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Scale 1:26   Length 15.5"   Wingspan 17"

Photography by Action Asia Photo
2002-8 Action Asia Photo - All Rights Reserved
www.actionasiaphoto.com

The Curtiss P-40 fighter - which first flew in 1938 - came into being by modifying a radial engine P-36 Mohawk airframe to accept the new in-line Allison engine resulting in a great saving of time and money. After its evaluation in May 1939, large orders were placed by the US Army Air Corps, the British and the French. During its service life it was produced in a number of models with various armament, engines and airframe modifications.

The P-40Bs had two .30 caliber machine guns in each wing and two .50 caliber machine guns firing through the propeller.  The P-40C's had 6 wing-mounted .30 caliber machine guns as did the P-40Es. The P-40N was the most produced version with over 5,000 aircraft built. Names like 'Kittyhawk' and 'Tomahawk' were also used when referring to other versions of the P-40.

The aircraft were in constant wartime service from Pearl Harbor until VJ Day and fought in every theater, from every type of airfield, and in every type weather - except in Britain were they were deemed not suitable because of their limited service ceiling. The P-40 was versatile and rugged but behind in comparison to the best contemporary fighters. It was said that P-40 pilots expected to be outclassed and out-numbered but they had such confidence in their plane's ability to get them home that they never hesitated to engage the enemy.

The famous "Flying Tigers" - an American Volunteer Group of mostly Navy and Marine Corps personnel operating in Burma - initially received 100 Curtiss Hawk H81A-3s (the export version of the P-40C) which were side-tracked from a Lend-Lease order for Britain. These plane's armaments were as the P-40Bs having two .30 caliber machine guns in each wing and two .50 caliber machine guns firing through the propeller. From the AVG's first action on December 20, 1941 until their replacement by the US l0th Air Force on July 4, 1942, they reportedly shot down over 286 enemy planes with the loss of only four pilots in aerial combat!

Crew:         Pilot only
Length:      32 ft
Wingspan: 37 ft
Weight:      5,622 lbs empty, 7,610 lbs gross
Engine:      Allison 1,090hp liquid-cooled V-12
Speed:       351 mph maximum at 15,000 ft

Related Links
P-40.COM