Seversky P-35

**cardmodeler** · #1 02-23-2009, 09:18 PM

Here's one of my favorite planes of all. I LOVE the lines of this one! Looks like one that Clark Gable might have flown in the movie Test Pilot...

Anyway, it appears to be a hand-drawn job, with simplistic, cartoony-looking cockpit and such, and not many parts.

**ccoyle** · #2 02-23-2009, 10:11 PM

I love these early, monoplane fighters. There's something almost wistful about them. The biplanes had their day, and the bigger fighters (P-51, Hellcat, etc. etc.) had theirs, too. But the transitional monoplanes like the P-35, the P-36 Hawk, the Fokker D.XXI, and others had almost no day of their own (with a few notable exceptions like the Hurricane); no sooner had they hit the skies then they were quickly surpassed by the Spitfires, Bf-109's, and Zero-sens of the world. The rate of aircraft development in the 1930's was truly astonishing. I look forward to following your build.

Cheers!

**John Bowden** · #3 02-23-2009, 10:34 PM

You must add the P-26 Peashooter to this list.

Digital Navy has a great 1/33 scale one that make up three different versions.

Look forward to your build of the P-35.

john

**ccoyle** · #4 02-23-2009, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Bowden

You must add the P-26 Peashooter to this list.

Digital Navy has a great 1/33 scale one that make up three different versions.

I have that one in my stash, Philipine Air Force livery. Funny you should mention that kit, since it, too, has fairly simple graphics and construction. I was thinking of building it after I finish SMS Rhein.

Back to the original thread!

**Don Boose** · #5 02-24-2009, 07:03 AM

You are really doing a fine job with this model! I look forward to seeing it take shape.

The P-35 was a great airplane, both as a winner in the National Air Races and as a transitional fighter. I had a close friend who flew the P-35 in Swedish colors in the early 1940s. It was the export version, the EP-106, designated J-9 by the Swedish Flygvapnet -- he flew with Flygflottilj 8 from Barkaby Aerodrome.

It was an iconic U.S. Army fighter in the years just before WWII and even served briefly in combat with the 24th Pursuit Group at Clark Field in the Philippines in December 1941. There are photos of P-35s still in Swedish colors taxying at Clark Field -- they were on their way to Sweden just before the war when the U.S. Government appropriated them and sent them to the Philippines. There is an unconfirmed (as far as I know) rumor that some of them actually went into combat still wearing the Swedish insignia, but I think that is unlikely.

Bill Geoghegan has built this kit and has a detailed review at his website. I'm at the office and so can't get to my bookmark for it, but one version is here: Bill Geoghegan's Reviews (if drbill is monitoring the Forum, perhaps he will provide the URL for his page with the review).

Don