Warbird Information Exchange

Hello all,

Currently researching the various Curtiss Hawks flown on the civil register in the 30's. The most profilic of these were the Hawk flown by Al Williams and Jess Bristow. For this I am looking for information in the way of pictures and info on the colors of these planes. The Hawk flown by Bristow was colored white with red and blue trim. Presumably the early Hawk (befroe it became the famous orange Gulfhawk) was colored red and silver.

The hawk as flown by Bristow:

Anybody know for sure what logo was carried at what time? I have a picture of the right side showing Sohio logo and pictures showing the Esso logo on the left. But never the other way around. The top wing always carried Sohio advertising, also when carrying the Esso logo on the left side of the fuselage.

The Hawk flown by Williams when powered by a Bliss Jupiter:

Colors red and silver? Anybody maybe have a picture showing clearly the Sohio logo carried on the rear fuselage?

The same plane when reengined with a wright cyclone:

Colors presumably still the same, red and silver, but cowling now with scallops. Blue trim line between the two colors? After tis the fuselage would be metalised and the entire aircraft repainted.

The Curtiss Hawk Demonstrator:

This plane would later become the hawk owned by Bristow. Anybody know the color of this plane when it was owned by Curtiss?

Any information and pictures on any of the above planes, as well as other civil Curtiss Hawks of the 30's would be highly appreciated!

Many thank in advance!

I'm sure you are already aware that 'SOHIO' and 'ESSO' were parts of J.D. Rockefeller's STANDARD OIL Corp. prior to the anti-trust legislation in the 30's that broke the big monopolies up, so it's logical that the airplane would thump the tub for both brands as they were sort of territorial or regional brands. Up until sometime in the late 60's at least here on the West Coast we had CHEVRON and STANDARD Oil stations, one was corporate owned/run and the other was for independent dealers.

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Frank Tallman rebuilt William's Hawk in the 60s.
It's detailed in his book Flying the Old Planes....

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
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Mark Fidler

The Curtiss Hawks are some of my favorite planes.
Your last picture of the Hawk demonstrator appears to have Jimmy Doolittle on board.
Jimmy was a demonstrator pilot for Curtiss and traveled to South America to show the plane to other countries. While there, he broke both ankles when he was doing hand stands on a second floor balcony. He flew a demonstration flight the next day while he had both ankles in casts. Obviously drinking was involved at the party the night before.
Read his biography " I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" for more of his life.