Book Review of
Curtiss P-40
Camouflage & Decals no. 4
Series Editor: Damlan Majsak
Kagero Publishing
ISBN: 978-83-66673-38-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $27.95
ISBN: 978-83-66673-38-0
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $27.95
HISTORY:
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 of World War II, 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 gave the plane, and after June 1941, the USAAF adopted the 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 original P-40, 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, more 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 inflicting a very heavy toll on enemy aircraft.
Based on war-time victory claims, over 200 Allied fighter pilots – from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, the US and the Soviet Union – became aces flying the P-40. These included at least 20 double aces, mostly over North Africa, China, Burma and India, the South West Pacific and Eastern Europe. The P-40 offered the additional advantages of low cost and durability, which kept it in production as a ground-attack aircraft long after it was obsolescent as a fighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright
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: 1939–1944
Number built: 13,738
Developed from: Curtiss P-36 Hawk
Variants: Curtiss XP-46
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 of World War II, 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 gave the plane, and after June 1941, the USAAF adopted the 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 original P-40, 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, more 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 inflicting a very heavy toll on enemy aircraft.
Based on war-time victory claims, over 200 Allied fighter pilots – from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, the US and the Soviet Union – became aces flying the P-40. These included at least 20 double aces, mostly over North Africa, China, Burma and India, the South West Pacific and Eastern Europe. The P-40 offered the additional advantages of low cost and durability, which kept it in production as a ground-attack aircraft long after it was obsolescent as a fighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter aircraft
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright
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: 1939–1944
Number built: 13,738
Developed from: Curtiss P-36 Hawk
Variants: Curtiss XP-46
THE BOOK:
Kagero Publishers is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 40 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. It comes in a self-sealing clear envelope and has a decal sheet enclosed.
The book covers pretty much all the different variants of the P-40, from the P-40B/C until the last version, the P-40N. The variety is with both Pacific, CBI, and North African aircraft. All of the planes presented in the profiles are USAAC or Flying Tigers.
The majority of the P-40’s have shark-mouths on their nose. Lots of nicknames and cartoon characters. I really laughed at the P-40 that has a white illustration of a standing boy, who is peeing on the Japanese rising-sun emblem , over “Hold’n My Own!”.
The P-40’s are mostly-overall olive-drab over various shades of grey under-carriages. A few have wave pattern camouflage of two shades of green over the grey undercarriage.
The decal sheet holds 1/72nd and 1/48th scale insignias of Chinese Air Force and U.S. Air Force Roundels. The red circles that go in the center of the U.S. Roundels are separate and have to be added to the centers of the roundels. The decal sheet has a tissue attached to protect its face.
Kagero Publishers is based in Lublin, Poland.
This book is soft-cover of 40 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format. It comes in a self-sealing clear envelope and has a decal sheet enclosed.
The book covers pretty much all the different variants of the P-40, from the P-40B/C until the last version, the P-40N. The variety is with both Pacific, CBI, and North African aircraft. All of the planes presented in the profiles are USAAC or Flying Tigers.
The majority of the P-40’s have shark-mouths on their nose. Lots of nicknames and cartoon characters. I really laughed at the P-40 that has a white illustration of a standing boy, who is peeing on the Japanese rising-sun emblem , over “Hold’n My Own!”.
The P-40’s are mostly-overall olive-drab over various shades of grey under-carriages. A few have wave pattern camouflage of two shades of green over the grey undercarriage.
The decal sheet holds 1/72nd and 1/48th scale insignias of Chinese Air Force and U.S. Air Force Roundels. The red circles that go in the center of the U.S. Roundels are separate and have to be added to the centers of the roundels. The decal sheet has a tissue attached to protect its face.
The cover art shows a P-40N-5 version that is dog-fighting with a Japanese Zero above the clouds.
The P-40N-5 is olive-drab over a medium-grey undercarriage. It has a blue and white spinner, a white rudder with a blue tip, U.S. star with bars, followed by a white triangle on the sides of the fuselage, white wing leading-edges . On the side of its nose there is a color illustration of a blond haired gal in a black dress that is holding a glass of milk, posed on a pale-blue background. In front of the illustration is a white no. 22 and around the illustration is the words “Grade A” in red, outlined in black.
S/n is unknown. It is from the 7th Squadron, May 15, 1944.
The Zero is showing its upper surface. It is dark green with a black cowling and yellow wing leading edges.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a P-40 and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor for Kagero books and all Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The P-40N-5 is olive-drab over a medium-grey undercarriage. It has a blue and white spinner, a white rudder with a blue tip, U.S. star with bars, followed by a white triangle on the sides of the fuselage, white wing leading-edges . On the side of its nose there is a color illustration of a blond haired gal in a black dress that is holding a glass of milk, posed on a pale-blue background. In front of the illustration is a white no. 22 and around the illustration is the words “Grade A” in red, outlined in black.
S/n is unknown. It is from the 7th Squadron, May 15, 1944.
The Zero is showing its upper surface. It is dark green with a black cowling and yellow wing leading edges.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a P-40 and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor for Kagero books and all Kagero titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.