Lockheed P-38 Lightning in USAF-French-Italian-Chinese Nationalist Service (10)

Ernest R. McDowell

Arco.

Few aircraft designs have had as odd or complex a background as the P-40 series. In fact one wonders why the Air Corps elected to give the H-75P a designation other than a dash number in the P-36 series since it was basically a re-engined P-36A. Spin-offs from the P-36 design would result not only in the P-40 but the XP-37, XP-42, XP-46, XP-53, XP-60, and XP-62 plus the ones given Y designations and various dash numbers.
Ignoring the Curtiss Hawk biplanes, the family tree of the P-40 would seem to have its tap roots in the XP-934 Curtiss Swift of 1932 vintage. Although some experience in the low-wing monoplane type was gained when the company produced its famed Shrike series of attack planes, the Swift, or XP-31 as it was designated by the Air Corps, was their first low-wing pursuit design. By one of those odd quirks, the Swift initially was powered by an in-line engine which gave way to a more powerful radial, just the reverse of the P-36 to P-40 design development. The XP-31 was not successful with either engine and the design was soon abandoned (It did earn the dubious distinction of being the last U.S. pursuit plane with a fixed landing gear). The Curtiss Company's fortunes took a downward turn in the pursuit field when the Boeing P-26A was selected by the Air Corps over the XP-31.

Curtiss P-40 in Action - Aircraft No. 26

Engineering & Transportation

Engineering

Squadron/Signal Publications

B-25 Mitchell in Action - Aircraft No. 34

Politics & Social Sciences

Politics & Government

Flying Fortress: The Boeing B-17 - Aircraft Specials series (6045)

History

Military

Flying Scoreboards: Aircraft Mission & Kill Markings - Aircraft Specials series (6061)

Checkertails: The 325th Fighter Group in the Second World War

Americas

Comprehensive history of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in WWII and the many different groups that used them in the European Theater

Thunderbolt: The Republic P-47Thunderbolt in the European Theater

Squadron Pub. Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in Pacific Theater #6079

Thunderbolt, The Republic P-47 in the Pacific Theater - Aircraft Specials series (6079)

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Books by Ernest R. McDowell