I’m always excited when Arma Hobby releases something new. Their B-Mustang is absolutely top notch, while I felt that the P-39 was good but not quite on the same level as the Mustang.
Arma’s latest (actually released before the summer—I’m a bit late posting, even though I started it more or less immediately after its release) is the Curtiss H-75, the export version of what most of us would call a P-36. There’s an old Monogram kit from the 1960s that can be built into a nice-looking model, but I haven’t seen one since I was a kid. I also started an AML kit many years ago during my worst short-run period around the year 2000, but I gave up on that build rather quickly. I think this is a good choice of subject for Arma: there’s no modern kit on the market, and the H-75/P-36 is close enough to WWII to interest many builders. Plus, there’s potential for a multitude of boxings with interesting marking options.
As usual, Arma delivers in the box-art department, and of course they managed to sell me a cool-looking package of paints as well.
There are three French marking options. I’ll probably go for 1 and 2.
Two sprues in grey plastic…
…complemented with 3D prints for the seat and interior detail.
Decals and masks. I really wish they had included the separate texts on a clear background for the rudder markings; I greatly prefer painting the tricolour rudders instead of using decals, no matter how well fitting they are.
How it all started.
There are a multitude of decals for the interior that really improve the look of it. Seat and seat armour are 3D-printed; I much prefer the integrated seat belts to trying to cram down a set of photo-etched belts into the seat.
An easy build that fits well!
These are the standard plastic engines after some paint. Really nice!
Magnus
10 Likes
Good start Magnus 
I’m waiting for their P-36 which I bought as a preorder. Should be delivered soon.
@Andy_W I’ll be standing by to check out your metal work, I need to improve mine! The method I used on my H-75 turned out OK but I probably won’t do it again though…
I had the idea that starting from a lighter base coat would (logically) give a lighter metal finish instead of starting from gloss black. In order to just take a small step 
to start with I primed using white and then immediately went over it with MrP “White Aluminium”. It looked grey, and it looked boring, and it looked nowhere near a metal surface…
In order to save face, I opted for AK True Metal silver paste, a product that I have had laying around for ten years or so. It’s kind of a modern version of rub’n’buff that we all read about in FSM in the 1980s. It reminds me a bit of shoe polish. I applied it over my “metal” paintwork using a stiff paintbrush and polished it with a cloth. It turned out really well, it gives a nice metal feel to the model. I was also clever enough to mask off all rudder surfaces, the boring grey was a perfect match for doped linen!
Any drawbacks? Of course there are… The big one was that it can’t be painted over, I tried masking the markings and the paint just peeled off even iusing MrP that usually bites rather well into the surface. The surface is also rather fragile, the advantage is that it can be easily repaired using more metal paste and polishing. It also won’t withstand mineral spirits so my usual enamel washes are off limits. These problems aside, the decals stick nicely at least!
This is my accidental paint system… White primer, MrP White Aluminium and then AK Silver Paste. I don’t know if I’ve lost one set of masks or if there only was one included even though I bought a double kit. The transplant from the silver machine to the other one went well however…
I cut away most of the clear film around the decals, leaving the center of the 8s and it worked out well anyway. I won’t clear coat this one, I’ll leave it as it is with the bare decals.
Magnus
7 Likes
Magnus,
now I’m using AK Xtreme Metal colours and Gunze Super Mettallic 2 series colours.
Using gloss black colours as a base is the best option. Lots of modellers use this method. Even producers of metallic colours produce black base colours.
BTW - Your silver Hawk looks good
1 Like
Good to see you back at the bench, Magnus, and back here at our beloved forum! I’ll sure follow your builds. And you’re well into them already. Is it a dual combo, like Eduard, or did you buy 2 kits?
