Model Curtiss H-75 A1/A2 Arma Hobby 1/72 – 70093

Why is this Curtiss H-75 model interesting?

This Arma Hobby model allows you to represent three Curtiss H-75 aircraft that had very different historical backgrounds.

The first one is the H-75A-2 No. 130 (U030) of the 2nd Squadron of GC I/5, associated with Georges Tesseraud and based in Rabat in 1942.

It represents the most iconic version in this kit, featuring the colors of the French Vichy air forces.

On November 9, 1942, during Operation Torch, this aircraft engaged in combat against American F4F-4 Wildcat aircraft from VF-9.

This situation gives the model a particular historical dimension: an American fighter built in the United States facing American planes, but on different sides, during the battles in North Africa.

What decorations are included in the kit?

Arma Hobby offers three marking options to represent three different Curtiss H-75 aircraft.

• Curtiss H-75A-2 No. 130 (U030), 2nd Squadron of GC I/5, Georges Tesseraud, Rabat, 1942, French Vichy aircraft.
• Curtiss H-75A-1 CU-577, LeLv 32, Lieutenant P. Virtalahti, Nurmoila, Finland, October 1943.
• Curtiss H-75A-2 No. 140 (U040), "1", 3rd Squadron of the 2nd Group of CIC de Chartres, spring 1940.

This selection is particularly interesting for enthusiasts of French aircraft models, as it covers not just one period of the Curtiss H-75's career.

The Vichy Curtiss H-75 during Operation Torch

The Curtiss H-75A-2 No. 130 is one of the most remarkable markings in the Arma Hobby 70093 kit.

This aircraft belonged to the GC I/5, a unit equipped with Curtiss H-75 stationed in North Africa. On November 9, 1942, during Operation Torch, the French Curtiss engaged with Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat of the US Navy.

Georges Tesseraud's plane was hit during the combat, particularly around the cockpit and rear fuselage, before the pilot managed to leave the area and make a forced landing.

For a collector looking for a Vichy Curtiss H-75 model, this marking provides a well-documented and evocative subject.

What are the special features of the H-75 A1/A2 kit?

The Arma Hobby kit offers details suitable for the early French versions of the Curtiss H-75.

Arma Hobby specifies that the three aircraft in this kit correspond to Curtiss models equipped with the old configuration featuring one machine gun in each wing. The H-75A-1 had four machine guns, while the H-75A-2 was supposed to have an enhanced armament of six guns.

However, the early models in this series retained the original four-machine gun configuration.

The kit also includes a free file for 3D printing.

This file includes a rear bulkhead with seat and harness, a dashboard with rudder pedals, exhaust pipes, machine gun barrels, and various sighting elements.

A 1/72 Curtiss model for history enthusiasts

The Curtiss H-75 A1/A2 Arma Hobby 70093 combines a modern 1/72 scale model with three significantly different historical subjects.

You can represent a French Curtiss H-75 from 1940, a Vichy Curtiss H-75 engaged against Americans in North Africa in 1942, or a former French aircraft later used by the Finnish Air Force.

In my opinion, it is this diversity that makes this reference so interesting. It allows you to build a Curtiss H-75 model and narrate three distinct episodes in the history of the same fighter.

The Curtiss H-75 A1/A2 Arma Hobby 70093 will naturally find its place in a collection dedicated to French aircraft of World War II, 1940s fighters, or Vichy aviation aircraft.