https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal
fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was
a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time
and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk
was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline
service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American
fighter, after the P-51 and P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40
ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main
production facilities at Buffalo, New York.
P-40 Warhawk was the name the United States Army Air Corps and after June 1941,
USAAF-adopted name for all models, making it the official name in the U.S. for
all P-40s. The British Commonwealth and Soviet air forces used the name Tomahawk
for models equivalent to the P-40B and P-40C, and the name Kittyhawk for models
equivalent to the P-40D and all later variants.
P-40s first saw combat with the British Commonwealth squadrons of the Desert Air
Force in the Middle East and North African campaigns, during June 1941. No. 112
Squadron Royal Air Force, was among the first to operate Tomahawks in North
Africa and the unit was the first Allied military aviation unit to feature the
"shark mouth" logo, copying similar markings on some Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf
110 twin-engine fighters.
The P-40's lack of a two-speed supercharger made it inferior to Luftwaffe
fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in
high-altitude combat and it was rarely used in operations in Northwest Europe.
However, between 1941 and 1944, the P-40 played a critical role with Allied air
forces in three major theaters: North Africa, the Southwest Pacific, and China.
It also had a significant role in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Eastern
Europe, Alaska and Italy.
Role
Fighter
Fighter-bomber
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
Curtiss-Wright Corporation
First flight
14 October 1938
Retired
Brazilian Air Force (1958)
Primary users
United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced
Number built
13,738
Unit cost
US$44,892 in 1944
Developed from
Curtiss P-36 Hawk
Variants
Curtiss XP-46
The P-40 tolerated harsh conditions in the widest possible variety of climates.
It was a semi-modular design and thus easy to maintain in the field. It lacked
innovations of the time, such as boosted ailerons or automatic leading edge
slats, but it had a strong structure including a five-spar wing, which enabled
P-40s to pull high G turns and even survive some midair collisions: both
accidental impacts and intentional ramming attacks against enemy aircraft were
occasionally recorded as victories by the Desert Air Force and Soviet Air
Forces. Caldwell said P-40s "would take a tremendous amount of punishment,
violent aerobatics as well as enemy action." Operational range was good by early
war standards, and was almost double that of the Supermarine Spitfire or
Messerschmitt Bf 109, although it was inferior to the Mitsubishi A6M Zero,
Nakajima Ki-43 and Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
Caldwell found the P-40C Tomahawk's armament of two .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning
AN/M2 "light-barrel" dorsal nose-mount synchronized machine guns and two .303
Browning machine guns in each wing to be inadequate. This was rectified with the
P-40D (Kittyhawk I) which abandoned the synchronized gun mounts and instead had
two .50 in (12.7 mm) guns in each wing, although Caldwell still preferred the
earlier Tomahawk in other respects. The D had armor around the engine and the
cockpit, which enabled it to withstand considerable damage. This was one of the
characteristics that allowed Allied pilots in Asia and the Pacific to attack
Japanese fighters head on, rather than try to out-turn and out-climb their
opponents. Late-model P-40s were regarded as well armored. Visibility was
adequate, although hampered by an overly complex windscreen frame, and
completely blocked to the rear in early models due to the raised turtledeck.
Poor ground visibility and the relatively narrow landing gear track led to many
losses due to accidents on the ground.
The P-40 initially proved quite effective against Axis aircraft and contributed
to a slight shift of momentum in the Allied favor. The gradual replacement of
Hurricanes by the Tomahawks and Kittyhawks led to the Luftwaffe accelerating
retirement of the Bf 109E and introducing the newer Bf 109F; these were to be
flown by the veteran pilots of elite Luftwaffe units, such as Jagdgeschwader 27
(JG27), in North Africa.
The P-40 was generally considered roughly equal or slightly superior to the Bf
109 at low altitude, but inferior at high altitude, particularly against the Bf
109F. Most air combat in North Africa took place well below 16,000 ft (4,900 m),
thus negating much of the Bf 109's superiority. The P-40 usually had an edge
over the Bf 109 in horizontal maneuverability (turning), dive speed and
structural strength, was roughly equal in firepower, but was slightly inferior
in speed and outclassed in rate of climb and operational ceiling.
Specifications (P-40E)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 31.67 ft (9.68 m)
Wingspan: 37.33 ft (11.38 m)
Height: 12.33 ft (3.76 m)
Airfoil: NACA2215 / NACA2209
Empty weight: 6,070 lb (2,753 kg)
Loaded weight: 8,280 lb (3,760 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 8,810 lb (4,000 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: 360 mph (310 kn, 580 km/h)
Cruise speed: 270 mph (235 kn, 435 km/h)
Range: 650 mi (560 nmi, 1,100 km)
Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)
Rate of climb: 2,100 ft/min (11 m/s)
Power/mass: 0.14 hp/lb (228 W/kg)
Armament
the wings
Bombs: 250 to 1,000 lb (110 to 450 kg) bombs to a total of 2,000 lb (907 kg) on
three hardpoints (one under the fuselage and two underwing)
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