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From: Miloch <Miloch_member@newsguy.com>
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Subject: Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
Date: 8 Sep 2016 21:36:02 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk
Interesting read...especially the last 1/4 --->
http://www.chuckhawks.com/p40.htm ...dispels alot of the myths of the P-40
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. 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. In 2008, 29 P-40s were airworthy.
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 was originally conceived as a pursuit aircraft and was very agile at
low and medium altitudes but suffered due to lack of power at higher altitudes.
At medium and high speeds it was one of the tightest turning early monoplane
designs of the war, and it could out turn most opponents it faced in North
Africa and the Russian Front. In the Pacific Theater, like all Allied Fighters
it was out turned at lower speeds by the lightweight fighters A6M Zero and
Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscar" which did not possess the structural strength of the P-40
for high speed hard turns. The American Volunteer Group Commander Claire
Chennault advised against prolonged dog fighting with the Japanese fighters due
to the resulting airspeed reduction which favored the lightweight Japanese
designs' low speed turning superiority.
Allison V-1710 engines produced about 1,040 hp (780 kW) at sea level and at
14,000 ft (4,300 m): not powerful by the standards of the time and the early
P-40 variants' top speeds were only average. Also, the single-stage,
single-speed supercharger meant that the P-40 could not compete with
contemporary designs as a high-altitude fighter. Later versions, with 1,200 hp
(890 kW) Allisons or more powerful 1,400 hp Packard Merlin engines were more
capable. Climb performance was fair to poor, depending on the subtype. Dive
acceleration was good and dive speed was excellent. The highest-scoring P-40
that the P-40 had "almost no vices", although "it was a little difficult to
control in terminal velocity". Caldwell added that the P-40 was "faster downhill
than almost any other aeroplane with a propeller." The P-40 had one of the
fastest maximum dive speeds of any fighter of the early war period and good high
speed handling.
Specifications (P-40E)
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 31.67 ft (9.66 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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