Curtiss Hawk 75A ‘Ilmavoimat’

The Curtiss H-75 was the export version of the American P-36 Hawk (Curtiss Model 75) fighter of the mid-1930s. Several subtypes were produced and designated the H-75A-1 to A-9, which differed in engine, equipment and armament installations.

The first foreign order was received from France which took delivery of more than 400 aircraft of different variants (H-75A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4/H-751s).

After the fall of France, Germany sold the captured Curtiss fighters to Finland which extensively and successfully used them against Soviet forces. In total, 44 aircraft of various variants were delivered in 1941-44 comprising both ex-French and ex-Norwegian supplies.

In Finnish service, the Curtiss 75s were well liked and affectionately called “Sussu” (Sweetheart). They remained in service until August 1948 and the last were eventually scapped in 1953.

The H-75 was a single-seat, all-metal low-wing monoplane with fabric-covered control surfaces. It had a retractable undercarriage with the main landing gear rotated 90° to fold flat into the wing. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp two-row radial engine, it was fitted with Curtiss Electric propeller. The H-75’s armament consisted of two machine guns in the nose, and another one (all H-75A-1s, 40 early H-75A-2s and some H-75A-6s) or two guns in each wing (H-75A-3, A-6). A small bomb carrier was also mounted under each outer part of the wing.