Curtiss P-40C.

One of 2 P-40Cs acquired from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s by The Fighter Collection, 41-13357 was in much worse shape than the other (41-13390).

41-13357 was accepted by the USAAC on 6th April 1941, where it went on to serve at Patterson Field, Ohio. After recording around 100 hours there, it was shipped to Puerto Rico. While stationed there is presumed that our P-40C was used for coastal and anti-submarine patrols.

Having amassed 603 hours, it was returned to the Curtiss Factory in Buffalo, New York, where it was overhauled for the Lend-Lease programme with the Soviet Union. The P-40C was then duly shipped to the USSR in December 1941. The history past this point is still relatively unknown.

During the restoration it was decided to finish the aircraft in the scheme of a P-40 based at Chanute Field, Kansas. Our aircraft wears the scheme of 39-159, a P-40C that was stripped of it’s olive drab camouflage paint and used as a personal ‘hack’ for base commanders.

The restoration culminated on the 5th August 2011 when aircraft (then registered N80FR) had it’s first post restoration flight in the hands of Steve Hinton. The aircraft was shipped from Chino to Duxford during May/June 2014, in time for Flying Legends 2014 where it made it’s UK debut.

 


Manufacturer: Curtiss

Type: Warhawk P-40C

Maximum Take off Weight:

Year Built: 194?

Engine: Allison V-1710-33

Propeller:

Gallery: