The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, all-metal fighter-bomber featuring a low-wing configuration and a conventional tail assembly. The prototype first flew in 1938, and serial production took place between 1938 and 1944. The final aircraft in the Hawk family, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, was—alongside the Republic P-47 and the North American P-51 Mustang—one of the most widely produced American fighters. By the time production ended in December 1944, the total number of aircraft built exceeded 15,000. Design work began in 1937, when the prototype airframe of the Model 75 was adapted to accommodate an Allison V-1710-11 inline engine producing 1,167 hp. The aircraft became the first American design capable of speeds exceeding 483 km/h. The version supplied to the Royal Air Force was designated the Tomahawk Mk IIA; these aircraft featured self-sealing fuel tanks and two wing-mounted 7.7 mm machine guns. The Tomahawk Mk IIB variant was equipped with American radio gear and armed with six 7.7 mm machine guns. Some American P-40s were modified in 1941 for reconnaissance duties.
