1:48 Curtiss H-75

A long greenhouse canopy where the interior shows along its whole length

The Curtiss H-75, the export form of the machine known as the Hawk, has a long glazed canopy above the cockpit that carries on far behind the pilot's head. Through its rear section you can see into the narrowed deck, where there is nothing unless the modeler adds something himself. That makes it all the more important for at least the framing to look convincing, because the eye runs along the whole length of the greenhouse canopy.

A canopy like that has many frames and each of them has two sides. The set therefore brings two glazing masks, each time for the outer and the inner face, so the frames can be run over from inside in an interior shade and from outside in the top color. Cutting tape by hand for that many parallel strips would take more time than the whole rest of the build.

Two national insignia masks come with it. They suit French roundels as well as British markings, because the type served with both air forces, and a sprayed area sits better with matte camouflage than a decal.

The H-75 went into action in 1940 over France, where it did better than an aging design was expected to. Later it flew with British units under the name Mohawk, including in Asia. Its rounded shapes and the fixed seat frame make it a rewarding model.

The sliding part of the canopy is often glued in the open position so that the interior is exposed to view. In that case it is worth masking the area that would stay hidden under a closed canopy as well.

The cut matches the Academy kit in this scale. The aircraft model, paints and decals are not part of the delivery.