P-40's

[BBP]

I'm not an officianado on the subject. So I'm probably barking up the wrong tree. But is there any possibility the P-40's could be bumped up in HORSE POWER? They are incredibly inferior and only a polished pilot can fly them successfully. I can't believe they were this slow in the war unless we used them to fight ZERO's.....lol. Here's Hoping!

Kimosabe

[caldera]

Depends on what you consider "successful" flying. 
If you want a K/D of 1 or above, you don't need to be all that "polished". 
If you mean racking up a half dozen solo kills and landing them, you really are barking up the wrong tree. 

My stats in all P-40 models are 1319 kills/706 deaths for a combined K/D of 1.86.  Proof that you can be somewhat successful with out actually being any good.


PS - there is a reason for their ENY values and it isn't horsepower.

[BnZs]

Ya got the P-40F/N, and that is probably as good as it gets.

http://www.hitechcreations.com/components/com_ahplaneperf/genchart.php?p1=118&p2=120&pw=2&gtype=0&gui=localhost&itemsel=GameData









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_P-40_Warhawk_variants

[Oldman731]

I can't believe they were this slow in the war unless we used them to fight ZERO's.....lol.

They were...and they were.  Gives you a real appreciation for what those poor guys went through.

I've found that the N model, with the 4-gun, low-ammunition option, is a reasonably effective plane to fly among its contemporaries.

- oldman

[BnZs]

Well, IIRC the AVG mostly encountered Ki-27 fighters, top speed 275 mph, in P-40Bs that had been hot-rodded until they were probably as fast as the late-war Ns. So with the right tactics, that is more than a good match-up for the P-40. Not like having to fight P-51s, late-model Spits and 109s, etc, in the LW main.

[Ack-Ack]

Well, IIRC the AVG mostly encountered Ki-27 fighters, top speed 275 mph, in P-40Bs that had been hot-rodded until they were probably as fast as the late-war Ns. So with the right tactics, that is more than a good match-up for the P-40. Not like having to fight P-51s, late-model Spits and 109s, etc, in the LW main.

The AVG also came across the Ki-43, especially in Burma, as by that time the IJAF was phasing out the Ki-27 in favor of the Ki-43.

ack-ack

[BnZs]

Yep. But even against the Oscar, the P-40 ought to generally be able to hit and run, dive away from trouble.

According to the AHII charts the P-40C is slower than the Ki-43 on WEP below about 5000, all other P-40 models are faster. Any solid data on where the AVG P-40Bs would have fallen on this continuum?

[LilMak]

The P-40 was a fun bird until the redesign. The biggest gripe I have with it now is the gunsight which is too small and too low. It's virtually useless for anything but a direct 6 shot.

[BuckShot]

P-40N is a fun tank buster, (3) 500 lb'ers!

Climbing out, not so fun.

[Randy1]

Players like Caldera can extract every ounce of fighter out of the P40s making them at times look like a spit16.  If you want more out of the P40, you will have to master the plane.

[Slade]

What else does one need to get kills in besides a P-40e?  It does everything you need.

Good guns.  Flies straight.  Can carry fuel.  Might even climb on take off.  There you go!

I mean you could fly other planes but why?

[Butcher]

The P-40 takes a polished pilot to fly it, Its slow acceleration, no climb rate - horrible top speed. Its only good in a dive, learn to Boom and Zoom and get away from being cornered.
I had a few 9 kill sorties, but ultimately it doesn't take much to get caught and burned in a P-40, in a late war ride you have quite a few ways of escaping combat, in a P-40 you have absolutely no way except for diving.

I flew the plane and had fun in it, I ultimately choose to fly the C.205 just because it had a lot more to offer in the Late War Arena. 400mph at 15k, great climb rate, decent roll rate and a pair of 20's and still 25 eny. It was a leap ahead vs a P-40.

[bustr]

The P-40 was a fun bird until the redesign. The biggest gripe I have with it now is the gunsight which is too small and too low. It's virtually useless for anything but a direct 6 shot.

The picture below is an N-3B with an A1 tilting bomb head like in our B25H. The light is turned on and the ring is the standard 70Mil ring.

P40s started out with the earlier 35Mil 1RAD ring. The N-3 series of gunsights started out with a 1RAD ring and by 6\43 all N-3A\B were upgraded with a 70Mil 2RAD ring like the picture below. Most P40 shipped through depots in England had their N-3 gunsights pulled out and replaced with British MkII 105Mil 3RAD ring. Those shipped out of the west coast of the USA retained the N-3 gunsights. And yes the N-3 is only good for bombing, strafing or a 6 shot. And why ETO American fighters were retrofitted with the British MkII until the American Mk8, N9, and Mark21\K14.

So LilMak, you just discovered why there were piles of discarded factory issued N-3 gunsights in American aircraft depots in England during ww2. So start a wish list post asking for ETO\Med P40 with MkII installed. That would cover both British P40 and American in those theaters until the end of the war. You could even ask for the same in ETO P47 and P51B until the arrival of the Mk8 and K14. N9 were never shipped with P51B\C and were a pita to field retrofit. Which was the reason the AAF didn't enable funds for factory fitting along with delays in delivery that saw the Mk8 filling the gap with P47 from the factory. Only P-51D up to P-51D-20-NT 44-12852 and P-51D-20-NA 44-72226 were factory fitted with N9.

Proportion wise, the default head view in the P40's if you install a 70Mil ring is very accurate. The cockpit views reflect a late 1930's attitude about how the P40 would be used in air combat not dominated by biplanes. Which most of ww2 has nothing remotely to do with our reliance on air show gymnastics with burp guns. And that's why Chennault's tactics worked so well against the Japanese Ki27 and Ki43.

[BBP]

Lil mark, You can put a dot on the center of your screen and raise or move it as much as you like. A neat lil adjustment. And OLDMAN, thanks much. I did what you said and got a kill on my first outting! It flies pretty nice like that!!
Thanks Man,
KimoSabe!!!!

[caldera]

Players like Caldera can extract every ounce of fighter out of the P40s making them at times look like a spit16.  If you want more out of the P40, you will have to master the plane.

  You must have me confused with someone else.
I am really only good at extracting every drop of blood out of my wounded pilot, before losing to some numbers guy on his first day.