P-40F Warhawk, Kittyhawk II

In 1941, P-40D Ser No 40-360 was fitted with a 1300 hp British-built olls- o!"e #erlin $% en&ine with a sin&le-sta&e two-speed super"har&er' It flew for the first ti(e on )une 30, 1941' *his e+peri(ental P-40D "ould be distin&uished fro( the sto", P-40- b! the absen"e of the top(ounted "arburetor air s"oop' *he #erlin en&ine did (u"h to o.er"o(e the li(itations i(posed b! the /llison, and a total of 1311 e+a(ples powered b! the /(eri"an-(ade .ersion of the #erlin built b! the Pa",ard #otor 0ar 0o(pan! were ordered under the desi&nation P-401' *he P-401 and later .ersions were ,nown b! the na(e 23arhaw,2 in 4S ser.i"e' *he first 699 planes of the P-401 series had no dash nu(bers, sin"e the produ"tion blo", desi&nation s!ste( was not !et in effe"t' *he dash nu(bers were first used with the P-401-5-04 (odel, whi"h introdu"ed a fusela&e elon&ated fro( 31 feet $ in"hes to 33 feet 4 in"hes in order to i(pro.e dire"tional stabilit!' *his lon&er fusela&e was retained in all later P-40 .ersions' *he P-401-10-04s had (anual instead of ele"tri"all!-operated "owl flap "ontrols' *he P-401-1504s had winteri6in& e7uip(ent, and the P-401-$0-04s had a re.ised o+!&en flow s!ste( for the pilot' / radio (ast was fitted to late produ"tion P-401s' *he P-401 was powered b! a Pa",ard-built #erlin 8-1650-1 twel.e-"!linder 8ee li7uid-"ooled en&ine rated at 1300 hp for ta,eoff and 11$0 hp at 1%,500 feet' #a+i(u( speed was 3$0 (ph at 5000 feet, 340 (ph at 10,000 feet, 35$ (ph at 15,000 feet, and 364 (ph at 10,000 feet' /n altitude of 10,000 feet "ould be attained in 4'5 (inutes, and an altitude of $0,000 feet "ould be rea"hed in 11'6 (inutes' #a+i(u( ran&e was 900 (iles at $0,000 feet :"lean;, %95 (iles :one 43 I(p &al drop tan,;, and 1500 (iles :141'5 I(p &al drop tan,;' Ser.i"e "eilin& was 34,400 feet' 3ei&hts were 6590 pounds e(pt!, %500 pounds nor(al loaded, and 9350 pounds (a+i(u(' Di(ensions were 39 feet 4 in"hes win&span, 33 feet 4 in"hes len&th :P-401-5-04 and later;, 10 feet 9 in"hes hi&h, $36 s7uare feet win& area' /r(a(ent "onsisted of si+ 0'50-in"h (a"hine &uns in the win&s' <ne hundred and fift! P-401s were supplied to the /1 under =end-=ease' *he /1 assi&ned the( the na(e >itt!haw, II' *he >itt!haw, IIs were offset fro( 4S//1 allo"ations 4113699?14599' /1 serials were 1=$19?44%' 4nfortunatel!, P-40=s were also (i+ed in with this lot with no (ar, distin"tions, so it is i(possible to tell whi"h planes were 1s and whi"h were =s b! (erel! loo,in& at the /1 serial nu(ber' In the e.ent, .er! few of these air"raft a"tuall! ser.ed with the /1' 1=$93 and 1=369-44% were returned to the 4S//1 for use in North /fri"a in 194$?43' 1=$30?$3$, $35, $36, $39?$40 were lost at sea before rea"hin& the /1' 1=$63, $90, $96, $%0, 3%3, 305, and 309 were handed o.er to the 1ree 1ren"h, who operated the( in North /fri"a' 100 were transferred to the 4SS ' *he desi&nation @P-401 was unoffi"iall! assi&ned to P-401 Ser No 41-1360$ used for e+peri(ental tests of the "oolin& s!ste( and the tail rudder' *he "oolant s!ste( was (o.ed aft in se.eral different "onfi&urations, in"ludin& a (ountin& fitted inside a thi",ened win&-root se"tion' 4S//1 serials of the P-401 were as followsA 41-13600?13695 0urtiss P-401 3arhaw, 41-13696 0urtiss P-401 3arhaw, :order "an"elled; 41-13699?14$99 0urtiss P-401 3arhaw, 41-14300?144$$ 0urtiss P-401-5-04 3arhaw, 41-144$3?14599 0urtiss P-401-10-04 3arhaw, 41-19933?1993$ 0urtiss P-401-15-04 3arhaw, 41-19933?$0044 0urtiss P-401-$0-04 3arhaw, / nu(ber of P-401s were sele"ted at rando(, withdrawn fro( operational ser.i"e, and fitted with /llison 8-1610-%1 in pla"e of their ori&inal #erlins' *hese planes were intended for trainin& duties' *hese were redesi&nated P-40 -1' Si(ilar "on.ersions fro( the P-40= were desi&nated P-40 -$' /r(! re"ords report that o.er 600 su"h "on.ersions were (ade, but onl! 90 su"h "on.ersions "an be "onfir(ed b! serial nu(ber

Sources: 3ar Planes of the Se"ond 3orld 3ar, 1i&hters, 8olu(e 1our, 3illia( Breen, Doubleda!, 1964' *he /(eri"an 1i&hter, -n6o /n&elu""i and Peter Bowers, <rion Boo,s, 19%9' 4nited States #ilitar! /ir"raft sin"e 1909, Bordon Swanborou&h and Peter #' Bowers, S(ithsonian Institution Press, 19%9' 0urtiss /ir"raft, 1909-1949, Peter #' Bowers, Na.al Institute Press, 1999' *he 0urtiss P-40 *o(ahaw,, a! 3a&ner, /ir"raft in Profile, 8olu(e $, Doubleda!, 1965' British #ilitar! /ir"raft Serials 191$-1969, Bru"e obertson, Ian /llen, 1969 C Joseph Baugher