What is a P-40 B Tomahawk?

Answer 1

The Curtis P-40 was the first fighter flown in action against the Japanese forces in Burnna before the official U.S. entry into WWII. Also Curtiss P40B's (78th P.S. 15th P.G.) were some of the aircraft which managed to take off from Bellows Field during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 6th 1941.

The P-40 Warhawk/Tomahawk/Kittyhawk family of fighters evolved from the Curtiss P-36 Hawk series with a better engine and all round better performance. The first group of variants that saw any combat service was the P-40B/C Tomahawk and these versions were exported to China in the early days of the Japanese invasion. The Curtiss P-40B was the best fighter the US had at the beginning of WWII. Although it achieved a trial speed of 366 mph, summarily whipping the existing competition at the time, when war broke out it was quickly realized that it was not an equal to Japan's Zero or to Germany's Bf-109. Pilots soon developed tactics to take advantage of the Tomahawk's diving ability while avoiding twisting dogfights with the lighter and more maneuverable Zeros and Messerschmitts.

The XP-40 prototype first flew on October 14th, 1938. Powered by a 1,050 hp Allison V-1710-19 liquid-cooled engine with integral supercharging, it could reach 342 mph at 12,200 feet. P-40 delivery to the USAAC (200 planes) began in June of 1940. Powered by the 1,040 hp V-1710-33, it could achieve a speed of 357 mph, and was armed by two cowl-mounted .50 cal and two wing-mounted .30 cal machine guns. The P-40B had an extra 7.7mm machine gun in each wing and the first "B" flew on March 13, 1941. These aircraft were delivered in full camouflage and retained the same dimensions of the P-40, but weight was increased to 5590 pounds empty, 7326 pounds gross, and 7600 pounds maximum loaded. Because of the additional weight, the P-40B had an inferior performance to the P-40, maximum speed being 352 mph, service ceiling being 32,400 feet, and initial climb rate being 2860 feet per minute. Normal range was 730 miles, but an extended range of 1230 miles could be attained at the minimum cruise settings.

The export equivalent of the P-40B was the Tomahawk IIA. They differed from the American version by having the wing guns replaced by four 0.303-inch Brownings. 110 were produced for the RAF. 23 of these planes were transferred to the USSR, and one (AH938) went to Canada as an instructional airframe. The P-40 was used by Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, France, Great-Britain, Iraq, Italy, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Turkey, USA and USSR! The only American fighter aircraft built in larger numbers than the P-40 were the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang. The P-40 saw many variations in engine and armament outfits, each of which received a different production letter. The "E" and "M" models saw extensive production and the final variant was the "Q". P-40Q prototype was the result of a complete redesign of the P-40; however it had no advantage over the P-47 Thunderbolt or P-51 Mustang and the project was cancelled