P-40M Warhawk, Kittyhawk III

In 1943, the scarcity of Packard Merlin engines necessitated that the Allison engine be reintroduced yet again into the P-40 production line !he result "as the P-40M #ersion !he P-40M "as essentially si$ilar to the P-40%-&0-'(, apart fro$ the use of the Allison )1*10-1+ engine, rated at 1&00 hp for takeoff and 11&, hp at 1*,300 feet !he P-40M could be distinguished fro$ the P-40% by the introduction of a cooling grill for"ard of the e-haust stubs !he P-40M "as built solely for .end-.ease, the contract being appro#ed on August &4, 194& !he first P-40M appeared in /o#e$ber, 194& Most of the$ "ent to the 0A1, the 0AA1, and the 0/2A1 as the %ittyha"k III !he type ser#ed "ith 3ritish 'o$$on"ealth forces in the 1ar 4ast A nu$ber "ere operated in Italy by /o , 56uadron of the 5outh African Air 1orce !he differences bet"een the production blocks "ere as follo"s7 !he P-40M-1-'( had reinforced ailerons !he P-40M-,-'( had i$pro#ed carburetor air filters and further aileron i$pro#e$ents !he P-40M-10-'( had re#ised undercarriage "arning syste$s and fuel syste$ changes 5erials of the P-40M "ere as follo"s7 43-,4038,49& 'urtiss P-40M-1-'( :arha"k 43-,4938,*&& 'urtiss P-40M-,-'( :arha"k 43-,*&38900& 'urtiss P-40M-10-'( :arha"k !he 0A1 serials for the &94 P-40Ms supplied to the 0A1 as %ittyha"k IIIs "ere 10**9810+*& and 15100815&99 19+ P-40Ms "ere supplied to Australia as %ittyha"k IIIs under the serial nu$bers A&9-30083+9, A&9-4008414, A&9-4&08434, A&9-44&8490, and A&9-4*38,0& 34 P-40Ms "ent to /e" 2ealand as serial nu$bers /23099830*3, /230*,830+9, /2310983119, and /231+0 !he P-40M e6uipped the /o , 56uadron of the 5outh African Air 1orce ser#ing in Italy 19 P-40Ms "ere transferred to 3ra;il Sources: :ar Planes of the 5econd :orld :ar, 1ighters, )olu$e 1our, :illia$ <reen, =oubleday, 1994 !he A$erican 1ighter, 4n;o Angelucci and Peter 3o"ers, >rion 3ooks, 19+* (nited 5tates Military Aircraft since 1909, <ordon 5"anborough and Peter M 3o"ers, 5$ithsonian Institution Press, 19+9 'urtiss Aircraft, 190*-194*, Peter M 3o"ers, /a#al Institute Press, 19*9 !he 'urtiss P-40 !o$aha"k, 0ay :agner, Aircraft in Profile, )olu$e &, =oubleday, 199, ? Joseph Baugher