P-36 cannibalisation

[Blitz23]

Gents I've got built P-36a-3 which I ruined the paintwork on ages ago.  In the stash I have a hobbycraft Hawk 75M/N/O, I am considering taking the wings and undercarriage and from the pre built model and building up the fuselage to give me a P-36a-4 or Mohawk IV, I think that'll be correct from what I've seen. Question is I wanted to do a French bird but I can only find decals for the early Hawks bar Berna decals but without seeing a/c profiles I can't tell if they're applicable or if they're just for early Hawks. Failing that I'll have to model a RAF Mohawk.  

Anyone any ideas? 

[brewerjerry]

3 hours ago, Blitz23 said:

........

 I wanted to do a French bird 

.....

Hi

    Just going to clean out some of my thoughts  

 

 

  cheers J 

      

[Blitz23]

Ahhhhh phrasing 🤣

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello Blitz23

I presume you are working on 1/48 kit? If so none of three Berna sets provide decals for A-4. Photos, let alone decals, of French H75 A-4 are difficult to find. I remember seeing a photo of overall silver H75 A-4 just off production line without any markings apart from French tricolore and another one showing nose of one of Vichy planes. There are some colour profiles, though. One is published in Osprey's book P-36 Aces of the WWII. Apparently MustHave! offers decals for this plane with its 1/48 kit and one French chap built it into impressive model here. Scraping together decals for this kit  would be difficult, although not impossible. Azur also offers markings for Vichy H75 A-4 No 4 in his 1/72 kit here. These should not be too hard to put together or print them at home as the only difference from standard early Vichy markings is in type declaration on rudder which reads H751-C1 instead of H75-C1 for P&W versions. AJ press published profile of No 327 in its first book about P-36, although I have some doubts about it as its rudder type declaration reads H75-C1 which clearly does not match declaration on Curtiss factory photo here (scroll down). Also, serial number is too high. There are also FFSMC Production decals. FFSMC apparently produces (produced?) at least two sets for Wright powered H75s. There is 1/32 set available (and 1/48 sets were also for sale) on certain auction web page here but for unknown reason (out of stock?) they do not show on FFSMC home page here.

It does not sounds too promising. Still, good luck with your build whichever colour scheme you may choose. Cheers

Jure

[Blitz23]

2 hours ago, Jure Miljevic said:

Hello Blitz23

I presume you are working on 1/48 kit? If so none of three Berna sets provide decals for A-4. Photos, let alone decals, of French H75 A-4 are difficult to find. I remember seeing a photo of overall silver H75 A-4 just off production line without any markings apart from French tricolore and another one showing nose of one of Vichy planes. There are some colour profiles, though. One is published in Osprey's book P-36 Aces of the WWII. Apparently MustHave! offers decals for this plane with its 1/48 kit and one French chap built it into impressive model here. Scraping together decals for this kit  would be difficult, although not impossible. Azur also offers markings for Vichy H75 A-4 No 4 in his 1/72 kit here. These should not be too hard to put together or print them at home as the only difference from standard early Vichy markings is in type declaration on rudder which reads H751-C1 instead of H75-C1 for P&W versions. AJ press published profile of No 327 in its first book about P-36, although I have some doubts about it as its rudder type declaration reads H75-C1 which clearly does not match declaration on Curtiss factory photo here (scroll down). Also, serial number is too high. There are also FFSMC Production decals. FFSMC apparently produces (produced?) at least two sets for Wright powered H75s. There is 1/32 set available (and 1/48 sets were also for sale) on certain auction web page here but for unknown reason (out of stock?) they do not show on FFSMC home page here.

It does not sounds too promising. Still, good luck with your build whichever colour scheme you may choose. Cheers

Jure

Thanks Jure yes 1/48, yeah I saw the profile in my copy of Ospreys P-36 aces, didn't realise it would be this tricky to get decals for a later type. I'll keep looking worst comes to worst I have Finnish or RAF options. Thanks for your help!

[Jure Miljevic]

One of SAAF Mohawk IV for East Africa is second on my list. Still, I would prefer much more colourful French H75 A-4. Cheers

Jure

[Blitz23]

I'll probably go with these if I can't find any French decals

 

 

 

[Jure Miljevic]

It is going to be 3rd Sqn. SAAF for me like the fourth profile from the top here, probably with DIY decals. For a period of time these planes had had unit badges painted just aft of engine cowling, fortunately on white disc backgrounds, so it is not going to be very difficult to cut circular backgrounds from white decal film. Alas, the same could not be said for that GC II/5 Indian head badge background. Cheers

Jure