Curtiss P-40E-1A Kittyhawk

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Quick Link 2 Fighter Ace Screenshots 3 Fighter Ace Ratings 4 Fighter Ace Performance 5 Historical Statistics 6 Strengths 7 Weaknesses 8 History 9 Sources 10 See Also 11 Quick Link

Quick Link

• Fighter Ace Flight Museum: WWII US / GB / SU / GE / JP / Jets and Post WWII // Planes Inventory (text list)
• Fighter Ace Plane Physics: Speeds / Accelerations / Climb Speeds / Star Ratings
• Fighter Ace Weapons: Guns / Rockets / Bombs / Torpedoes

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: 3

Speed: 6

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 5

Climb Rate: 2

Ground Attack: 2

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	307	326	344	347	356@ 15092'	171 mph	1:59	5:28	11:01
mph WEP	316	335	351	n/a	362@ 15092'
kph	494	524	553	558	572@ 4600m	275 kph
kph WEP	509	539	564	n/a	583@ 4600m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: March 1942

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 110 lb (50 kg) or 1x 220 lb (100 kg) or 1x 550 lb (250 kg) bomb or 1x 312 lb (142 kg) drop tank under fuselage, plus 2x 110 lb (50 kg) or 2x 220 lb (100 kg) or 4x 33 lb (15 kg) RS-82 rockets under wings. Maximum load of 1000 lbs.

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 (8,839 m)

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

Wing Area: 236 sq ft (22.0 sq m)

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

Strengths

Durability: The P-40E continued the trend of being able to sustain great amounts of battle damage, making it capable of absorbing far more damage than the native Russian fighters.

Guns: Six .50 caliber machine guns with 280 rpg gives the Kittyhawk pilot more hitting and killing power than any Soviet fighter except the La-5FN and La-7.

Weaknesses

High Altitude Performance: Despite the newer engine, the P-40E 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 P-40E could carry either a 52-gallon drop tank or a 500 lb. bomb under the fuselage.

As P-40s were beginning to be phased out of US service, surplus aircraft were shipped to the Soviet Union under the "Lend-Lease" program. Despite being obsolescent as a front-line fighter, the P-40 was capable of carrying larger bombs than the native designs and was more durable, thus finding itself a place as a ground-attack fighter.

As with many other foreign designs, the plane’s armament was augmented by the installation of rails to allow it to carry four RS-82 rockets. However, unlike the British Hurricane whose .303s were quickly replaced, the six .50 caliber guns were sufficiently heavy to wreak havoc on the numerous enemy soft-targets and installations.

Sources

McDowell, Ernest R.; Curtiss P-40 In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1976.

Green, William; War Planes of the Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; MacDonald and Company, London; 1961.

See Also

The Curtiss-Wright Corporation, Aircraft Division

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II

Quick Link

• Fighter Ace Flight Museum: WWII US / GB / SU / GE / JP / Jets and Post WWII // Planes Inventory (text list)
• Fighter Ace Plane Physics: Speeds / Accelerations / Climb Speeds / Star Ratings
• Fighter Ace Weapons: Guns / Rockets / Bombs / Torpedoes