eBay: Curtiss P-40

[Navalwarrior]

Yes, it would have to be pre-PH because they started building the D model in the fall of 1941. And since I believe that Curtiss was located at an airfield in Buffalo and thus the P-40 could have been flown to any spot in the US, it is going overseas. And I guess that means HI or the PI.

Interestingly enough, in the PI by the time the war started most of the P-40's there were P-40E's; with only one squadron of the B/C models. In HI they had nothing but P-40B/C on 7 Dec 1941, with some P-36 and some P-26; after they lost most of their P-40 and P-36 they flew a lot of patrols with the remaining P-26's. The IJN was still flying Claudes at the time of the Solomans campaign, so a P-26 vs. Claude combat is at least theoretically possible, if under very unusual circumstances.
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Resp:
Thanks for the specifics of fighter types. I read somewhere that P-40Es in the PI arrived and were assembled/made combat ready only a day or two before Japan attacked. The article said that none of these P-40s were equipped with oxygen, so were limited to lower altitude combat with the attacking Japanese aircraft. That the higher altitude Zeros easily out did the P-40s because of no oxygen. Are you able to confirm that the above is true?

 

[ODonovan]

Rather than JUST pictures, here is the three-part "Kermie Cam" video series Kermit Weeks did at Fantasy of Flight, for his TP-40N, 44-47923. It's a rare bird, one of only approximately 40 which were factory-built as two-seater training aircraft.

A view from the cockpit, during takeoff.

And here she is in a photo from Fantasy of Flight.

Videos and photos all from Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, Florida - Central Florida Air Museum | Fantasy of Flight - "An attraction on a higher plane."



-Irish

 

[MiTasol]

Yes, it would have to be pre-PH because they started building the D model in the fall of 1941. And since I believe that Curtiss was located at an airfield in Buffalo and thus the P-40 could have been flown to any spot in the US, it is going overseas. And I guess that means HI or the PI.

Actually Curtiss had two plants in Buffalo - one on the airport and the other at Kenmore Avenue which is/was miles from the airport. I do not know when the Kenmore Avenue plant opened so this photo may be at Kenmore, at the airport prior to shipping elsewhere or at the airport on arrival from Kenmore.

I do not know what the packing was for OS shipment at the time the B/C models were built but the D and on were in two big waterproof wood crates, with the propeller off. I would suspect that the earlier aircraft were shipped in similar boxes as well because if you shipped 40 or more in a single cargo hold packaged like on that truck I think it safe to say they would suffer lots of damage if the ship was in rough seas.

 

[MiTasol]

Resp: Thanks for the specifics of fighter types. I read somewhere that P-40Es in the PI arrived and were assembled/made combat ready only a day or two before Japan attacked. The article said that none of these P-40s were equipped with oxygen, so were limited to lower altitude combat with the attacking Japanese aircraft. That the higher altitude Zeros easily out did the P-40s because of no oxygen. Are you able to confirm that the above is true?

Yes many of the P-40s arrived shortly before or after the Japanese attacked. I am not sure about the oxygen problem but USAAF archives show there were a lot of problems with the hydraulic gun cocking which was supposed to be disabled at the time because a line failure would drain the hydraulic system making it impossible to lower the gear. That problem was fixed later. Most P-40Es in the PI had problems with guns jamming for various reasons. Most B and E models had never fired their guns before the Japanese attack as there was only enough ammunition to fill each aircrafts ammo boxes twice and they were told to wait until you need them to see if they work. The pilots also complained they could hardly catch a B-17 above 18,000ft. See Bill Bartsch Doomed at the start page 42. I have seen the same in Archive docs, probably in the history of the 24th PG or 5th AF in PI but would not know exactly where in the 30,000 plus archive pages to find it.

If I find something on lack of oxy or on oxy system problems I will post them here and I will also post the P-40 versus zero and ammo reports if I find them again.

Given that no one seems to have considered that they may need 50 cal ammo and those aircraft diverted to Australia that were originally destined for the PI arrived with no Prestone coolant I would suspect that the oxygen problem was more likely to have been lack of oxygen gas rather than lack of oxygen equipment in the aircraft.

 

[special ed]

Saburo Sakai said in his book that he had trouble catching a B-17 at high altitude.

 

[MIflyer]

I read where one P-40 pilot at a PI base jumped in his airplane and took off when the Japanese attacked, shoving the throttle forward all the way and desperately trying to pick up some speed and get out from under the rain of bombs.

Then he looked at the manifold pressure gauge and his heart sank. It was reading only about 10 inches and that could only mean that his engine had a serious problem. But as the speed picked up and he climbed he saw the gauge decrease from 10 inches - and go to about 60 inches. The gauge had gone all the way around past the normal maximum reading; the engine had been developing considerably more than 60 inches manifold pressure. Prior to the P-40M the USAAF V-1710's did not have automatic manifold pressure regulators.

 

[MIflyer]

Couple of shots of a newly restored P-40N first flight in Florida, and a P-40F at Guadalcanal. Bottom shot is takeoff. Top shot is landing.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII 1943 USAAF Boeing School Oakland CA Boeing airplane? photo #8 | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII 1943 USAAF Boeing School Oakland CA Boeing airplane? photo #9 in cockpit | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII 1943 USAAF Boeing School Oakland CA Boeing airplane? photo #10 on wing | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

WWII 1943 USAAF Boeing School of Aeronautics Oakland CA airplane photo #7 Paul | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wildcat]

76 sqn RAAF

 

[Navalwarrior]

WWII 1943 USAAF Boeing School Oakland CA Boeing airplane? photo #8 | eBay

View attachment 542407

Resp:
The photo is marked 'Kingman' which is likely Kingman, Arizona. The photo isn't clear, but it looks like the P-40 is either an F or L model that housed a Merlin, rather than an Allison engine.

 

[Snautzer01]

*WWII photo- P-40 Warhawk Fighter plane Nose Art- TOMAHAWK & SKULL w/ KILLS* | eBay

 

[Snautzer01]

*WWII photo- P-40 Warhawk Fighter plane FLIGHT LINE Parked on Airfield* | eBay

 

[Wurger]

 

[Navalwarrior]

*WWII photo- P-40 Warhawk Fighter plane Nose Art- TOMAHAWK & SKULL w/ KILLS* | eBay

View attachment 542964

Resp:
Unusual to see kill markings on the R side of USAAF aircraft. USMC routinely used the R side, just under the cockpit to post kill markings, but this is the first time I have seen this. The P-40 looks to be in good condition. At first I thought the photo was reversed when printed, but the single wing 'star' is on the left, is where it should be.

 

[Schweik]

Great photos, hadn't seen some of those before