The RC P-6E Curtiss Hawk

Plans of a 1/4 scale RC P-6E Hawk, with downloadable PDF files, of struts, brackets & a muffler. Easy building and flying and secure payment via PayPal.

Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model

This is the biggest airplane I have designed, at 1/4 full size, but it does use conventional balsa and ply construction. I have made the outline as accurate as I can and the number of ribs are scale, as you will find out when you start to build!

The fiberglass wheel pants are available and I built my own fiberglass upper cowl, by using a pink foam mold and laying the glass over it. Special attention was given to engine cooling, by using scale front ducts and the center of the numbers are cut-out, to allow cooling air in. Air exit is taken care of with a duct, that curves down and exits at the lower fuselage.

Power is provided by a ZDZ 50 gas engine, that is equipped with a special scale muffler, that was built to order, by Bisson Custom Mufflers. Any engine that has side or rear exhaust and the carburetor rear mounted, should be able to be adapted. I think that the side mounted carb. of the Zenoah engines would be a problem, for the scale muffler.

The upper and lower wings of this RC P-6E, are plug in, using aluminum tubes and I built "jury" struts to hold the upper and lower wings, as a unit (left side and right side). This speeds field assembly and the majority of scale rigging can be permanently left in place.

For more details and a preview of the CAD drawn plans, of the RC P-6E Hawk, visit this page.

You will find, on this page, all the metal parts, that require fabrication. Some are available from suppliers, but some require home workshop manufacture. All are included with the plans, but PDF files can be downloaded here and printed on your home printer. This makes it more convenient for you, in the workshop and for sending to suppliers. You will also find links to all the suppliers that I used, during construction of the prototype.


The landing gear blank for the RC P-6E Curtiss Hawk

Here is the first drawing, that by clicking on the image, you will be able to download a PDF file. This file can be E-mailed to TNT Landing Gear Products or you can use their form, for custom made gear. The gear for the RC P-6E, is not listed, as a standard part, so each one is made to order.

As you can see in the above photograph, the final gear is completed by adding fairings and wheel pants. Full details are shown on the RC airplane plans. Note that the landing gear flexes and a small gap (about 1/16 in.) is left between the top of the fairing and the fuselage. This allows the gear to flex a small amount.

The finished gear is removable and I made the scale radiator, a part of the assembly, and when removed, access is possible to the inside of the fuselage. I mounted a battery pack inside.

Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model, landing gear

The cabane struts for the RC P-6E Hawk

These are made up of three assemblies. They are split in the center, so as they can be removed. This makes finishing the center of the fuselage, much simpler.

I used TNT Landing Gear Products again, to supply the blanks. Please not that TNT supplies each pair of cabanes as a single unit. You will have to saw them in half and drill all the holes.

Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model, cabane strut
Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model, cabane strut
Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model, cabane strut

Please note that the struts were faired with balsa, to a teardrop cross section and the aileron extension lead was built in .


The Scale Muffler

This was made to order, by Bisson Custom Mufflers. It was designed to suit the ZDZ 50 gas engine. 

Any engine of similar power, can be used. For this muffler design, a type that has side exhaust and rear mounted carburetor, is best. It is noted on the drawing, that steel or aluminum can be used for construction, but note the weight! The original used aluminum and the sound generated is super!

Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model,scale muffler drawing

The interplane strut brackets

A total of eight are required, as shown on the drawing, for the RC P-6E. they are made from 1/16 in. thick aluminum and the angle specified is adjusted, to suit the wing alignment.

Curtiss P-6E Hawk:1/4 scale RC model,strut parts

Ordering information for the RC P-6E Hawk plans

  • Price of the Curtiss P-6E Hawk Plans-  $55.00USD. (9 CAD drawn sheets)
  • If you order through this site, you will receive an e-mail order receipt from PayPal.
  • Shipping and handling of plans for orders within the United States APO- air mail rolled in a tube- $12.50 USD.
  • Orders to Canada-Air mail and rolled in a tube- $20.00 USD.
  • Overseas orders- Air mail and rolled in a tube-  $28.00 USD.
  • If you have any questions please Contact Us.
Price of 9 CAD drawn sheets of the 1/4 scale Curtiss P-6E Hawk - $55.00 US plus shipping cost. 
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Plans: PDF Format

The plans are now available in PDF format. You can buy using PayPal and print the plans locally.

Note that a set is 9 pages, each one 36"(914.4mm) wide X 75"(1905mm)long approximately. All parts are shown full size and on separate sheets that can be cut-out and pasted to balsa and or ply for cutting out.(Or you can buy the set of laser cut parts-I did this and found they are of excellent quality and certainly saved a LOT of time!)

Price for the 9 sheets of the 1/4 scale P-6E Hawk, in PDF format, is $25.00USD e-mailed to you.

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Laser Cut Parts

  • We now can supply a set of laser cut parts for the 1/4 scale RC P-6E Hawk
  • Parts are supplied by Bob  Holman Plans- the premium RC airplane laser cutter in the U.S.
  • Price of the set is $250.00 USD .
  • If you order through this site, you will receive an e-mail order receipt from PayPal.
  • This set is a "short kit" of a large scale model aircraft and includes all the balsa and ply parts, laser cut to shape but no sheet or strip balsa is included.
  • Note that no hardware is supplied.
  • If you have any questions. please Contact Us.

Price of the Laser Cut Parts for the 1/4 Scale RC P-6E Hawk=$250.00USD plus Shipping & Handling Costs

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Extra Items Required as well as Laser Cut Parts

Please click here to see these items.




Curtiss P-6E Hawk

For more information on the Hawk, including a preview of the 9 CAD designed plans, click the photo to visit the page.

Lots of great photos including some flying shots.



P-6E Hawk Gifts

Curtiss P-6E Hawk Link to Gifts page

T-Shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and even postage stamps and more with this original, unique artwork.

Click here or on the image to visit the page on this site, with more details of Zazzle products.




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