RETURN OF THE ALEUTIAN HAWK

摘要

One of the American icons of the Second World War is the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk. Admittedly outmoded when it came to the newer generation of American and Axis fighter aircraft, the P-40N proved to be a valuable mount for combat pilots since it was nigged and available in large numbers. The P-40N (Curtiss Models 87V/87W) was the major and final production variant built under the P-40 designation and, as a point of interest, the first 1500 aircraft under this contract were to have been P-40Ps fitted with Packard-built V-1650 Merlin engines. However, they were completed with Allison V-1710-81s of 1200-hp. Curtiss engineers made valiant attempts to lighten the weight of the P-40N in order to increase top performance and the N was built in numerous "dash numbers" as can be seen in the following listing: P-40N-1-CU: Lightened airframe with wing armament reduced to four .50-cal Browning M2 machine guns, no underwing racks, decreased fuel, increased armor, manually operated landing gear and flaps, and revised radio and oxygen systems.