P-40B Posse Check In

[buhdman]

Still waiting patiently for my P-40B/E  

Buhdman, out

[C_R_Caldwell]

As far as the Krauts swatting P-40s like flies in Nth Africa, ahem, I 'don't think so ;?) They definitely had the statistical advantage, but it was actually lower than the adv. that the LW had over the RAF's Spit Vs during late 1941-early 1943.

As far as which P-40 I'd like 2 see modelled 1st, I definitely vote for the P-40E Warhawk/Kittyhawk I.The Desert Air Force's P-40s were THE original Flying Tigers.Members of the AVG admitted that they took the idea for the shark/tiger mouths from DAF P-40s ('Pappy' even mentioned it in his autobiography).

In fact, WW2's top P-40 ace was Australia's top ace, Clive "Killer" Caldwell ,who got his handle due to his habit of shooting up targets of opportunity on the way home from a sortie & never coming back with any ammo left in the clip - an epithet he supposedly disliked.He scored 20.5 kills in the P-40 whilst serving in the DAF.Although he was an RAAF officer, he was chosen to lead one of the DAF's two most famous fighter squadrons, the RAF's 112Sq. (the other of the 2 was the RAAF's No.3 Sq. which ended WW2 with the top kill tally of any DAF squadron).

Caldwell then returned home to defend northern Australia from the Japs and nailed a further 8 kills (flying a tropicalised Spit Vc) for a final total of 28.5 confirmed kills (as well as at least 6 probables and at least 18 damaged!).He was one of the very few Allied pilots to score kills against all 3 major Axis powers - Germany, Japan, and Italy, including 5 German kills in 1 day whilst leading 112Sq.

His score is even more remarkable because he did not fly another air to air mission from late 1943-early 44.This was mainly thnx to Gen. Macarthur who refused to let Australian ground & air forces join with his American forces on the island hopping campaign of 1944-45.Whilst Americans frog leaped Jap held islands otw to the Japanese home islands, Australian forces were tasked with dangerous & generally meaningless campaigns to destroy Jap units which would've withered on the vine anyway.Thousands of Aussie casualties were suffered in the last 18 months of WW2 on these missions.Pacific-based RAAF squadrons basically spent the last 18 months of WW2 on extremely dangerous & irrelevant CAS sorties against dug in Jap positions.Frustration grew to the point that in early 1945 Caldwell led a "mutiny" of leading RAAF wing & squadron commanders in protest.

However, as much as I'd like to see Caldwell's camo scheme for any future AH P-40 (he flew both the P-40B Tomahawk & P-40E Kittyhawk), there IS a major problem with his a/c code.When he returned back to Australia to lead a Spitfire fighter wing against the Japs, his personal a/c code was "CR-C" (his initials).However, whilst leading 112Sq. in Nth Africa, his a/c code was different.All 112Sq.'s a/c had "GA" as the 1st two letters of their 3 letter a/c code.Guess what was the last letter in Caldwell's a/c's code? Yes, you guessed it, it was "Y" !!!! ROFLMAO.

So even though any P-40B or E modelled in AH really deserves to be modelled as Caldwell's a/c as he was the P-40 ace of aces, I'm not sure whether most AH users (including patriotic Aussies like myself) want to fly an a/c with the code "GA-Y" painted in huge letters on their a/c !!! Admittedly, the code on the starboard side was "Y-AG"(or "Y-GA", I can't remember which), but you can't keep your enemy on your starboard side all the time ;?)

[This message has been edited by C_R_Caldwell (edited 05-26-2001).]

[aztec]

Yup, I'm in..and a Ki-43 for a counter.  

[AKDejaVu]

Still patiently waiting.

AKDejaVu

[GRUNHERZ]

I want tyhe AVG type P40.

I also want an early P39/P400.

I also want an F4F.

These would add much charater to the rather boring and unvaried US lineup.

[pdog_109]

Hey Sunchaser, didn't know your here to.
The P-40s and Hurricanes got slapped around by the 109F/G and the 202. The allies in north africa had the numerical advangtage but the itlians/germans had better quality planes and tactics. There were only 120 something 109Fs in north africa compared to alot more hurris and P40s.
The P-40 can go up agaisnt a zero the historical way using BnZ. But against the 109f/g and 202 the p-40 is outclassd by these fighters.

[SKurj]

Yes!! P40 please, and in chinese markings, russian markings, N Afrika markings

+)

SKurj

[Sunchaser]

Damn....another year gone already??

Pdog, I have been here forever, just took a break for IL2 and will probably take another one soon.

So HTC, about that P40....

[JoeMud]

<homer mode> mmmmm p-40

[AN]

Whadda ya know, my favorite thread pops its head up again.  

anRky

[Urchin]

I'd fly the P40 if it got introduced.  It wouldn't be my main ride, but I have always thought that plane was just plain pretty.  Whats the difference between the P40B/P40E/and the P40N?  

Just curious is all.

[Ozark]

P-40's Vs Zekes!  

That would be a blast in the CT!  

[streakeagle]

P-40B would have to be in original AVG Flying Tigers colors with Chinese insignias (per the mirrored image in the original post by Downtown). I would love it as much as the P-51 that was designed to replace it.

As for the differences, like all US aircraft over time: increase speed, power, and weight; decrease maneuverability. P-40B had 2 x 0.50 cal and 4 x 0.30 cal vice 6 x 0.50 cal of later versions. P-40B had inferior (at altitude) Allison engine and was only flown by the AVG. The P-40C had minor changes, mainly the addition of a few pounds to support using a drop tank. Eventually, the Merlin was used. Without looking it up, I am pretty sure from the P-40E and later. But the airframe changes to accomodate the engine and heavier armament had adverse affects on turning and climbing, but increased max speed and max altitude.

I have little interest in the E or N, they are essentially similar to a P-51B Mustang minus about 10% to 20% or more of the range, speed, altitude, and climb performance. The P-40B not only looks better, but can turn pretty well compared to later fighters. Yet, it nearly equaled the superior diving performance of later, heavier US fighters.

I would still like to see all three major variants come out at the same time (perhaps a dual release of the P-40B/C: the B in AVG colors, the C in RAF colors?

Also, might as well throw in the P-51A/A-36. Of course, my preferences aside, the P-40B/C needs the A6M2 Zero, Ki-43 Oscar, and North African variants of the Bf109E/F and Ju87 to have a real party.

I would love to fly any or all of these planes.

P.S. Even throw in the F2A Buffalo, which of course requires adding the F4F as well  

[ 08-20-2001: Message edited by: streakeagle ]

[Karnak]

streakeagle,

The P-51 was not designed to replace the P-40.

The British were going to purchase a bunch of Curtis P-40s when North American told them not to, that North American would design and build a new, better fighter for them.  They did, and the British named it the Mustang MkI. When North American tried to interest the USAAF they couldn't. It wasn't until we were at war that we got interested.

[CyranoAH]

Ok bring the P40 and... erm, while you're at it, why not bring the Catalina as well?  

It's an early-mid-late war plane, PTO, ETO, u name the place, she was there.

Yes, but, ok the P40 is ok too  

Daniel, aka Cyrano