HistoryClaire Lee Chennault (1890-1958)
U.S. Air Force general and pioneer
air tactician, who led the Flying
Tigers in World War II, was raised
in Louisiana and attended L.S.U.
Chennault won fliers wings in 1919.
He commanded a fighter squadron
in Hawaii for 3 years and by 1935 was
chief of fighter training at Maxwell
Field, Ala. where he experimented with
aerial tactics.
In 1937 Chennault became air adviser
to the Chinese government. He built
an air force, obtained U.S. aircraft, and
iniated his theories in combat against
Japanese pilots. Lacking pilots, he
rounded up men in the United States for
the American Volunteer Group, which
came to be called the Flying Tigers, and
by original training methods made them
a potent fighting force. In April 1942 he
was recalled by the army and headed
the U.S. air war in China until July 25,
1945.PlaneThis plane (P-40 N) is one of the types of
aircraft flown during World War II in China
fighting against the Japanese. There were
also the P-40 B, P-40 E and P-51's.
Color Scheme
Camoulflage of the American Volunteer
Group (AGV) Desert Sand in 1941.
Markings
The planes' markings combine the
Chinese Star (a.) the Panda Bear (b.)
and the Flying Tiger
Emblem (c.) of
the 1941 American Volunteer Groups
2nd squadron with the later markings
of Louisiana ace, Capt. Wiltz Segura,
the plane''s number (d.), the plane''s
name (e.) and score, (f.) one Japanese
bomber and five fighters.
P-40 Specifications There were 16,802 total P-40's built between October 14, 1938, when the first prototype was flown, until November 30, 1944, when the last P-40-N-40-CU rolled off the production line. 5,229 of this production were the N models.
The aircraft weighs 6,208# empty and has a maximum gross weight of 8,350# under combat conditions. It has a wingspan of 37' 4" and is 33' 5" long and 12' 4 1/2" tall. It is powered by an Allison V-1710-F-20-R 12 cylinder engine and develops 1200 horsepower. It has a Curtiss Electric 3 blade propeller of 11' 0" diameter. Maximum speed was 366 M.P.H. and cruising speed was 308 M.P.H. with a range of 716 miles. Armament was 6 .50 caliber Browning machine guns in the wings outside the propeller arc, and could carry either 1 - 500# bomb, a 52 gallon aux. fuel tank, or 6 - 20# anti-personnel bombs.
P-40 Specifications: Continued
The cockpit area was protected with armor plating and the fuel tanks were self-sealing which, along with the advanced fighter tactics taught by the commanding officer, helped contribute to it's remarkable
kill ratio of 286 kills to 4 losses - 71.5 to 1 - while in combat with the Flying Tigers (American volunteer group) under Colonel Claire L. Chennault. After the United States entered the war on December 7, 1941, this group formed the nucleus of the 14th Air Force under General Claire L. Chennault, and remained in China throughout the war.
The Curtiss P-40 served gallantly in World War Two for the United States, China, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, and the U.S.S.R.
There are fewer than 12 flying P-40's in the world today.
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