Curtiss P-40 Warhawk/ Tomahawk/ Kittyhawk

We finish our look at the major American fighter aircraft of the Second World War with a series of articles on the P-40 Warhawk. This was the main Army fighter when America entered the war, and although it was never in the front rank of fighters, the P-40 was never entirely outclassed. In British service, as the Tomahawk and later Kittyhawk it played an important role in North Africa. We also look at the P-40's precursor, the XP-37, and three attempts to improve the aircraft - the XP-46, XP-53 and XP-60. Despite their best efforts, Curtiss were never able to produce an replacement worth disrupting production to bring into service.