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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 Navy Fighers P- 38 P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger

P-40

Page 3
CURTISS XP-46

The first P-40Bs and P-40Cs delivered were deployed to Hawaii, beginning April 1941, by Navy carrier, flying off the deck to Army airfields. To modernize some older Army P-40s, sets of H81A-2 wings with four guns and protected tanks were installed on 46 aircraft redesignated P-40G from August 1 to September 25, 1941.

The Tomahawk IIB was the concurrent British P-40C version, first flown April 23, 1941, with deliveries until August 21, 1941, when Curtiss had finished 1,180 Tomahawks. About 516 Tomahawks were sent to the Middle East to replace RAF Hurricanes, and the first P-40 victory was scored June 8, 1941, when an Italian bomber was destroyed near Alexandria by a No. 250 Squadron pilot. No. 3 Squadron (Australians) used Tomahawks in Syria, downing three Ju 88s on June 18, and six Vichy French Martin Marylands on June 28. Then this squadron joined Number 112 and 250 Squadron Tomahawks in Egypt, along with two South African squadrons.

CURTISS XP-46A

During the brisk desert fighting, the Tomahawk was reputed to be a heavy, but robust aircraft, inferior to the new Bf l09F in speed and climb, while better in maneuverability. Superior German pilot experience added to the difficulties, but Australian Clive Caldwell did score 20 victories flying P-40s, probably the most successful ace on the type. CURTISS H87A-1 (Kittyhawk I)

While 54 Tomahawks were lost at sea, many remained in reserve, so on January 6, 1941, 100 H81A-2s were sold to China and shipped from New York to Burma for the American Volunteer Group (AVG). Turkey also received 30 from Middle East stocks, beginning in November 1941.

The 316 that remained in Britain took some 1,000 hours apiece to assemble and deliver to units. Unwanted by Fighter Command, Tomahawks were first used in 1941 to replace the two-place Lysanders of 11 Army Cooperation squadrons, whose Tomahawks were fitted with an oblique camera for tactical reconnaissance. Four more squadrons later got them for training. These squadrons served only in the United Kingdom and fought no air battles before the Tomahawks were replaced in 1942/43 by Mustang Is.

CURTISS H87A-2 (Kittyhawk IA)

After the Soviet Union was invaded, Churchill promised 200 surplus Tomahawks to Stalin on July 25, 1941. The last 49 Tomahawk IIBs built were shipped directly from the United States with 10 P-40Cs and 16 P-40Gs, while 24 IIA and 147 IIB types came from British depots. Convoys carrying these aircraft began arriving at Archangel on September 1, where two Army pilots, Lts. John Alison and Hubert Zemke, between September 10 and 29, qualified the first 120 Soviet pilots on the P-40 with only one loss.

The first Soviet P-40 units were the 126th Fighter Air Regiment (IAP), which first introduced the Tomahawk into combat defending Moscow on October 12, 1941; the 147th IAP, replacing its I-153 biplanes at Murmansk, and the 154th IAP, replacing I-16s and entering combat on the Leningrad Front on November 26.

CURTISS P-40D

Improving the P-40
Even before the P-40 entered service, Curtiss engineers planned a replacement. The first possibility was a response to an Army circular proposal dated June 15, 1939, for pursuit designs intended for 1941 production. An improved 1,150-hp Allison with new reduction gears (V-1710-39) was specified for the Curtiss offer dated July 27. Although it took third place to the Republic P-44 and Bell P-45 proposals, prototype development of the Curtiss XP-46 was authorized September 29, 1939.

The original light-weight concept was replaced by October 19 with provisions for two .50-caliber nose guns, four .30-caliber wing guns, 65 pounds of pilot armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks, apparently the first to be required by an Air Corps specification. The armament was that later specified for the P-40B, although the XP-46 was a smaller aircraft, with the wheels retracting inward instead of backward, and the radiator moved back below the wings.

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