P40 Warhawk

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a fighter developed and used by many nations, including the United States. It is notorious for having a very mixed history as an aircraft. Historically, it has been regarded as a largely inferior aircraft and treated much like the M3 Lee was. Recent scholarship has been far more forgiving.

In Real Life

The Curtiss Warhawk is an underappreciated aircraft. First developed to replace the aging P-36 Hawk to meet demands of the USAAF for modern sleek aircraft to compete with newer European designs. The model of the aircraft varied, but in general the vehicle was notorious for a distinctive air scoop on the bottom of the Engine mount and for carrying enough firepower to make an Ork Cry, with some later models carrying as many as six .50 BMGs. The variants that were sent under lend lease were called Tomahawks or Kittyhawks.

As a matter of fact, the Warhawk could be found in pretty much every allied nation in some manner. The USAAF pilots differ from the Generals of the USAAF and stated in their memoirs that they had no problem using the aircraft at lower altitudes, with some being indifferent at switching to P-38s. The Soviet air doctrine of World War II favored medium and low altitude combat, and found the P-40 to be an ok aircraft. The British found it very useable in the ground support role, and the Chinese were largely greatful just to have ANYTHING that flew. the P-40 was a critical factor in the African Campaign, the Burma Campaign, and the Indian Campaign.

Other noteworthy features of the Warhawk include it's ability to take off from aircraft carriers and the sheer utilitarian applications of the vehicle. It might not be shooting down bombers or dominating the sky, but like any American aircraft, it'll be tough as balls to destroy and can cause a critical existence failure if you fly in front of it. In fact, the FAA specifically had Warhawks that could fly from their Aircraft carriers that the Bongs designated "Kittyhawks".

The P40 also was reliable enough to survive the war, though outdated as an air superiority fighter, as a Close Air Support aircraft. The copious numbers of BMGs and ability to carry lighter payloads such as rockets and bombs made it invaluable against heavy armor, something the Soviets tended to have in copious supply post war.