extensive action with the Republic of China Air Force against Imperial Japanese Army Air Service forces and with the Royal Air Force (as the Mohawk) in Burma campaign and North African campaign. The Finnish Air Force used the type effectively against the Soviet Air Forces during the Continuation War.

Variants

The primary variant for the United States Army Air Corps was the P-36A with the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine. The P-36C added two extra wing-mounted machine guns. The major production variant was the Model 75A for export, which included the H75A for the French Air Force with different engine fits like the Wright R-1820 and Pratt & Whitney R-1830. The Royal Air Force received H75As as the Mohawk I through IV. A single prototype, the XP-36B, was fitted with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine with a turbocharger. The radical Curtiss XP-37 featured an Allison V-1710 inline engine in an extended fuselage, leading directly to the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

Operators

The primary military operators included the United States Army Air Corps and, during World War II, the United States Army Air Forces. Major export operators were the French Air Force, the Royal Air Force, and the Republic of China Air Force. Other significant operators were the Finnish Air Force, the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force, and the Norwegian Army Air Service. Post-war, some aircraft served with smaller air forces such as those of Argentina and Peru.

Specifications (P-36A)

* **Crew:** 1 * **Length:** 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) * **Wingspan:** 37 ft 4 in (11.38 m) * **Height:** 8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) * **Wing area:** 236 sq ft (21.9 m²) * **Empty weight:** 4,567 lb (2,072 kg) * **Gross weight:** 5,650 lb (2,563 kg) * **Powerplant:** 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,050 hp (780 kW) * **Maximum speed:** 313 mph (504 km/h, 272 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) * **Range:** 825 mi (1,328 km, 717 nmi) * **Service ceiling:** 32,700 ft (9,967 m) * **Armament:** 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine gun and 1 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun

Category:Fighter aircraft Category:World War II American fighter aircraft Category:Curtiss aircraft