Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Single-seat fighter

Power Plant:

(Tomahawk I)

One 776 kw (1,040 hp) Allison V-1710-33 twelve-cylinder VEE liquid-cooled engine

Specifications:

Armament:

Six 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Browning machine-guns

History:

Following the success of the Hawk 75A, in July 1937 the Curtiss-Wright Corporation installed a liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-11 engine with a General Electric turbo-supercharger in a Model 75A, becoming the Model 75I. This became the first US fighter to exceed 483 km/h (300 mph). However, the engine was new and suffered many teething problems.

The prototype became the XP-37 and was produced for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), 13 test models being built with a lengthened fuselage and the Allison V-1710-21 engine, but engine problems led to this model being abandoned in favour of a conversion of the Curtiss P-36 with the Allison engine, which became the XP-40 (serial 38-010) or Model 75P, which made its first flight on 14 October 1938. A total of 524 was ordered with the 813 kw (1,090-hp) Allison V-1710-33 engine, two 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine-guns in the wings and two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns in the forward fuselage.

Although not a really successful type, the Tomahawk was based on a tried and tested airframe, could be produced at relatively low cost, and was available quickly and in some numbers when urgently required. Indeed, the first order to Curtiss-Wright on 27 April 1939 was for 524 Model 81 aircraft, the largest order ever placed for an American fighter up to that time. Engine installed was the 776 kw (1,040 hp) Allison V-1710-33 and provision was made for a 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine-gun in each wing and racks for six 9 kg (20 lb) bombs under the wings. Flush riveting was used. Later after it entered service armour, bullet proof windshields and self-sealing tanks were added.

The first Curtiss P-40 flew on 4 April 1940 and deliveries to the US Army commenced in June 1940. The P-40 was built at Curtiss-Wright plants at Buffalo, Colombus and St Louis, production eventually reaching 60 aircraft per day, the 15,000th fighter, a P-40N Warhawk, being completed on 22 November 1944.

First overseas orders for the type came from the French Armee de l’Air, these being similar to the USAAC aircraft except for French instrumentation. The first French aircraft flew in June 1940 but the surrender of French forces to Germany prevented the delivery. Britain agreed to take delivery of these aircraft as the Tomahawk I, the first arriving in September 1940, these being fitted with two 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns in the nose and four wing-mounted 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-guns. However, as these aircraft lacked armour and self-sealing tanks, they were not put into service.

The Tomahawk was supplied in larger numbers to the RAF, initial aircraft being the Tomahawk I, followed by the IA and the II, there being variations in the type of armament installed. Many were relegated to the training role, and others operated in place of Lysanders on Army co-operation work.

First RAF unit equipped was No 26 Squadron at Gatwick in west Sussex in February 1941, followed by Nos 403 and 400 Squadrons, the first operational sorties being carried out over northern France on 19 September 1941. The P-40B or Tomahawk IIA was also delivered to the RAF and it was this model that was used on operations. The Tomahawk IIB was similar to the P-40C and 930 were delivered to the RAF, 100 being sent on to China for the American Volunteer Group, and 195 shipped to Russia, some from the US, others from the UK. Those retained in the UK were held as a reserve force against invasion by German forces in 1941. Some early Tomahawk Is were found unsuitable for operational service and were delivered to Canada for advanced training.

A number of USAAC units were equipped with the P-40 Tomahawk on the Hawaiian Islands at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, 62 aircraft being in service, most of these being destroyed during the attack. A total of 100 was destined for the American Volunteer Group, part of the Chinese Air Force, 90 of these reaching Kyedaw and operating from Kumming and Mingladon in December 1941, eventually being credited with 286 victories over Burma and Southern China.

The Tomahawk saw extensive service with Commonwealth forces in the Middle East, being operated by Nos 112, 208, 250 and 260 Squadrons RAF, Nos 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons SAAF, and No 3 Squadron RAAF which moved to the Middle East in July 1940, part of the unit taking up residence at Alexandria, the remainder of the unit being based at Ikingi Maryut. Operating in conjunction with the Australian Army’s 6th Division in the area, it initially had a range of aircraft, including Westland Lysanders, Gloster Gauntlets and Gloster Gladiators. It later received some ex-Battle of Britain Hawker Hurricane Mk Is, these being replaced in May 1941 by Curtiss Tomahawks.

No 112 Squadron RAF introduced the ‘Sharksmouth’ painted on the nose, this being adopted by a number of other units. The aircraft for the Middle East were shipped from the United States to Takoradi in West Africa where, after assembly, they were flown to Egypt or Libya. They were used in low-level operations against Italian and German units, fighting against German Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Italian Fiat CR.42s, and also fighting against Vichy French units in The Lebanon.

In early 2006 a Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk IIB (c/n 15578 – serial 41-14777, AK295) arrived in Auckland, NZ for restoration for a warbird collector. This aircraft is believed to have been one of the first Tomahawk IIBs built to a British order and was delivered to the Soviet Air Force, being assembled by an RAF team in Yagodnik, Archangel before being test flown by USAAC pilots Lt H Zemke and Lt Allison. Tomahawks at that time were issued new to the Russian Air Force unit 147 IAP VVS 14A which had been flying Polikarpov I-153 biplanes.

Tomahawk AK295 crashed near Zimnaja Motovka on 1 February 1942 when flying patrol when piloted by Slt A E Kontsevoj. The aircraft was one of three recovered in the 1990s, this one being restored in New Zealand and becoming ZK-TWK during flight testing and display. It made its first post-restoration flight on 17 April 2011 and was demonstrated at a Classic Warbirds event at Omaka in 2011 before being exported to the United States later that year.

One of the other aircraft (serial AK255) was restored in the United States and placed on display at the US Navy Museum at Pensacola, Florida.