P-40 Warhawk

Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1938 · fighter

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-seat fighter-bomber, instantly recognised by the shark-mouth markings worn by the Flying Tigers in China.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	9.68 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Shark-mouth nose art with grinning teeth on the radiator cowl
Long ventral radiator scoop under the nose of the inline engine
Tapered low wings with squared-off tips and single-seat cockpit

Look for the long underslung radiator chin scoop and the famous shark-mouth, with a slim inline-engine nose quite unlike contemporary radial fighters.

Specifications

The P-40 Warhawk has a length of 9.68 m (32 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.36 m (37 ft).
Its maximum speed is 583 km/h (362 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in October 1938, the P-40 was a re-engined development of the radial-powered P-36 Hawk, fitted with the liquid-cooled Allison V-1710. Some 13,738 were built before production ended in 1944, making it one of the most-produced American fighters of the war.

Variants

Early Tomahawks gave way to the more heavily armed Kittyhawk and Warhawk marks. British and Commonwealth designations Tomahawk and Kittyhawk covered successive engine and armament upgrades.

Where you'll see it

The RAF and Commonwealth air forces flew Tomahawks and Kittyhawks extensively, especially in the North African desert campaign where the type became a Desert Air Force workhorse. Airworthy examples regularly appear at UK airshows such as Duxford.

Related aircraft

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