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Curtiss P40C Tomahawk
Courtesy Flying Heritage Collection, Seattle, Washington USA.
edited by David Barth, 2 March 2013. Photos taken by Dave Barth in July 2010.
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| Curtiss P40C Tomahawk. Text transcribed, below. |
The P-40 Tomahawk debuted at the start of WWII and was a modification of the older P36 Hawk. Because of this heritage, the plane was relatively easy to produce and could be hurried into service. Its low cost kept the aircraft in production as a ground attack fighter long after other airplanes had technologically surpassed it. The P-40 is particularly notable for being the shark-mouthed choice of the famed Flying Tiger squadron. A total of 13,738 P-40s were produced by the end of the war.
The British used the name Tomahawk for the P-40s that they flew in Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. It was rarely used against Germany because the Messerschmitt BF-109 and the Focke Wulf 190 routinely out performed it.
The P-40 did not have the glamorous reputation of some other U.S. fighters such as the North American P-51 Mustang. However, the plane had its proponents who cited its high-speed agility at lower altitudes and its ability to make tight turns. Overall, the P-40’s excellence lay in its dependability and its lack of complexity.
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| Curtiss P40C Tomahawk. |
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| Curtiss P40C Tomahawk. |