Curtiss H-75A1/A2 Pre-Order – Build One or Two

We are now opening pre-orders for the 70093 Curtiss H-75A1/A2 in 1/72 scale. We expect the kits to be ready in the second week of September, when we will begin shipping pre-orders.

This time we have chosen three marking options showing very different chapters in the history of the French Curtisses: a striking Vichy aircraft from North Africa, the Finnish CU-577, and an aircraft from the fighter training school at Chartres, where Czechoslovak pilots trained before entering combat.

You can read the full stories of all three aircraft on the Arma Hobby News blog:

The Remarkable Fates of Three Curtiss H-75A-1/A-2 Hawks

One model – or perhaps two?

The decal sheet offers an interesting opportunity. In addition to the markings for the three featured aircraft, it includes two instrument panels as well as placards and servicing stencils sufficient to finish two models.

That is why during the pre-order you can choose not only the standard kit, but also an option with an additional set of plastic sprues – the so-called overtrees. This lets you make good use of two of the three marking options – and two of the stories described on our blog – from a single decal sheet.

The simplest combination is to build one French Curtiss and the Finnish CU-577. If you prefer to build two French aircraft, you only need to provide an additional set of French roundels and tricolour rudder stripes.

Options with 3D-printed details

As with our recent releases, the file with additional 3D details is available free of charge for home printing. If you do not have a 3D printer, during the pre-order you can also order a ready-made 3D print for an additional charge.

There are four options to choose from:

• 70093 model kit – the standard kit,
• model kit + 3D print,
• model kit + additional “overtrees” sprues – for building two aircraft,
• model kit + additional sprues + two 3D prints – a complete option for two models.

So you can choose a straightforward out-of-the-box build, or make full use of the decal sheet and build two Curtisses.

Three markings, three stories

Kit 70093 includes three very different aircraft:

• H-75A-2 No. 130 (U030) – Georges Tesseraud, GC I/5, Rabat, 1942. A Vichy French Curtiss which fought American Wildcats on 9 November 1942 during Operation Torch,
• H-75A-1 CU-577 – LeLv 32, Finland, 1943. A former French Curtiss captured by the Germans and later transferred to Finland,
• H-75A-2 No. 140 (U040) “1” – CIC Chartres, spring 1940. An aircraft used to train Czechoslovak pilots preparing to fight the Luftwaffe.

All three began their careers as French Curtisses, but the war took them in very different directions. That is why the additional sprues make more sense with this kit than usual – it would be a shame to stop at just one of these marking options.

We plan to begin shipping pre-orders in the second week of September.