P-40
 

Often wondered why the P-40 is much maligned? Seems to me a fine, well built, strong aircraft, which was produced in huge numbers at the right time.....a lot of the 'anti-Allison' dogma has over-the-years been shown to be a lot of BS. Anyone out there have a comment?

You are right, but against 109s, Zeros, and the rest they just kept getting shot down.

The RAF, desparate as it was for new aircraft at the beginning of the war, put them into army co-operation, and kept them well away from state of the art fighters.

Reminds me of....oh yes, Tornado F3. Plenty of bucks, not much bang.

P40 seemed to handle the Zero quite well, a lengthy thread on usenet is at:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&threadm=78ec2s%24fot%241%40winter.news.rcn.net& rnum=2&pr ev=/gr oups%3Fas_q%3Dzero%2Bp40%2Berik%26num%3D100%26as_scoring%3Dr %26btnG%3DGoogle%2BSearch%26as_epq%3D%26 as_oq%3D%26as_eq%3D%26as_ugroup%3Drec.aviation.military%26as _usubject%3D%26as_uauthors%3D%26as_umsgi d%3D%26lr%3D%26as_drrb%3Dq%26as_qdr%3D%26as_mind%3D12%26as_m inm%3D5%26as_miny%3D1981%26as_maxd%3D11% 26as_maxm%3D2%26as_maxy%3D2002

Or do a search on exact phrase "weakness of A6M2 Zero"

The P40 had advantages over the Spitfire in the conditions in the Pacific. The spit being limited to some defensive work and training, apart from the range issue there were problems with serviceability, heat and the undercarriage.

[ 12 February 2002: Message edited by: Deaf ]</p>

It must have been a pretty tough old bird, despite its Allison engine, my deceased uncle trying to land after a seized engine failure demolished two brick built houses and finished up in the street about sixty yards further on, only to be consumed in the fuel fed fire that occured after frantic attempts by passers by to extract him from the cockpit, which had a jammed hood, according to eye witness report he waved people away from the remains of the A/C just as it started to burn, so despite the loss of his life to a secondary incident the actuall crash left him still alive! <img src="frown.gif" border="0">

It did OK in Russia (along with the P-39) but the Eastern Front air war was mostly tactical support for the Red Army. If the Luftwaffe wanted to shoot the Russians down, they had to come down to their level. Below 15-20,000 the P-40 was OK. A similar situation was in the Western Desert when they flew in support of the 8th Army. No good for escorting B-24's at 28,000 with it's single stage supercharger though.

Don't forget, the early Mustangs with a similar Allison engine were relatively lack lustre performers.

I still think they look good with the big chin under the nose. Especially 112 Squadron's with the (first) sharks mouth decoration.