1:72 H34 CHOCTAW France Navy

H-34 Choctaw, French Navy, 1:72 (Easy Model)

A finished collector model of the piston-engined H-34 Choctaw helicopter in the markings of French naval aviation. The model from the maker Easy Model is assembled, painted and provided with insignia in production, so any modeling work falls away. You are not buying a kit or a semi-finished piece, but a finished example for a display case.

The real subject

The H-34 family came about as a piston-engined transport helicopter with a radial engine in the nose and an angled drive shaft running under the pilot's cabin to the main rotor. The naval versions of this type served for transport, liaison, rescue at sea and in the anti-submarine role, where they carried the appropriate equipment. In French service machines of this family were operated from the second half of the 1950s and they were among the first helicopters able to carry a worthwhile load over a greater distance.

Workmanship and surface detail

On finished models at this scale three things are mainly judged: the cleanliness of the applied insignia, the sharpness of the dividing lines between shades and the workmanship of the glazing. The model is painted and marked as a whole, so there is no risk of the shade drifting apart or of the printing being damaged while varnishing. The cabin glazing is set in production and needs no masking or polishing. Leave the surface as it is; polishes, cleaners and solvents can attack the printing. A soft brush or an air blower bulb is enough for dust.

Who the model is for

• For collectors of naval aircraft in a single scale
• For completing a row of European operators of postwar helicopters
• For customers who want a model at once and with no building
• As a gift for aviation fans with no modeling equipment

The model is supplied finished, assembled and painted. Nothing is glued or painted.