Nah, Mustang C had 1650 too.
Curtis P-40F
The Curtis P-40 was introduced in the late 1930's , becoming the first aircraft to see large scale production powered by an Allison V-1710 engine. Even as it entered service, however, it was being eclipsed by contemporary German and British aircraft. Its 350 mph speed at 12,000 ft put the P-40 at a serious disadvantage, thus the P-40 was primarily exported. In order to achieve more performance, P-40 designer Don Berlin asked to have the P-40 fitted with two-stage Merlin engines. The two-stage engines were in demand for more critical applications, but the Packard-built V-1650-1 Merlin was fitted to the plane, becoming the P-40F (P-40L's used the same engine).
The French ordered a large number of planes, but before they could be delivered Germany had occupied France. The planes were redirected to the British, who became the first to use the planes in combat. The planes lacked sufficient armor plating and self-sealing fuel tanks since these were not specified by the French. The planes were could not challenge the German aircraft in Europe, but they were found to perform very well in North Africa where they performed well against both the Italian Air Force and the Luftwaffe.
The P-40 is perhaps remembered best as the plane of General Claire Chennault's famous "Flying Tigers" American Volunteer Group (AVG). The small AVG group racked up an incredible kill ratio against the Japanese in China. The AVG was only in existence for eight months, yet in that time they scored an incredible 286 kills with no more than 80 AVG pilots at any given time. In July 1942 the AVG became the twenty-third fighter group of the USAAF.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, a few P-40C's were able to get airborne and kill some of the attacking Japanese planes. While obsolete by 1941/1942 standards, this was the best fighter the Air Corps had in service at the time. Production ended in November 1944.
