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Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

The P-40 was an evolution of Curtiss' P-36 Hawk. Despite its limited performance, it was used throughout the war, on all fronts.

1. The P-40 became the USAAC's standard fighter shortly before the war. This early P-40 belonged to the 55th Pursuit Squadron of the 20th Pursuit Group, based at Hamilton Field. Note the long nose gun barrels and lacked the armoured windscreen of later versions.

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2. When Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor, a few American pilots were able to take off and fight back. George Welch used this P-40 from the 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, to down 4 enemy aircraft.

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3. Early versions of the P-40 were rapidly replaced by more evolved versions early in the war, with many being relegated to training duties. This heavily weathered aircraft was flown at Luke Field for advanced training.

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4. This H81-A2 (British export version of the P-40) was diverted to the American Volunteer Group in China, better known as the "Flying Tigers". P-8127/47 was flown by several pilots before being assigned to R.T. Smith.

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