70082 Curtiss P-36C.

70082 Curtiss P-36C

Model of an aircraft from the final production series of the P-36A, featuring additional wing-mounted armament. Used for training and camouflage testing, it offers a visually appealing variety of paint schemes.

In the box you will find:

• plastic sprues (2 grey and 1 clear)
• 3D-printed spent-cartridge containers for the wing machine guns
• decals for three marking options
• painting masks for the cockpit and wheels
• instruction booklet
• 3D file for self-printing additional details

Free 3D self-printing file

Available for download via QR code or link provided in the model instructions.

3D file contents:

pilot’s seat with harness, fuselage bulkhead, instrument panel, exhaust pipes

Marking options:

• Curtiss P-36C, 27th Pursuit Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group,
  National Air Races, Cleveland, Ohio, September 1939
  Aircraft finished in one of the most distinctive experimental camouflage schemes used by the 27th PS. The temporary, high-contrast paintwork was intended for display purposes and formed part of trials conducted prior to the introduction of standard wartime camouflage schemes.
• Curtiss P-36C, 27th Pursuit Squadron, USAAC,
  Selfridge Field, Michigan, 1939
  Aircraft photographed before the application of display camouflage, finished in the uniform, classic scheme used by frontline units. An example of the early appearance of the P-36C before the intensive camouflage testing phase.
• Curtiss P-36C, 23rd Composite Group,
  Eglin Field, Florida, 1941-1942
  Aircraft used for intensive training and test flights. The unit took part in training interception exercises involving B-25B bombers from James H. Doolittle’s unit, prior to the Tokyo raid in April 1942. The provisional camouflage and visible wear are the result of frequent flying and repeated repainting.

Curtiss P-36C Hawk – a short production run at the dawn of a new era

The Curtiss P-36 Hawk was the first modern American fighter aircraft introduced into frontline service with the USAAC. It was developed in response to rapid changes in global military aviation during the second half of the 1930s and marked a clear departure from earlier biplane designs. Retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit, and an all-metal airframe made it the starting point for subsequent generations of American fighter aircraft.

P-36C Features

The P-36C variant represented the final stage in the development of the design and was produced in a very limited series. The last thirty P-36A airframes were completed to this new standard, introducing the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-17 engine rated at 1,200 hp along with reinforced armament. Aircraft of this version were fitted with additional .30-caliber machine guns in the wings, with distinctive externally visible containers for spent cartridges mounted under the wings — a feature that became one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of the P-36C.

The small number of aircraft produced meant that P-36Cs did not form separate, uniform units but were instead dispersed among squadrons operating mainly earlier P-36A variants. Their largest concentration was within the 27th Pursuit Squadron, which became a natural base for operational trials and testing of new solutions, including experimental camouflage schemes.

P-36C in 27th Pursuit Squadron

Aircraft of the 27th Pursuit Squadron played a key role in the camouflage experiments conducted in 1939. The culmination of these efforts was the participation of P-36Cs in the National Air Races held in September 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio. The aircraft displayed there attracted attention with bold, high-contrast, and often temporary paint schemes, applied without unified guidelines and treated as a testing ground for future standards.

Eglin Field and P-36 vs Doolittle bombers

Another unit operating the P-36C was the 23rd Composite Group based at Eglin Field, Florida. This was the location of the Air Corps Proving Ground, where fighter and bomber tactics were refined and extensive research work was carried out. The same facility later trained B-25B crews for the famous Tokyo raid in April 1942, with P-36 aircraft also taking part in training bomber gunners.

As a result, the Curtiss P-36C entered history as one of the most ambiguous and visually diverse Hawk variants. The short production run, dispersal among units and intensive testing meant that nearly every aircraft differed in equipment details and external appearance, making this version particularly attractive to researchers and modelers interested in the transitional period in the development of American fighter

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