Curtiss P-40
Kittyhawk WWII Fighter

One of the most popular and successful American aircraft of the Second World War was the Curtiss-Wright P-40 Fighter Aircraft. Initially a derivative of the radial engine P-36 pursuit plane that first flew in 1935, it became the upgraded P-40 three years later with the installation of an Allison liquid-cooled V-12 engine. This made the aircraft more streamlined and able to achieve airspeeds in excess of 300 mph.

The P-40 Kittyhawk was put into large scale production, because it was the best fighter available to the US Army Air Corps at the time. However, by the start of the war, it was already obsolete by European standards of contemporary aircraft. Although obviously outclassed by the attacking Japanese fighters at Pearl Harbor, the few P-40's that got into the air demonstrated themselves admirably.

During the war, P-40's were supplied through the Lend-Lease program to England, China, Russia, and numerous other allies. These pursuit aircraft were found in all theatres of the war from Alaska to North Africa, throughout the Pacific, and in many parts of Europe. Production ceased in November 1944 and the last recorded use in combat was by a Dutch P-40 squadron which fought against Indonesian rebels in 1949.

Flying Tigers

The most widely known P-40 operations were those of the American Volunteer Group in Burma, who were called The Flying Tigers by their Chinese supporters. The American Volunteer Group, with their Curtiss P-40 aircraft, were a clandestine operation initiated in secret by President Roosevelt prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. War was anticipated and American airmen were recruited to stop the advance of the Japanese in Southeast Asia, which would cut the supplies being provided through Burma to the Chinese army fighting Japanese troops. A unique and very effective fighting organization, the Flying Tigers flew P-40C Tomahawks and the later improved P-40E version, which was armed with six fifty caliber machine guns in its wings. In slightly over six months, from December 1941 to July 4, 1942, led by Col. Claire Chennault and with pilots such as Robert Scott, David Lee 'Tex' Hill, and Pappy Boyington, they were able to destroy 286 Japanese airplanes, while only losing 12 of their own planes in combat.

The shark teeth painted on the lower engine cowl was an idea borrowed from the British P-40 airplanes operating in North Africa. The AVG asked the Disney studios in California for a unique cartoon symbol to adorn their planes and were provided a winged tiger leaping through the air.

Aircraft Number 1025

Originally manufactured in Buffalo, New York during 1941, this Curtiss P-40E production #1025 was delivered to the United States Army Air Corps. The Air Corps assigned serial number 41-35918 to this aircraft and passed it on to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease program, where the British changed its serial number to ET-564. Great Britain subsequently transferred the aircraft to the Soviet Union, where it was then assigned to a Soviet squadron in the Murmansk region of Northern Russia to defend the homeland from the German Nazi invasion launched from Norway. The aircraft was lost in action near the Arctic Circle and lay abandoned on the frozen tundra for fifty years. It was occasionally vandalized, and pieces cut off for scrap metal, wires, or anything of use by the local inhabitants of this remote area.

Restoration of the Airplane

In 1992, the airplane was recovered and brought to the United States. It was acquired by the Fighter Factory in 1996 and restoration work began almost immediately. After a few years of preliminary reconstruction at the facility in Virginia, the completion of the P-40 project was subcontracted to a small company in New Zealand that had prior experience with two similar airplanes.

This rare and historic Curtiss P-40E had its first test flight in over 50 years on April 14, 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand, and was displayed at a national airshow, before being shipped back to Virginia. The paint scheme design selected for the aircraft was identical to that of one of the historic replacement airplanes delivered to the Flying Tigers shortly after America entered the war. On May 7, 1942, Col. Claire Chennault ordered the Flying Tigers on a mission to destroy a pontoon bridge built by the Japanese, which would have allowed them to advance into Kunming, China. The aircraft markings are the same as on the Curtiss P-40E flown by 'Tex' Hill while leading this famous mission on the Salween River Gorge. Once this bridge was destroyed, the Japanese were trapped in the gorge and had no escape from the bombs and machine gun fire of the AVG P-40's. The Japanese were forced to retreat and eventually their forces were so severely weakened, that the threat to southern China quickly faded. 'Tex' Hill had ten victories while flying with the American Volunteer Group and was Squadron Leader of the 2nd Squadron Panda Bears.

Flying in Virginia

The aircraft is licensed through the FAA under the experimental category because as a former military airplane, it was never certified for civilian use. The pilot is required to have a "Letter of Authorization" from the FAA permitting him to fly this high performance fighter aircraft. Pilot qualifications and training is performed in World War Two trainers such as the North American AT-6 Texan.

First Flight | First Landing
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Current photos of the Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk

For more information on the P-40, check out the USAF Museum.

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