The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft. 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. The P-40's performance at high altitudes was not as important in those theaters, where it served as an air superiority fighter, bomber escort, and fighter-bomber. Although it gained a postwar reputation as a mediocre design, suitable only for close air support, recent research including scrutiny of the records of individual Allied squadrons indicates that this was not the case: the P-40 performed surprisingly well as an air superiority fighter, at times suffering severe losses but also taking a very heavy toll of enemy aircraft. The P-40 offered the additional advantage of low cost, which kept it in production as a ground-attack aircraft long after it was obsolete as a fighter.
Video watch:
(follow video may contain depictions of violence, viewer discretion is advised.)
The Desert Dogfighter - part 1.
The 1st American Volunteer Group - Flying Tigers Documentary - History Channel HD
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (Flying Tigers) (Skill index 3)
4D paper airplane: history channel of Flying Tigers
General Chennault's Flying Tigers 1942., the airplane in history channel.
Down Load template: Click "Down Load Template" button and print. Or copy-paste the “print-out” of 4D template on your graphic program (such as PowerPoint) and add your label. Adjust the size as needed.
Construction Photo Notes
Check discussion for construction. To see large image: Click picture.
Military Channel Great Planes 02of17 P40 Warhawk.
4D model template of Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.
Aircraftman on history channel airplane P-40
WW2: Curtiss P 40 Warhawk
Fighter/bomber aircraft
First flight: Oct. 14, 1938
Retired, 1958 (Brazilian Air Force)
Production: 13738 (1939-1944)
Curtiss P 40 Warhawk: Flying Tigers in Cavanaugh Flight museum at Midison Taxes