Hobby Master 1/72 HA5509 P-40N Black Magic HU-E 78 Sqn RAAF Morotai early 1945

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk first flew in 1938 as a modification of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk. Warhawk was the official U.S. designation while the name Tomahawk was used by the British Commonwealth and Soviet forces for the P-40B and C and Kittyhawk for P-40Ds and later variants. The P-40 was first used by British squadrons in North Africa and the Middle East in 1941. The P-40 lacked a two-speed supercharger making them inferior to German aircraft but was an adequate fighter in low altitude combat zones. Almost 12,000 P-40s were produced.

P-40N Kittyhawk c/n 9150M serial 43-23639 was delivered to the RAF and at first became FX760 GAT and later GA? and piloted by Fl/Lt Edward Ross who had the ? added. The aircraft was shot down by flak on August 21, 1944. The aircraft on display at the RAF Museum Hendon isn’t the original GA?, it is a composite of several aircraft that have been assembled to make one P-40N and painted to represent GA?. The fuselage is from P-40N 42-106101 built for the RAAF with serial A29-556.