This film is a detailed checkout produced by P-40 manufacturer Curtiss Wright, in rare World War II color. Claire Chenault’s Flying Tiger’s deadly weapon in China, the P-40 was the Army Air Corp’s main front line fighter at the outbreak of the War. Not as agile as a Japanese Zero, the P-40 made up for that with speed, especially in a dive, and firepower. This rugged plane served the Allies around the world, from the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of Southeast Asia.
The aircraft featured in this film is a P-40F or L, which were powered by Packard built V-1650 Merlins (which also powered Spitfires and the P-51B through D) for better high altitude performance. Other P-40 versions were powered by Allison engines. P-40s supplied to Commonwealth countries were known as ‘Kittyhawks’.
