Curtiss P-36 (Mohawk) Hawk

[vascoribeiro69]

Portugal received some Mohawk from England in the early 40´s.

[granskare]

nice but the guy doing the starting bit ought to have gotten a but :)

[yurasseck]

Aí sim eram pilotos de verdade, sem gps, sem eletrônica, no mapa, quando tinha e em alto mar, como era?

[CapKorzeniowski]

This must be from India/Burma 1942. I've read stories about RAF/RAAF Hurricanes and Buffalos fighting the Japs on this front, but nothing about the P-36 Hawk - does anyone know their story?

[Mannock]

@CapKorzeniowski There is a marvelous book called Mohawks Over Burma by Gerry Beauchamp, written in 1985. It covers everything about the air campaign in Burma from 1941 to 1943. The Mohawks escorted Hurricane fighters converted to tactical bombers, called Hurribombers. I have a copy and love it. Air supremacy in Burma was established by these remarkable planes.

[CapKorzeniowski]

@Mannock

Thanks! I will try to find this book :)

[talkonfox]

oh, much effort was applied to start the engine ! Nice job and salute to him!! :)

[Treetop64]

Dude was cranking the shit out of that inertia wheel! XD

[kolbpilot]

@Treetop64 Man, that can't be the standard win up, can it? If so, Christ all mighty, those crew chiefs were in shape! My take on it is I think this guy wound it up double fast to ensure the pilot could get 2 tries if necessary. But the crew chief is on it, for the engine bursts to life immediately. Nice video of an esoteric aircraft.

[Kagetora2010]

GC I/5 is credited with 11 kills on 12 May, 1940 from an engagement with unescorted Stukas from L/StG 76 bombing French troops near Sedan. In fact, the actual reported losses for the German unit were three JU 87s destroyed and two damaged.

[romanbrough]

I am sure that I read that a French squadron of these caught some un-escorted Ju 87s in May 1940, and absoloutely destroyed them. They were good fighters for 1940. Not quite as good as a Spitfire or 109, but good.

[Kagetora2010]

@romanbrough GC I/5 actually downed three and damaged two Stukas during this engagement described as a "pigeon shoot." A nine-ship patrol from this unit later downed five HE 111s and damaged three more from I. and II/KG 55. Overclaiming was a perennial problem on both sides to be fair, and the Hawk 75 was handicapped by its light armament of 7.5mm machine guns, forcing the French pilots to engage as close as possible to maximize the effect of their light weaponry.

[thudar9]

Gunner do you have any idea where the footage of the P-36's was shot?

[sakkurae]

my grandfather shot commies down in Finland vs soviet union with these

[safetychoice]

French P-36s fought Grumman Wildcats during the invasion of North Africa. It was pretty much of a draw. Meaning no disrespect to the pilots who died in these battles.

[Blasphemisaurusaoe3]

A rarely shined-upon success story, this plane.

[NightmareGbg]

Nice looking plane.One of those almost ended Günter Rall's career in 1940.

[kolbpilot]

@NightmareGbg Your right. Just goes to show sometimes better lucky than good. The P 36 (75) was on him.

[PerminantPhase]

listen to that baby purr

[granskare]

it did a good job for the Finnish air force against the USSR.

[listonUK]

My grandfather flew these planes in Burma. Thanks for posting this video.

[EricIrl]

Lovely footage.

I've just picked up a 1/72 Monogram kit of the Hawk. They largely went un-noticed in WW2 mainly because they were superseded by later types, including their own descendants, the P-40 family.

[tplanefun]

Glad for electric starter motors. Cranking the centrifical starters are alot of work....but oh the memories..

[bv141a]

Brits in Burma?

[DEP717]

Yes. Pretty rough campaign there. Later on the US got involved too with Merrill's Marauders and that crew.

Lord Mountbatten was very big on the Allied cause in Asia too.

[bv141a]

very long and almost forgotten,the secondhand front,what was leftover from Europe or cast off from the Pacific found it's way to Burma.Grant tanks,p 40's and even p 36's

[mig25pd]

Thanks for this - excellent - very interesting.

[lgday]

i know it was considered obselescent at the beginning of the war. still it is one of my favorite airplanes. after all eight p-36 hawks were the first american fighters to shoot down japanese planes (10) during the pearl harbor attack. not to shabby for a "washed up" fighter.

[basto40]

ahhh! Le p36..Nos anciens ont fait leur armes dessus...Une version du h75?...

[blownglasslide]

This is great stuff! Where did you find this footage?

[Hanglands]

Is there not one of these at Flying Legends evry year? Im sure there is. Largely overlooked, and very much in the shadow of its neighbours.

[midpoint37]

Kudos to the guy winding up the rubber band.

Just joking.

Thanks for posting this, it's excellent.