Many, many years ago I build the 1/48 Academy/Minicraft P-36 into a H-75 from the Ilmavoimat. Sure not correct but rare as I got the decals for it from the Tikkakoski museum as a “direct import” by me (or better my car … 
)
3 Likes
As Torsten said, it’s great to see to back at the bench Magnus! Following with interest…
What are your thoughts on the Hataka paints? I’ve heard, ahem, mixed reviews on them but I’m tempted by their line of WW2 Royal Navy colours…
@Andy_W I’ll probably go back to black base in the future. And you’re right, the metal effect is quite good but the AK “True Metal” came with other drawbacks…
@BlackWidow Arma usually sell “doubles” when opening up for pre-orders, this came with two kits in one standard box with some extra 3D-printed goodies. I remember the Hobbycraft series of H–75 / P-36 kits from 30 years ago and I think they were fairly good kits even if they fell a bit short when it comes to accuracy? Rest assured that your markings are correct though since you smuggled them yourself from their country of origin !
@Russelle I’m not overly fond of the Hataka paints. They come in very attractive boxes and the colours look good but they don’t cover that well and they don’t spray that well either. There are worse paints out there but they aren’t top notch. Next time I’m freehanding something I’ll be back to my old Gunze paints and, having more than enough old Hasegawa instructions that always came with very detailed mixing recipies for Gunze, I have good starting points for most camouflage colours!
I like the MrP range a lot, they cover well, they dry fast and they harden to a very tough finish. They also spray rather well. If I need top “sprayability” I still go for Gunze. So these two kinds of paints are really the only ones I need for my airbrush. None of them does come in the same kind of attractive box as Hataka though…
These are suddenly almost finished. The camouflaged one is freehanded using the Hataka colours shown in one of the initial posts in this thread.
Showing the lower surfaces. An extra star for Arma for the landing gear: positive location and perfectly adequate contact surfaces for the glue! If I do another one I’ll probably add the landing gear even before the paint stage.
Magnus
5 Likes
Finally finished…
Another aircraft from the same era, my Br 693. I prefer the colours of the Curtiss, thank you to Hataka for that!
They did turn out quite OK even if I so wish I had liked the kits more. If there is another release with an RAF or Finnish machine (there sure will be…) I might go for a retake but there is a vague sense of disappointment, knowing what Arma can do when they are on the top of their game.
Disappointment or not, they now have their well earned places in The Collection!
Now waiting for the IBG Spitfire Mk I…
Magnus
4 Likes
Magnus! As always, brilliant renditions! 
I’m a little confused, though and maybe missed it, but you mention a sense of disappointment with these kits?
Maybe Arma’s impending P51 kits will remedy the situation… Still waiting to see you build some IBG kits, FW190 and the impending Spitfires too 
@Russelle As always, thanks for your kind words 
!
Regarding the kits, sorry, I realised now there is no background info in this thread (it was up for discussion in my corresponding thread over at IPMS Stockholm but that might be a bit difficult to follow for this, slightly more, international audience ).
With the P-51B, Arma set a standard that was on par with (if not even better than) the best that Eduard can do, the preceding Hurricane and Wildcat kits were absolutely top notch as well. Then came the P-39 that’s really good but it has the feeling of being a bit “less refined” than the Mustang, if I remember correctly Arma themselves has said that they changed toolmakers to reduce cost.
The H-75 / P-36, while being an enormous leap forward from the kits that have been available earlier (mainly Monogram from the 1960s and a few short runs), is a few steps further down the ladder from the P-39 in my opinion. The engine and the interior is highly detailed while the outer surfaces look “bare” compared to what we have come to expect in 2025. Smaller parts aren’t that well done either and there are faint traces from the machining of the EDM electrodes all over the larger surfaces. Prominent enough to be seen even after painting.
If you want a Curtiss - it’s perfect! If you want something that is on par with the P-51B - I’m sorry!
So, that’s the background to me being disappointed, it’s not ONLY that I’m getting old and grumpy
Regarding the IBG Focke-Wulf: I have it. I have even started it but I haven’t started a build blog yet. No worries, it will come…
Magnus
1 Like