Recent find in the Egyptian desert

Most planes from that era had fabric control surfaces, including the B-17.

SuperDave wrote:The "dweebs" call this a P-40 "Kittyhawk" but we know better don't we?

World War II Airplane, Kittyhawk P-40, Found In Egyptian Desert 70 Years After Crashing (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Considering it is was from a British squadron, Kittyhawk would be correct and not Warhawk.

Better pics

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/357/language/en-CA/Original-Kittyhawk-HS-B-Discovered.aspx

Excellent Article Dave

If memory serves my Airfix kits (your Revell equivalent) had the P40 as a Kitty Hawk and War hawk versions



Check out the comments underneath by some surviving brain donors.

It was in better condition before the Egyptian Army showed up.....

WingingIt74 wrote:

SuperDave wrote:The "dweebs" call this a P-40 "Kittyhawk" but we know better don't we?

World War II Airplane, Kittyhawk P-40, Found In Egyptian Desert 70 Years After Crashing (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Considering it is was from a British squadron, Kittyhawk would be correct and not Warhawk.

Yes, and they were Kittyhawks in the RAAF too. Didn't make them any better though. Weren't too bad for ground support and attack, but not much else unfortunately.

Dins:



Oh I don't know about that. Read about General Claire Chennault and the "Flying Tigers" flying the "hump" into Burma supplying the Chinese against Japanese aggression during WWII. P-40's seemed pretty adept at protecting cargo planes.

dinsdale wrote:

WingingIt74 wrote:

SuperDave wrote:The "dweebs" call this a P-40 "Kittyhawk" but we know better don't we?

World War II Airplane, Kittyhawk P-40, Found In Egyptian Desert 70 Years After Crashing (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Considering it is was from a British squadron, Kittyhawk would be correct and not Warhawk.

Yes, and they were Kittyhawks in the RAAF too. Didn't make them any better though. Weren't too bad for ground support and attack, but not much else unfortunately.

The RAF didn't use the P40 in Europe, but in the desert campaign it was very popular with pilots, rugged and not liable to stop working if a little sand got in the works! Mostly used in ground attack mode, but it also proved devastating against the Italian airforce, some of who's squadrons were still flying biplanes at the time!
It seems that this pilot flew a reciprocal course by mistake and ran out of fuel, the radio had been removed from the plane and some attempt had been made to repair it, unfortunately unsuccessfully, and it is assumed that the pilot then set off to walk home, again unfortunately he never made it. The pilot's identity is known, but so far not released publically.

Ivanhoe wrote:
Mostly used in ground attack mode, but it also proved devastating against the Italian airforce, some of who's squadrons were still flying biplanes at the time!

Yes, as I said, ground attack/support and good enough to beat a WW1 aircraft in aerial combat. As a fighter, which they were designed to be, they were pretty much a dismal failure given what the were up against mostly with BF109, FW190 and the Zero. The RAAF used them extensively throughout Asia, New Guinea and the islands, and as I said, they ended up being used almost exclusively for ground support/attack. They probably would have been much better if they'd had Packard Merlins instead of those klutzy old heavy and under-powered Alisons.