Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk IA

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 4

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 5

Climb Rate: 4

Ground Attack: 1

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	306	326	342	346	355@ 15092'	171 mph	1:59	5:28	11:01
mph WEP	317	336	349	n/a	362@ 15092'
kph	493	534	550	557	571@ 4600m	275 kph
kph WEP	510	540	562	n/a	583@ 4600m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: October 1941

Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" (12.7mm) machine guns with 281 rpg in wings

Secondary Guns: 4x Browning M2 0.5" (12.7mm) machine guns with 281 rpg in wings

Ordnance: 1x 250 lb (113 kg) or 1x 535 lb (242 kg) bomb or 1x 312 lb (142 kg) drop tank under fuselage, plus 2x 119 lb (54 kg) bombs under wings; or 2x 250 lb (113 kg) bombs under wings

Engine(s): 1x Allison V-1710-39 in-line rated for 1,150 hp at sea level (1,470 hp with WEP)

Int Fuel Capacity: 943 lbs (428 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 312 lbs (142 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 362 mph (583 kph) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m)

Ceiling: 29,000 ft (8839 m)

Loaded Weight: 8,280 lbs (3,756 kg)

Wing Area: 236 sq ft (22 sq m)

Wing Loading: 35.1 lbs/sq ft (170.7 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Durability: The Kittyhawk continued the Curtiss trend of being able to sustain great amounts of battle damage.

Guns: Six .50 caliber machine guns with 280 rpg gives the Kittyhawk pilot a good combination of firepower and firing time.

Weaknesses

High Altitude Performance: Despite the newer engine, the Kittyhawk is still rather sluggish and unresponsive at high altitude. In particular the climb rate and ceiling were poor compared to contemporaries such as the Spitfire and Bf-109.

History

Early in 1940 the new Allison V-1710-39 engine became available, and Curtiss set about redesigning the P-40 to accommodate the new power plant. The new P-40D model was visibly different from the P-40C, but in fact bore the new Curtiss development designation "Hawk 87A".

The most visible difference from earlier P-40s was the addition of a deeper radiator "chin" under the engine. This new engine arrangement necessitated the removal of the nose-mounted machine guns in favor of placement in the wings, two .50 caliber machine guns being mounted in each wing with 280 rpg.

After a production run of only 22 P-40Ds an extra .50 caliber machine gun was mounted in each wing, the subsequent model being designated the P-40E by the US Army and the Kittyhawk I by the RAF. In addition to the improved armament, the "E" model incorporated newer hydraulic gun chargers, which replaced the unreliable mechanical charging system that was generally bypassed in the field. Additionally, the Kittyhawk could carry either a 52-gallon drop tank or a 500 lb. bomb under the fuselage.

Sources

Green, William; War Planes Of The Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; Macdonald & Co., London; 1961.

Davis, Larry; Curtiss Army Hawks In Action, Aircraft Number 128; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1992.

McDowell, Ernest R.; Curtiss P-40 In Action, Aircraft No. 26; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas; 1976.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

The Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Aircraft Division

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II