P-40E, Kittyhawk IA

Only twenty-two P-40Ds were produced. An order dated February 18, 1941 increased the ar a ent to si! "uns in the win"s, and subse#uent aircra$t e#uipped with this ar a ent were desi"nated P-40% &'odel 8(-)*+. ,he cannon ounts &which were ne-er used in any case+ were deleted. .erial nu bers o$ the /.AAF P-40%s were 40-018 &c2n 10*00+, 40-08*2381 &c2n 10*1(210013+, 41-100121(44, and 41-101*1210199 &c2n 13(0(213811+. ,he P-40% was powered by one 1110 hp Allison 4-1(10-09 twel-e-cylinder 4ee li#uid cooled en"ine. 'a!i u speed was 001 ph at 1000 $eet, 041 ph at 10,000 $eet, and 03* ph at 11,000 $eet. 5nitial cli b rate was *100 $eet per inute. An altitude o$ *0,000 $eet could be attained in 11.1 inutes. .er-ice ceilin" was *9,000 $eet. 'a!i u ran"e was 310 iles &clean+, 810 iles &with one 40 5 p "al drop tan6+, 1400 iles &with one 141.1 5 p "al drop tan6+. 7ei"hts were 3010 pounds e pty, 8*80 pounds nor al loaded, and 9*00 pounds a!i u . Di ensions were win"span *( $eet 4inches, len"th 01 $eet * inches, hei"ht 10 $eet ( inches, and win" area *03 s#uare $eet. ,he 8ittyhaw6 5A was essentially the e!port e#ui-alent o$ the P-40%. 1100 were built, pri arily $or the 9AF, but any were di-erted to :anada, Australia, and ;ew <ealand. Followin" the passa"e o$ the =end-=ease Act, all aircra$t purchased with /. $unds had to ha-e standard /. desi"nations and had to be issued /.AAF serial nu bers, e-en thou"h they were ne-er intended $or ser-ice with the /.AAF. .ince the 8ittyhaw6 5A was built with so e )ritish e#uip ent, it was not e!actly e#ui-alent to the /.AAF P-40%, and the 8ittyhaw6 5A was assi"ned the /. desi"nation P-40%-1 &'odel 8(A-4+ to reco"ni>e the di$$erence. .erials o$ the 8ittyhaw6 5A? 41-*4((32*1191 c2n 18(91219*14 9AF %,1002%,119 41-018(4203910 c2n 190912194(4 9AF %,1*02%,999, %41002%4399 As entioned abo-e, any o$ these 8ittyhaw6 5As were di-erted to :anada, ;ew <ealand, and Australia. Australian serials were A*9-1 throu"h A*9-130, 9:AF serials were (*02(01, and ;ew <ealand serials were ;<000120044, ;<009120098, ;<010020180, and ;<0*(1. @owe-er, 5 donAt ha-e any in$or ation correlatin" these serial nu bers to 9AF serial nu bers and bac6 to the /.AAF serial nu bers. Sources: 7ar Planes o$ the .econd 7orld 7ar, Fi"hters, 4olu e Four, 7illia Breen, Doubleday, 1934. ,he A erican Fi"hter, %n>o An"euluci and Peter )owers, Orion )oo6s, 198(. /nited .tates 'ilitary Aircra$t since 1909, Bordon .wanborou"h and Peter '. )owers, . ithsonian 5nstitution Press, 1989. :urtiss Aircra$t, 190(-194(, Peter '. )owers, ;a-al 5nstitute Press, 19(9. ,he :urtiss P-40 ,o ahaw6, 9ay 7a"ner, Aircra$t in Pro$ile, 4olu e *, Doubleday, 1931. C Joseph Baugher