Was the P-40 Warhawk a good plane?

Was the P-40 Warhawk a good plane? The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of the best-liked airplanes of World War II, even though its performance was never quite up to that of its opponents. The

Was the P-40 Warhawk a good plane?

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of the best-liked airplanes of World War II, even though its performance was never quite up to that of its opponents. The most important thing about the P-40 to the United States was that it was available in ever-growing quantity to fight a war when no other fighters were.

Was the P-40 a good fighter?

“It was sturdy and handled well, except in a spin, but you never piloted a P-40 without wishing you had something a little better.” “In the hands of a skilled pilot, the P-40 could exceed its limitations and could out-maneuver and out-fight anything in the sky,” said Flying Tiger ace David L.

What did the P-40 Warhawk do?

The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war.

How fast was the P-40 Warhawk?

579 km/h
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk/Top speed

How many guns did the P-40 Warhawk have?

P-40 “Warhawk” The P-40B introduced armor protection for the pilot and doubled the wing firepower with four . 30 caliber machine guns as well as two . 50 caliber guns mounted on the engine bowling. Curtiss built 131 P-40Bs in 1941 before moving on to the P-40C, which had self-sealing fuel tanks.

How many Japanese planes did the pilot of this P-40 Warhawk shoot down?

five Japanese planes
They shot down five Japanese planes, including four — two Nakajima B5N2 torpedo bombers, a Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter and an Aichi D3A1 dive bomber — by 2nd Lt. George S. Welch of the 47th Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group.

What engine did the P-40 have?

Powerplant:
P-40 P-40E
Allison V-1710-33 1,040 hp, supercharged, 12 cylinder V engine. Allison V-1710-39 1,150 hp, 12 cylinder V engine.
Armament:
Two .50 caliber machine guns, Two .30 caliber machine guns, external bomb load of 120 lbs. (54 kg.) Six .50 caliber machine guns, external bomb load of 500 lbs. (227 kg.)

What model P-40 did the Flying Tigers use?

Our P-40E (Kittyhawk) The first significant model was the P-40B, which had two big 50-caliber machine guns in the nose and two small 30-caliber machine guns in each wing. This was the model that Welch and Taylor flew at Pearl Harbor. It was also the first model flown by the Flying Tigers.

How many guns did the P 40 have?

P-40 “Warhawk” The P-40B introduced armor protection for the pilot and doubled the wing firepower with four . 30 caliber machine guns as well as two . 50 caliber guns mounted on the engine bowling.

How many Japanese planes did the pilot of this P 40 Warhawk shoot down?

What kind of guns did the P-40 Warhawk have?

On April 26, 1939, Curtiss was awarded a contract for 524 P-40s — once again, the largest order for fighter planes placed by the Army since 1918. The P-40 prototype was armed with one .50- and one .30-caliber machine gun — the standard USAAC fighter armament during the 1930s — but the production model was armed with two .50-caliber machine guns.

Which is better the Lockheed P-38 Lightning or the P-40?

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning could outperform the P-40, especially at high altitude, but the P-40 was less expensive, easier to build and maintain, and — most important — it was in large-scale production at a critical period in the nation’s history when fighter planes were needed in large numbers.

When was the P-40 Kittyhawk first flown?

The armament was changed to four .50-caliber guns in the wings. First flown in May 1941, the improved fighter was called the P-40D Warhawk by the USAAC and Kittyhawk Mk.I by the British. In April 1941, Curtiss built the first of 2,320 P-40Es, or Kittyhawk Mk.Ias, armed with six .50-caliber wing guns.

Who was the Chief Engineer of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk?

In 1934, he hired Donovan R. Berlin as Curtiss’ new chief engineer. Berlin had previously worked at Douglas and Northrop, two firms that had been at the cutting edge of aircraft design.