WWII Curtiss P-40E
The Curtiss P-40 is one of the best-known American fighters of World War II. Despite it’s fame, it was not one of the period’s best performers, outclassed in virtually every way by other fighters of its time.
The Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk (Model H87-B2) was based on the existing Curtis P-40 design as famously used by Major General Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers but with improved offensive armament and the unsatisfactory Allison engine replaced by a Rolls Royce Merlin V-1650-39 licence built Packard, the engine used by the British Spitfire and Hurricane fighters and later by the Mustang.
The Curtis P40E Kittyhawk was ordered by the French Government at the outbreak of WW2, but after their surrender to German forces the fighters were diverted into RAF service as the Curtis P40E Tomahawk, other air-forces who also flew the Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk include the RAAF, Russian air-force, RNZAF and the South African air-force.
Here’s how it looks like:
What follows are pictures of a surviving P-40E by Carey Dorset:
-ipmsstockholm.org
-military-aircraft.org.uk
