P-40 Warhawk Pilot's Flight Operating Manual
The Curtiss P-40 was a U.S. single-engine, single-seat, low-wing, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft which first flew in 1938, and was used in great numbers in World War II. Over 13,500 P-40s were produced.Between 1941 and 1944, the P-40 played a critical role with Allied air forces in five major theaters around the world: China; the Mediterranean Theater; the South East Asian Theater; the South West Pacific Area, and in Eastern Europe.P-40s first saw action with British Commonwealth air forces in the Desert Air Force, in August 1941. The RAF's No. 112 Squadron was the first to fly Tomahawks in North Africa. The squadron copied the famous shark mouth markings under the spinner from Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me 110 Zerstörer units, and the logo was later adopted by the Flying Tigers in China.The P-40 performed extremely well in the China-Burma-India Theatre, scoring high kill ratios against Japanese craft throughout the war. The P-40 remained in use in the CBI until 1944 and was reportedly preferred over the P-51 Mustang by some U.S. pilots flying in China.At least 40 US Pilots reached Ace status flying the P-40 in the China-Burma-India Theatre.The American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) were integrated into the USAAF as the 23rd Fighter Group. The unit continued to fly P-40s (of newer models) until the end of the war, racking up a high kill-to-loss ratio.