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This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Tue Feb 21, 2023 4:44 pm

Curtiss P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" 42-105192 RCAF 858 (79) N85104

History:

Constructed as a P-40N by Curtiss at Buffalo, NY.

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Canadian Air Force with s/n 858 as a Kittyhawk IV.

Delivered to RCAF as 858.

BOC: June 22, 1943.

SOC: August 23, 1946.

Put up for disposal at Patricia Bay AB, Vancouver Island.

1947: Fred Dyson, Boeing Field, Seattle, WA, October 23.

1947: Barged from Vancouver Island to Boeing Field.

Registered as N1197N.

Royale Silver Co, Los Angeles, CA, 19??.

Bajorling Aircraft Co, Detroit, MI, 19??.

1952: W.P. Bridges Real Estate, Jackson, MS.

1954: Louis Rice, Maysville, CA.

1954: Richard B. Rowlette, Riverside, CA.

1955: Walter Brockin, Riverside-Flabob, CA.

1955: W. Keith Larkin/Weather Modification Company, San Jose, CA.

Modified to dispense Iodine pellets.

Fitted with belly tank and radar pod under right wing.

1958: Damaged from wheels-up landing near Denver, CO.

1960: Ed Maloney/The Air Museum, Ontario, CA.

Wreck acquired and trucked from Denver.

Restored for static display.

1980: Planes of Fame, Chino, CA, October.

Registered as N85104.

1977: Restored to airworthy, Chino.

1981: First flight.

Displayed as USAAC/"47".

2000: Shipped to Hawaii for movie Pearl Harbor March.

Currently flying.

The Planes of fame Museum’s P-40 is a World War II Combat Veteran, built in Buffalo, NY, delivered on June 22, 1943, and served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. On March 10, 1945, while being flown by Pilot Officer J. O. Patten, this Kittyhawk Mk. IV destroyed a Japanese “Fu-Go” fire-balloon bomb at 13,500 feet over Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Post-war, the aircraft sold several times to private owners. In Colorado in 1958, after seeding clouds with silver iodide, it experienced a belly landing. It was acquired by the Museum in 1960 and restored in 1980. It flies regularly and has appeared in the films “Pearl Harbor” and “Valkyrie.” It is currently painted in the markings of the 325th Fighter Group.

Image
P-40N Warhawk 42-105192 (N85104) at the Weather Modification Company, San Jose, CA 1955.

Image
P-40N Warhawk 42-105192 (N85104) at the Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, Ca in June 1981.

Image
P-40N Warhawk 42-105192 (N85104) at the Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, Ca in June 2005.

Image
P-40N Warhawk 42-105192 (N85104) at the Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, Ca currently.

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:03 pm

Shark Mouth changed over the years.... I guess it was obligatory to repaint/re-stencil after scheme changes....

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:31 pm

oldie but a goodie....

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... p?p=145921

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Thu Feb 23, 2023 8:16 pm

For a few years in the 80s it had no shark mouth.

August
Attachments
Scan-161016-0039-800x.jpg

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Sun Feb 26, 2023 12:08 pm

I think I see shark lips maybe it's just not smiling.

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Sun Feb 26, 2023 2:51 pm

Mark Allen M wrote:Curtiss P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" 42-105192 RCAF 858 (79) N85104
Image
P-40N Warhawk 42-105192 (N85104) at the Weather Modification Company, San Jose, CA 1955.

Cool. 8)
I didn't have this P-40 as part of the Weather Modification Company.

Other WMC P-40's
P-40E N1223N, now at Yanks Air Museum, Chino.
civilHawk2.jpg


P-40E N1228N, crashed in Texas 1965
ScreenShot_20230226114132.jpeg

pop2

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Feb 27, 2023 1:38 am

I built a model of N1223N decades ago, although I got a few of the details wrong... Does anyone have a closeup photo of that silver iodide dispenser on the port side?

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Thu Apr 13, 2023 9:12 pm

Videoed her in the mid nineties at Chino, don't know what I'm doing
wrong?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5XGL7q4GL8

Tried to post via the Youtube prompt above didn't work?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5XGL7q4GL8[/youtube]

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Fri Apr 14, 2023 5:00 am

Works for me, just clicked on the link. Nice vid, thanks.

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Fri Apr 14, 2023 10:52 pm

Now just another incorrectly restored warbird combat vet. Big deal.

Neat plane with some great history, that is lost.

Will

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Apr 17, 2023 4:08 am

Hey Will,

Are you referring to the paint job not being the same as when it was with the RCAF or was there something actually wrong during a restoration?

Thanks,

Mac

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Apr 17, 2023 5:30 am



If you hover your mouse over the 'youtube' button, you can see the instructions: copy and paste the iframe embed code here.
Go to the video on Youtube, click on share and select 'embed'. The bit of code that it displays is what you need to put between the youtube tags in your post.

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Apr 17, 2023 2:41 pm

Was there ever any thought to putting a Merlin in the P-40?

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Apr 17, 2023 6:00 pm

lucky52 wrote:Was there ever any thought to putting a Merlin in the P-40?



http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p40_9.html

https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p40_13.html

Re: P-40N "Kittyhawk IV" ...

Mon Apr 17, 2023 6:12 pm

lucky52 wrote:Was there ever any thought to putting a Merlin in the P-40?


The P-40F and P-40L had Merlins. Though they had a somewhat better climb and ceiling the difference was not as much as one would suspect and in fact the P-40N (with an Allison) was the fastest P-40 and had the best altitude performance. Add to that there were not enough Packard Merlins to meet the demand and the P-51 had priority. Why continue with the P-40 when it had reached the end of its evolution?
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