Classic Airframes 1/48 Curtiss BF2C-1
& Curtiss Hawk III

By Michael Benolkin

Background

Curtiss had developed a strong reputation within the US military as well as with the allied nations for building robust aircraft. The BF2C was an outgrowth of the earlier fixed-gear BFC produced for the USN, incorporating the manually operated retractable landing gear found on the Grumman FF. Despite its advanced features, including the solid Wright Cyclone R-1820 engine of 700 hp, the BF2C was plagued with technical problems that led it to be withdrawn from service less than a year after its introduction.

While the USAAC was operating liquid-cooled engines in its Hawks, Curtiss decided to build an export Hawk based on the BF2C airframe. One of the major problems that had plagued the BF2C was vibration from the Cyclone engine. Curtiss solved the problem in the Hawk III with a revised wing structure. Other changed included a three-bladed propeller (the BF2C used a two-bladed prop), deletion of the tailhook, a new cowl, and other cosmetic revisions. The resulting aircraft saw service with China against the Japanese invasion, with Thailand against the French (and later Japan), and Argentina.

As with any limited production kit, the plastic will require a little fitting and trimming to get a smooth fit, but the work will be minimal. There are no ejector pin marks on any visible parts of the kit, and there is very little flash. All of the details are finely scribed, while the wings and tail surfaces are nicely molded to represent fabric over rib structures.

The resin parts are common between the two kits, with beautifully molded cylinders, exhaust manifolds, and core structure for the Cyclone engine, detailed wheel wells, and cockpit interior. The casting is intricate and free of flash, bubbles and other annoyances.

The white metal parts comprise the retractable landing gear struts and mechanism as well as the fixed tailwheel. The casting work on these parts is equally as nice as the resin.

Another nice touch in these kits is the inclusion of a color profile for painting and placement of decals. This solves the ambiguities that even the aftermarket decal makers sometimes confront us with, trying to represent colors and markings in shades of grey, then copying these instructions for production. The results are sometimes frustrating!

The BF2C has markings for two machines from VB-5B aboard the USS Ranger. This was the only unit to operate the BF2C before its withdrawal from service. With a little homework (or referring to the guide we produced for marking early USN fighters in the F3F-1 article a few months ago), you can represent any of the VB-5B aircraft.

The Hawk III kit provides markings for a Chinese Air Force machine as it appeared in 1937, or a Royal Thai Air Force machine circa 1940/41.

Conclusion

These kits will look great next to the other between-the-wars biplanes that Classic Airframes has produced as well as with the F3Fs currently available from Accurate Miniatures. If you are a 1/48 scale post-WW1 biplane builder, this is a great time for you! If not, you might want to give one of these kits a try for a change of pace – you might become a convert! My sincere thanks to Classic Airframes for these review samples.