CLASS: Fighter
NICKNAMES: Tomahawk / Warhawk / Kittyhawk
YEAR OF DESIGN: 1938
LENGTH: 31 feet 8 inches
WINGSPAN: 37 feet 4 inches
MAX AIRSPEED: 364 MPH
CEILING: 29,000 feet
TYPICAL ARMAMENT
6 x 12.7 mm wing-mount M2 Browning Machine Guns
[Each gun is equipped with 235 rounds].
2 x wing-mounted 100-pound bombs
Three sets of fixtures were mounted across the bottom of the
P-40’s wings. The mount between the wheels typically carried a 75-gallon fuel
tank, but could be fitted with a 250-pound bomb.
.
During the early parts of World War II in southeastern Asia,
the P-40 pilots faced the Ki-27 “Nate”. The Nakajima Ki-47 was no match for the
powerful Warhawk. The Nate had one 7.7mm and one 12.7mm machine gun compared to
the Warhawk’s six 12.7mm guns. Also, the Warhawk had a powerful engine,
allowing it to reach speeds of 364 MPH compared to the sluggish max speed of
292 for the Nate. Finally, the armor of the Nate wasn’t much more than
creosote-soaked rice paper (to increase speed and maneuverability) However, the
high rate of maneuverability proved practically useless for the Ki-27s as the
pilots of the AVG quickly mounted up confirmed kills against the smaller
planes.
.
Eventually,
faster and more powerful fighters replaced the Nates, but the P-40s still
managed to hold their own against the newer models and prove to be one of the Air
Corps’ most successful planes.
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