Hello and welcome back. Last spring at the start of the air show season I had the opportunity to photograph this beautiful Curtiss P-40E "Kittyhawk". Kittyhawks were the Lend Lease version of those same models the U.S. called Warhawks. The paint scheme is in RAF markings with a desert/Mediterranean camouflage pattern and colors. The squadron markings are No. 322 and these aircraft were actually flown by Dutch pilots. As the German army rolled through and conquered many western European countries people we able to escape and some volunteered to fight with the British. There was a Polish squadron that helped in the Battle of Britain.
The P-40s actually held their own in the air war in North Africa in the early 1940s. It was rugged and most of the air combat occurred at lower altitudes so there was no need for a supercharged Allison engine. As a testament to the design, the P-40 was in combat throughout the entire war and even fought BEFORE the United States had official entered the war in Dec 1941 as the American Volunteer Group (AVG), better known as the Flying Tigers. The type fought in every theater and were flown by British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and Russian air forces. There are still a surprising number of P-40s that are survivors today and airworthy. Thanks for looking. Enjoy!