1/72 Arma Curtiss P-36A Plastic Model Kit

Plastic Model Kit – Requires Glue and Paint

70081 Curtiss P-36A

American version of the Curtiss P-36A Hawk
All-new tooling – 2025 release

Kit contents:

• Injection-moulded plastic parts (2 grey sprues and 1 clear)
• Decals for three marking options
• Pre-cut painting masks for canopy and wheels
• Assembly instructions

3D file contents:

• Pilot’s seat with seatbelts

• Fuselage bulkhead

• Instrument panel

• Exhaust pipes

Marking options:

• Curtiss P-36A, pilot: 2/Lt. Phillip Rasmussen, 46th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 7 December 1941
• Curtiss P-36A, Headquarters Squadron, 16th |Pursuit Group, Rio Hato Aerodrome, Panama 1941
• Curtiss P-36A, VII Air Force Gunnery School, Hickam Field, Hawaii 1943

Historical Background – Curtiss P-36A

In 1935, a modern all-metal monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear took to the skies for the first time. Designed by Curtiss-Wright for a U.S. Army Air Corps competition, it was designatedCurtiss Hawk Model 75by the manufacturer. After refinement, it entered service with the designationP-36A. The aircraft featured excellent performance and exceptional maneuverability—outclassing even some later designs like the Bf 109 and Hurricane in turning combat.

By the end of the 1930s, the USAAC had acquired 180 P-36A fighters, which were widely used by pursuit squadrons across the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Panama Canal Zone. When the Pacific War began, the P-36A was still in front-line service, although it was gradually being transferred to training and second-line units. The type played a significant role in preparing U.S. pilots for combat in more advanced fighter aircraft.

During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, five P-36A fighters from the 46th Pursuit Squadron managed to take off in response to the alarm. Among the pilots was2nd Lt. Phillip Rasmussen, who scrambled in his pajamas with only minimal armament and scored one of the first American aerial victories of World War II,most likely shooting down an A6M2 Zero.

Approximately1,000 Curtiss P-36 aircraftwere produced in all variants. They were powered byPratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin WasporWright R-1820 Cycloneradial engines, depending on the version and export contract. After adapting the airframe for the Allison V-1710 inline engine, a new and more advanced fighter emerged: theCurtiss P-40, which became a key asset for the USAAF and was produced in over 13,000 examples.