AML Decals 1/72 Curtiss Hawk 75 Decal Sheets:
Czech Pilots on Hawks/Part I
French Pilots on Hawks/Part II
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Click on instructions to see decals
With the recent release of the AML 1/72 Hawk 75 kits, it's no surprise to see them come out with a pair of decal sheets for the plane. These two sheets offer a handful of examples from the French Air Force, with the first covering Czech pilots flying for the French and the second covering regular French pilots.
The Czech pilot sheet has a total of five planes, all finished in French 3-color camouflage. Two of these are of the same plane, just at different times during its career. Curtiss Hawk 75A-2 No. 140, coded UO 40, was flown between October 1939 and December 1939 by Cpl. Vladimir Vasek & Cpl. Otto Hanzlicek of CIC Chartres. During the Battle of France in 1940 it had a change of markings as well as crew, being flown by Cne. Josef Duda (1 victory, 1 probable) and Sgt. Chef Frantisek Chabera as well as Hanzlicek. The next choice is another Hawk 75A-2, No.145, coded UO 45, of GC II/5. This plane was flown by Lt. Jan Klan during the Battle of France in 1940, where he scored 5 victories and 3 probables. Option number four is a Hawk 75A-2, No. 129, coded UO 29. This plane was flown by Sgt. Chef Frantisek Chabera, who scored 5 victories and 2 probables while flying with the 4 Escadrille, GC II/5 during the Battle of France, 1940. The last example is a Hawk 75A-1, No. 58, coded X8 57. This plane had several pilots during its career, including Cne. Maria Monraisse (6+2 victories) of 1. Escadrille GC II/5 and Lt. Jan Klan (5+3 victories) & Cpl. Chef Otto Hanzlicek (2+1 victories) of 3. Escadrille GC II/5.
The French pilot sheet has a total of three planes, again finished in French 3-color camouflage. Unlike the Czech sheet, this sheet provides complete markings for each scheme (the Czech sheet only has one set of rudder bands). The first scheme is for a Hawk 75A-3, No. 217, flown by Lt. Edmond Marin La Meslt'e of 1. Escadrille GC I/5. The most successful ace during the Battle of France, he scored 16 victories and 4 probables. The second example is a Hawk 75A-2, No. 151, coded UO 51, of 1. Escadrille GC I/5. Flown by Cne. Jean Accart, this pilot scored 12 victories and 4 probables during the Battle of France early in 1940. The final example is a Hawk 75A-1, No. 99, coded X8 98, of GC I/4. This plane was flown by Sgt. Georges Lemare, who scored three victories during the Battle of France.
Both decal sheets are very well printed and the only real complaint is with the green bands on the Czech sheet (they're not a solid green and also aren't tailored to follow the contours of the fuselage). There's excellent register on all of the decals, made simpler by the separate center dots for all the roundels. If you're building a few Hawks, these sheets are a welcome addition.
