Japanese-Captured P-40E Warhawk

[ColesAircraft]

I found b/w pictures of this bird in a collection of photos from a Japanese friend. I produced a color profile for my website - then decided it just wasn't enough! I had to depict it in a painting (shown here).

I've looked everywhere and can't find this scheme depicted. It would be unusual enough, even in its original Allied national markings. It's definitely interesting that the Japanese evidently appreciated the nose art enough to preserve it during their own evaluation (and operation?) of the aircraft.

- Ron Cole

index

 

[Flyboy2]

Maybe you should post the original black and white pictures, i'd be interested in seeing those

 

[ColesAircraft]

 

[ColesAircraft]

 

[ColesAircraft]

Or you could visit:

index

I've got a whole page of pictures there.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Very interesting CA!! Thank you for sharing!

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's pretty cool! What was the "face" supposed to be, a lion?

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

This was an intriguing picture to me.
http://www.colesaircraft.com/sitebuilder/images/jakes1-918x641.jpg


Wheels

 

[JoeB]

That a/c was one of the (3) P-40E's shipped into the southern Philippines, crated, on a blockade runner. It was assembled on Mindanao and that color scheme applied based, with obvious extra artistic creativity, on images of AVG P-40's in magazines that were received by the USAAF personnel on Mindanao. Two of the a/c were captured by the Japanese when all US forces in PI surrendered in May 1942. Those photo's are from immediately after its capture. The 2 P-40's publicly displayed in Japan in summer '42 were painted plain OD by that time; though they also captured a few P-40E's on Java and it's not clear which is which after that from any source I know. Some of them also appeared in the Japanese movie 'Hayabusa Regiment' (about the 64th Sentai, a Type 1 Fighter equipped unit in Burma) playing AVG P-40's, but painted in a USAAC prewar-type scheme with red and white striped tail. Eventually they were used in a small operational detachment of the 50th Sentai in Burma as bomber interceptors defending Rangoon, by then painted as below. At least one is seen in US newreels immediately postwar relatively intact on a Japanese airfield, back in the plain OD scheme (or perhaps that a/c always stayed in Japan).

Joe

 

[Wildcat]

Very interesting stuff guys! Joe, did the 50th Sentai see any combat with their P-40's?

 

[ColesAircraft]

Here's another one from Asahigraph Magazine c. 1943. Same aircraft, but with U.S. Army A.C. markings, including underwing block lettering. You can also see that the red center of the white star is painted-out.

Of note also is that many of the people in these pictures appear to be Western, while in others they're clearly Japanese.

The pictures seem to raise more questions than provide answers - but the color scheme is real, and pretty cool.

Ron

index

 

[ColesAircraft]

Thanks for checking out my website, Wheels!

The picture here is intriguing. I don't know which cruiser it is, but I've never seen the application of the three wing-leading-edge identification stripes.

Ron

 

[ColesAircraft]

Here's another P-40 from the same photo collection:

Interesting tail marking. Similar to tails of evaluated Buffaloes, but different. Two aircraft are pictured here side by side - numbered "3" and "2". Numbers appear on fuselages and tails - crudely painted.

- Ron Cole

 

[vikingBerserker]

Thanks for checking out my website, Wheels!

The picture here is intriguing. I don't know which cruiser it is, but I've never seen the application of the three wing-leading-edge identification stripes.

Ron

I think its actually a seaplane carrier.

Not the best pic of what I'm talking about, but look at the back of the ships on the cover below:

 

[Flyboy2]

Wow thats a sweet paint job on the P-40

 

[ColesAircraft]

Oh . . . here's my profile: same bird.

Ron Cole

index

 

[ColesAircraft]

 

[Wildcat]

Here's another one from Asahigraph Magazine c. 1943. Same aircraft, but with U.S. Army A.C. markings, including underwing block lettering. You can also see that the red center of the white star is painted-out.

Of note also is that many of the people in these pictures appear to be Western, while in others they're clearly Japanese.

The pictures seem to raise more questions than provide answers - but the color scheme is real, and pretty cool.

Ron

G'Day Ron, is it possible this P-40 appeared in the movie mentioned by JoeB, representing the flying tigers?
BTW great website mate, you've sure got talent!

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Thanks for checking out my website, Wheels!

The picture here is intriguing. I don't know which cruiser it is, but I've never seen the application of the three wing-leading-edge identification stripes.

Ron

It's a cool site.
I will be checking it out again to see what else you add.


Wheels

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for checking out my website, Wheels!

The picture here is intriguing. I don't know which cruiser it is, but I've never seen the application of the three wing-leading-edge identification stripes.

Ron

I have ever heard of the three white stripes on the leading edge of the wing as a positioning marker on the rail. I don't know further details.