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Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an all-metal monoplane Pursuit aircraft with an inline engine and retractable landing gear operated by the USAAC.  It was derived from the Curtiss H-75/P-36 by replacing the R-1830 Pratt & Whitney radial engine with an inline Allison V-1710 engine.  Per reference [8] it took its first flight on 14 October 1938, and entered operational service in 1939.  The P-40 was built in many variants, most fitted with an Allison V-1710 engine, but some variants were fitted with a V-1650 Packard Merlin engine.  The primary variants analyzed at this website include:
 In addition to the USAAC variants were procured by numerous air forces around the world including the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, China, Poland, France, Egypt, Turkey, the Soviet Union, and Brazil.  In UK and Commonwealth service this aircraft was also called the Tomahawk I-II or the Kittyhawk I, IA, II, IIA, III, or IV, depending on variant.  Per reference [8] a total of 13,738 P-40 aircraft of all variants were procured.  

As shown in the images below distinguishing features of this aircraft including;
In the P-40N variant, although it had a similar profile as the other variants, the structure immediately aft of the cockpit behind the pilot's head was modified in an attempt to improve visibility aft for the pilot.
P-40
[Image Sources: Public Domain via Ref [8] - as annotated by this site]

P-40X_3-viewP-40N_3-view
[Source: Ref [8] - Public Domain]

The table below summarizes the current data collected on this type aircraft, identifying sources for the data
             
    Curtiss Curtiss Curtiss Curtiss Curtiss Curtiss Curtiss Source Notes
    P-40E P-40E P-40F P-40K P-40L P-40M P-40N-25
Primary Source   1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 3.5
No of Crew   1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Engine:  
   Qty   1 1 1 1 1 1 1
   Model   V-1710-39 V-1710-39 V-1650-1 V-1710-73 (F4R) V-1650-1  V-1710-81 V-1710-99
   Displacement  (cu in) 1710 1710 1650 1710 1650 1710 1710
   Power  
     Military (HP) 1150 1150 1240 1150 1125
     War Emergency (HP) 1490 1490 1580 1435 1360
    Normal (HP)
    Take Off (HP) 1150 1150 1390 1325 1385 1360 1200
   Eng Dims  
     Length (ft)
     Width/Dia (ft)
     Height (ft)
   Base Engine Wt (lb) 1310 1310 1345 1510 1355
Propeller  
   # Blades   3 3 3 3 3 3 3
   Dia (ft) 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
   Manufacturer   Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec) Curtiss (Elec)
   Type   Const Speed Const Speed Const Speed Const Speed Const Speed Const Speed Const Speed
Wing                
   Span (ft) 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3
   Root Thickness (%) 15.0% 15.0%
  (in) 16.2 16.2
   Total Area  (sq ft) 236 236 236 236 236 236 236
     Wing (less Ailerons & Flaps) (sq ft) 182.8 182.9
     Ailerons (sq ft) 18.4 18.3
     Flaps (sq ft) 34.8 34.8
Tail Area (sq ft) 69.04 69.04 69.04 71.22 69.74 69.74 69.04
   V Tail Area (sq ft) 20.74 20.74 20.74 22.92 21.74 21.74 20.74
     Fin (sq ft) 7 9.18     7
     Rudder (sq ft) 13.74 13.74     13.74
   H Tail Area (sq ft) 48.3 48.3 48.3 48.3 48 48 48.3
     Stabilizer (sq ft) 30.86 30.86     30.86
     Elevator (sq ft) 17.44 17.44     17.44
Total Control Surf Area (sq ft) 84.38 84.28
Length  
   Overall (ft) 31.7 31.7 31.6 33.31 33.31 33.31 33.31
   Fuselage (ft) 27 27 27.96
   Body  (ft) 31.6 31.6 31.6 33.31 33.31 33.31 33.31
     Body Depth (ft) 5.48 5.48 4.8 5.81 5.81 5.81 4.82
    Body Width (ft) 3.3 3.3 3.08 3.21 3.21 3.21 3.19
Fuel Tank Volume (gal) 143 144 145 146 147 148 154
   Wing Tanks (gal) 85.5 85.5 85.5 85.5 85.5 85.5 88.0
    FuselageTanks (gal) 57.5 58.5 59.5 60.5 61.5 62.5 66.0
Oil Tank Volume (gal) 13.3 13.3 13.3 13.3   13.3 10.0
Water Injection Fluid Tank Volume (gal)
Wetted Area (sqf) (sq ft)
Pwr Ldng (lb/HP) 7.33
Wing Ldng (lb/sq ft) 35.71
Struct. Des. GW  (lb) 7400 7400
Ultimate Load Factor (G's) 12 12
Design Speed (mph) 496
Not to Exceed Speed (mph)
                 
Total Struct Weight   2744 2550 2605 2578 2614 2580 2863
   Total Wing   1126 1105 1132 1120 1126 1122 1131
     Wing                
     Ailerons                
     Flaps                
     Fuselage Carry-Through                
   Tail   129 129 154 129 152 131 150
     H Tail     91          
       Stabilizer                
       Elevator                
     V Tail     38          
       Fin                
       Rudder                
   Body + Eng Section + LG  
   Body + LG   1489 1316 1319 1329 1336 1327 1247
   Body   794 792 767 784 787 779 759
     Fuselage   449   418 435 437 434 424
     Engine Section   345   349 349 350 345 335
   Landing Gear   695 524 552 545 549 548 488
     Mn Landing Gr     476          
     Tail/Nose Aux LG     48          
   Tail Hook  
   Booms  
   Nacelles  
Total Propulsion Weight   2645 2641 2867 2731 2786 2756 1923
   Engine w/ Accessories   1413 1416 1632 1397 1583 1418 1432
   Engine(s) as Installed   1307 1311 1518 1324 1523 1337 1340
     Accessories   106 105 114 73 60 81 92
    Turbocharger(s)  
   Controls   26 23 8 36 34 35 29
   Propeller(s)   383 384 386 418 418 418 417
     2-Blade                
     3-Blade   383 384 386 418 418 418 417
     4-Blade                
   Starting System   43 46 34 45 8 46 45
   Water Injection System  
     Tanks                
     Piping Etc                
   Cooling System   294 292 306 294 305 294
   Lube System   61 62 64 116 116 117
     Tanks                
     Piping Etc                
   Fuel System   425 418 437 425 322 428
     Tanks                
     Piping Etc                
Total Sys. & Eqpmt.   680 936 1094 1058 1085 1050  
   Instruments   41 40 40 41 41 40
   Surface Controls    101 103 98 97 100 98
   Hydraulics   - 156 200 162 169 164
   Electrical Equip   229 244 240 241 237 236
Electronics (Purple means incl in Furn/Gray in Useful Ld)   74 74 134 130 157 134
   Arm Prov/Equipment & Armor   267 328 313 321 320
    Furnishings   235 52 54 74 60 58
   Anti-Ice (If not in Furn)  
   Other /Misc  
     Hoisting Gear  
     Floatation Gear  
     Armor Plate                
   
Empty Wt   6069 6127 6566 6367 6485 6386 6206
Basic Mission Useful Load     2300          
   Crew   200
   Equipment  
   Oil   135
   Fuel   888
   Fuel & Oil Trapped in Systems  
   Water Solution for Engine Injection  
   Bombs/Torp Etc  
   Radio (if Not Included in Empty Wt)  
   Nav Equipment  
   Oxygen System  
   Armament   956
     Guns & Ammo     956          
       Guns     450          
       Ammo     506          
     Pyrotechnics                
     Camera                
     Other                
   Other Useful Load   121
Basic Mission GW     8427          

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Rev 3-13-25
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