Author Topic: Inconsequential Curtiss Hawks of the Liechtenstein Air Service  (Read 2758 times)

Offline Brian da Basher

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Curtiss Hawk 75A-2C of the Principality of Liechtenstein's Luftkommando 2 assigned to interceptor duty in defense of the micro-state's capitol, Vaduz.















This aircraft wears the spurious serial number 0389 in an amusing attempt to convince observers that there were almost 400 of the things.



Actually, only 12 were ever in service, having been passed on by the French Armée de l'Air. These  were up-gunned locally with two 19 mm Hotchkiss cannons in the wings complimenting the existing machine guns in the cowling synchronized to fire through the propeller.





The Liechtenstein Hawks were also equipped with the latest in radio direction finding gear as they often flew long patrols ranging over distances of 40 kilometers or more.





These pursuits would valiantly protect the tiny principality's neutrality in the early stages of W.W. II and eventually finished their careers as trainers, the last one finally stricken off charge in 1963.





Brian da Basher

« Last Edit: July 20, 2019, 12:45:04 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Inconsequential Curtiss Hawks of the Liechtenstein Air Service
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2019, 12:18:33 AM »
This all started when a 1/72 Buzco/Heller Curtiss Hawk 75A showed up in the mail sent by a very good friend (thanks a million, hamsterman!). While the box art may not be much...



...and what's inside is pretty basic...



it can still be built up as a credible Hawk-75/P-36 if you know the pitfalls and proceed carefully.

The main weak point in this kit is the cowling. This is the second time I've built this kit and it always ends up with a saw-tooth gap up front. Thank goodness for Mr Tamiya's miracle putty smoothed out with nail polish remover! This trick truly saved the day. I have no idea how this kit could be built decently back before such things as modelling putty existed.



The first thing I did was shoot the canopy off into oblivion (it's still MIA) so it was replaced with one from an Airfix P-40. I decided with that nice, broad cowling this kit was perfect to morph into one of the more esoteric versions with fully enclosed nose guns and short, painted exhaust stacks like the NEI ones in this photo:





I also added an RDF football made from the ammo drum of a tail gun from an Airfix Stuka and tacked on those terribly intimidating Hotchkiss wing cannons cut from sprue. More sprue was replaced the kit's upper gear doors and bits of this great plastic tubing Mr Fontaine (thanks, amigo!) sent me were used for the short exhaust stacks.



The model was brush-painted by hand in acrylics, Model Masters Light Sea Gray and Euro 1 Dark green mostly with a custom red and Polly Scale Prussian Blue on the rudder. The engine was painted Flat Black and dry-brushed with Aluminum to pick out the details and the guns were given a custom gunmetal mix. The canopy was tinted on the inside with Model Masters Gold.





Markings were cobbled together from spares. Swedish crests cut in two became the crown on the rudder and squadron badge. Rudder stripes from an Airfix HP-0/400 were used for the national insignia on the wings and the codes were from a Penn Central railroad sheet.





Before I forget, here's the "money shots", good ol' U.S. penny for scale.





It took me four days to put this together and I had a blast the entire time. I just love Curtiss Hawks!



Many thanks to Bill for his kindness in sending me the kit and Jeff for that cool tubing. I couldn't have done it without them!



Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 20, 2019, 12:58:27 AM by Brian da Basher »

Offline Inactive

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Well...
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2019, 06:39:42 AM »
...the late 1960s 1/72 Heller P-36 kit is good but Monogram's is way better, haven't researched any of the newer kits.

Offline FAAMAN

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Re: Inconsequential Curtiss Hawks of the Liechtenstein Air Service
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2019, 06:44:55 AM »
Nicely done  8) 8)
"Resistance is useless, prepare to be assembled!"

Offline Camthalion

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Re: Inconsequential Curtiss Hawks of the Liechtenstein Air Service
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2019, 08:08:44 AM »
another great one Brian.  Nice work

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Well...
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2019, 09:09:19 AM »
...the late 1960s 1/72 Heller P-36 kit is good but Monogram's is way better, haven't researched any of the newer kits.

You got that right! That Monogram kit is best in class for 1/72 P-36s.





It's surprisingly easy to navalize by using a Hellcat windshield and adding a tail hook and drop tank.





Next best in scale is the Revell Hawk 75:



Which is surprisingly amenable to a P-35 canopy:



The Buzco/Heller version falls somewhere in the middle and is vastly improved by adding spats:



From what I can ascertain, the more recent Azur release is similar, if not an outright reboxing of the Buzco/Heller product.

Bringing up the rear is the rather horrid Aoshima/MPC kit:





Ugh.  :-X

It's rather fun to Soviet-ize it by using a Polkarpov cowling face:



Indeed the Monogram P-36 is the best of the bunch in 1/72 my friend.

I like it fine on floats:



I like it even better with those spicy maple leafs:



but as with most aircraft, it's at its best with spats!





Anyway that gets you caught up on most of my P-36 builds. Yet more proof those old classics can be a blast!

I'm glad you guys enjoyed part one of my smaller air forces project. More to come.

Brian da Basher
« Last Edit: July 20, 2019, 09:53:33 AM by Brian da Basher »

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The 1980s Monogram P-36 Disaster Et. Al.
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2019, 09:57:06 AM »
...the late 1960s 1/72 Heller P-36 kit is good but Monogram's is way better, haven't researched any of the newer kits.

You got that right! That Monogram kit is best in class for 1/72 P-36s.

---

Brian da Basher

Aside from trashing a first-issue Monogram B-36 in 1980 (don't ask how...please!) loosing the fully-built silver bird Monogram P-36 with kit decals sometime later went beyond devastating, this after trying to correct a less-than-satisfactory windshield glue-on, modeler's equivalent of picking on a hot boil  :o Unsurprisingly am able to recite near every modeling disaster I'd made - or didn't in a few cases, e.g. loosing two mostly painted yet to be assembled Italeri FIAT BR.20s in 2008 after elbow dumping near full bottle of lacquer thinner on them  :o Also trashed two Azur Breda 65s c.2013 whilst cutting out dorsal section to pop in rear gunner's station, buggers cost nearly much as that Monogram B-36!
« Last Edit: July 20, 2019, 10:02:39 AM by Retired In Kalifornia »

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Inconsequential Curtiss Hawks of the Liechtenstein Air Service
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2019, 09:59:39 AM »
Looks good, Brian! There are more people in my little "town" (Westwood) than in all of Lickthestein.

I think the P-36 is your equivalent of Bill's B-36s.