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The Curtiss P-36 began its life in the US where it was considered a revolution in performance design in comparison to other US fighters. Its pilots achieved some of the first American victories of the war and many went on to become aces. One P-36 pilot, Frances Gabreski, became the leading US ace in the European Theatre. Yet by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the P-40 was increasingly supplanting the P-36, which the US then exported to France under the guise of the Hawk 75. Flown by the French, captured by the Germans, sold to the Finns, transferred to India and Africa, and even incorporated into the RAF, the Hawk 75 saw service in every theatre of operations and in a variety of combat environments. This book depicts the fascinating life of an aircraft that fought on both sides in the war, including the oft-overlooked Vichy French Air Force, with colour artwork and photographs illustrating just how many national P-36 variants there were. First hand accounts recreate many of the conflicts that gave rise to over 60 pilots from several nations becoming aces flying P-36 variants. This volume completes the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces coverage of the Curtiss Hawk family.
Contents:
* Chapter1 In the Beginning
* Chapter 2 The Battle of France
* Chapter 3 In African Skies
* Chapter 4 Defending Finland
* Chapter 5 The Rising Sun
* Chapter 6 ‘Old Soldiers Never Die…’
* Appendices
Kari Stenman is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable authority on the Finnish Air Force in World War 2, having written over a dozen books on the subject since the late 1960s. The co-author of the successful Aircraft of the Aces volume on Finnish fighter pilots, he runs his own publishing company in Finland.
Andrew Thomas is one of Britain's most pre-eminent RAF researchers, having published numerous squadron histories. He is presently a serving officer in the RAF.
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