70094 Curtiss Hawk 81-A2.

Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 1/72 (70094)

Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 was one of the most recognizable versions of the Curtiss P-40 fighter, made famous by the pilots of the American Volunteer Group (AVG), known worldwide as the Flying Tigers. Their distinctive shark-mouth nose art, combat operations over China, and the tactics developed by General Claire Chennault made these aircraft icons of the early air war in the Far East.

This Arma Hobby kit represents the export version of the Hawk 81-A2 operated by the AVG in China during 1941–1942. These aircraft wore a distinctive camouflage scheme based on British specifications and applied using American-made DuPont paints, a subject that continues to attract the interest of aviation historians and scale modelers alike.

The kit will include three Flying Tigers marking options. Full details of the kit contents, features, and decal options will be revealed when pre-orders open.

Following the success of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk kits, Arma Hobby presents the next chapter in this famous family of American fighters. The Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 will be the first release in a new family of Curtiss Hawk 81, Tomahawk II, and P-40B/C kits from Arma Hobby.

Planned release: Summer 2026.

Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 – From the Hawk 75 to the Flying Tigers

The Curtiss Hawk 81 was developed directly from the successful Hawk 75 fighter, known in U.S. Army service as the P-36. Retaining much of its predecessor’s structure while introducing the Allison V-1710 inline engine, it became the first member of the famous P-40 family that would serve on every major front of the Second World War.

The earliest production aircraft entered service with both the U.S. Army Air Corps as the P-40 and the Royal Air Force as the Tomahawk. Aircraft built for British contracts were finished at the Curtiss factory in American-made DuPont paints formulated to match RAF camouflage colours. One hundred of these export fighters, designated Hawk 81-A2, were diverted before delivery and transferred to the American Volunteer Group in China.

Flying from late 1941, the Flying Tigers quickly earned worldwide fame by defending China and the Burma Road against Japanese air attacks. Under Claire Chennault’s leadership, the AVG exploited the Hawk’s speed, rugged construction and heavy armament while avoiding turning combat with more manoeuvrable Japanese fighters.

The unit’s famous shark-mouth nose art, inspired by RAF Tomahawks in North Africa, became one of the best-known aircraft markings of the war. Less familiar, but equally distinctive, were the squadron emblems: Adam and Eve, Hell’s Angels, and the Panda Bears, all complemented by the Disney-designed Flying Tiger insignia.

In July 1942 the AVG was disbanded and replaced by the USAAF’s 23rd Fighter Group. Equipped first with the surviving Hawk 81s and later with new P-40E fighters, it continued the mission in China with many former AVG pilots, preserving both the combat experience and the legend of the Flying Tigers.

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