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The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American fighter aircraft that saw limited operational use during World War II. It was developed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation and served as a predecessor to the more famous P-40 Warhawk.
Description
The P-36 Hawk was a single-engine, all-metal monoplane fighter with a low-wing configuration and retractable landing gear. It featured a sleek aerodynamic design for its time, with an enclosed cockpit for the pilot. The aircraft was armed with a combination of machine guns mounted in the wings and fuselage, depending on the variant.
Specifications
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Operational History
The P-36 Hawk entered service in 1938 and was initially the standard fighter of the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). It saw action primarily in the early years of World War II, particularly during the defense of the Philippines and other Pacific outposts. It also served with the French Air Force, where it was known as the Hawk 75, during the Battle of France in 1940.
While the P-36 Hawk was eventually surpassed by more advanced fighters like the P-40 Warhawk and P-39 Airacobra, it provided valuable combat experience and contributed to the development of future fighter aircraft designs. Its agility and reliability in combat earned it respect among its pilots, despite being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft during the war.
Overall, the Curtiss P-36 Hawk's role as an early fighter in World War II, along with its contributions to aviation technology and combat tactics, solidifies its place in aviation history as an important transitional aircraft during the interwar period.
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Historical Artifacts: We are looking for photos, documents and other types of artifacts including uniforms, medals, insignia, gear, manuals, and training material. We accept electronic/scans or originals of pictures and paper records. A General Order could be an award document that contains information on many servicemen. Special Orders may contain transfers or other information. Flight records, accident reports, maintenance logs, after action reports, pilot encounter reports, diaries and biorgraphies; all of these types of documents help us support or mission: preserving your history! Contact us today for instructions on sending us this material. Contact Today
Are you an AAC, AAF or USAF Veteran, family member, historian or WW2 enthusiast? We Need YOU! Contact us today to see how you can help the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, a Texas Not-For-Profit Corporation. We need your help! We are looking for volunteers that can help us with the following tasks. Typing and Transcriptionists: One of our big projects is extracting data from the thousands of documents we have and putting this data into a database where we can display the information on a website such as this one. We also need assistance with retyping unit history documents.
