P-36A

P-36A

P-36C

P-36A

P-36C

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.7	1.3	1.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

This page is about the aircraft P-36A. For other uses, see P-36 (Family).

Description

The P-36A Hawk is a rank I American fighter with a battle rating of 1.7 (AB/SB) and 1.3 (RB). This aircraft was introduced in Update 1.31.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
476	465	10058	17.5	18.5	4.4	6.9	168
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
534	504	10058	17.1	17.3	19.4	10.6	168

Details

Features
Combat flap	Take-off flap	Landing flap	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flap (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
681	290	520	~12	~5

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 290	< 380	< 460	> 250

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,981 m	1,050 hp	1,229 hp

Survivability and armour

• 9.5 mm steel behind the pilot
• Fuel tanks engine and pilot in the fuselage

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-36A is armed with:

• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 200 total)
• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 500 total)

Usage in battles

This fighter is a formidable dogfighter. Engage in turn-fights, however, you are not so strong so look around often.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable No automatic pitch	Not controllable	Controllable No automatic control	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator		Offensive 7.62 mm belts
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7.62 mm MGs
III	Wings Repair	Engine		Offensive 12.7 mm belts
IV		Engine Injection	Cover	New 12.7 mm MGs

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High climb rate, especially with WEP
• Decent turn time when upgraded
• Same armament as the P-26A-34/M2 Peashooter

Cons:

• Armament is inadequate for bombers

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

A single-seat cantilever monoplane fighter with all-metal construction, closed cockpit and retractable landing gear with a tail wheel. Designed by Don R. Berlin at the Curtiss Wright Corporation design bureau. The plane's prototype (Model 75B) completed its maiden flight in mid-April 1935. 

On the whole, test pilots gave the new plane positive reviews: they noted its ease of control and good manoeuvrability. The plane was also stable in flight and responded well to its pilot, reacting precisely to every movement of the stick.

Pleased with the results of the flight tests, the United States Army Air Corps signed a contract with the Curtiss company on 7 June, commissioning the immediate production of a series of 210 P-36A planes. This was the largest fighter order any American company had received since the end of World War I.

The plane was powered by the twin-row 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp air-cooled radial engine with a maximum output of 1,050 hp.

The plane's armament was standard for American fighters of the time – one 7.62 mm synchronized Colt-Browning ANM2.3 machine gun with 600 rounds and one 12.7 mm synchronized Colt-Browning ANM2.5 machine gun with 200 rounds.

The planes began to join USAAC combat units in April 1938. The first fighters joined the 55th, 77th and 79th Pursuit Squadrons, which made up the 20th Pursuit Group at the Barksdale Field airbase. As soon as the new plane went into active service, a number of problems became visible, in particular, the design's weak structural integrity and incomplete exhaust system. Nonetheless, the military continued to gradually switch to P-36A fighters in the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field (17th, 27th and 94th PS), the 8th Pursuit Group at Langley Field (33rd, 35th and 36th PS) and the 16th Pursuit Group in the Panama Canal Zone (24th, 29th and 43rd PS).

A total of 180 P-36A planes were produced.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.