The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat,
all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. It was
used by the air forces of 28 nations, including those of most Allied powers
during World War II, and remained in front line service until the end of the
war. By November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been
built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main production facility at
Buffalo, New York.
The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36; this
reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and
operational service. The P-40's lack of a two-stage supercharger made it
inferior to Luftwaffe fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in high altitude combat and it was rarely used in operations
in Northwest Europe. Between 1941 and 1944, however, the P-40 played a critical
role with Allied air forces in three major theatres: North Africa, the Southwest
Pacific and China. It also had a significant role
in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Eastern
Europe, Alaska and
Italy.
