Curtiss Kittyhawk
Fighter-bomber · Curtiss · United States
| Typical crew | 1 |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1 × Allison V-1710 |
| First flight | 1941 |
| Number built | 13,738 |
About
The Kittyhawk was the RAF and Commonwealth name for the later marks of the Curtiss P-40, from the P-40D onward, distinguished by a deeper nose and an armament of six wing guns. Like the Tomahawk it lacked the high-altitude performance to match the latest German fighters, but as a rugged, hard-hitting fighter-bomber it was a mainstay of the Desert Air Force across North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Carrying bombs as well as guns, the “Kittybomber” flew close-support and anti-shipping strikes with squadrons of the RAF, RAAF, SAAF and RCAF, and was flown by several of the desert war’s leading aces.