French Merlin-Hawks in Color P-40F
http://vintageaeroplanewriter.blogspot.com/2011/02/french-merlin-hawks-in-colour.htmlOf interest: Lt J.J. Ketcher gets his plane blessed buy the priest. He is a full blooded Cherokee.

"One hundred and fifty P-40Fs were supplied to the RAF under Lend-Lease. The RAF assigned them the name Kittyhawk II. The Kittyhawk IIs were offset from USAAF allocations 41-13697/14599. RAF serials were FL219/448. Unfortunately, P-40Ls were also mixed in with this lot with no mark distinctions, so it is impossible to tell which planes were Fs and which were Ls by merely looking at the RAF serial number.
In the event, very few of these aircraft actually served with the RAF. FL273 and FL369-448 were returned to the USAAF for use in North Africa in 1942/43. FL230/232, 235, 236, 239/240 were lost at sea before reaching the RAF. FL263, 270, 276, 280, 383, 305, and 307 were handed over to the Free French, who operated them in North Africa. 100 were transferred to the USSR."A number of P-40Fs were selected at random, withdrawn from operational service, and fitted with Allison V-1610-81 in place of their original Merlins. These planes were intended for training duties. These were re designated P-40R-1. Similar conversions from the P-40L were designated P-40R-2. Army records report that over 600 such conversions were made.
That takes care of about 750 of 1100. The Merlins didn't do as well as was thought and were replaced and gone by the time the K shows up.
I am happy we got a plane for the P-40French ...Finally! But we still need the H75, K and N to fill out the set.
No Doubt,
Edit: this should keep the kids guessing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nQrSJA7RVA