Who said a wartime P-40 never had "stripes" ...

[Mark Allen M]

... well maybe not "D-Day Invasion Stripes", these P-40's look to be stateside trainers but not sure. Anyone able to make out the tail numbers?

[mike furline]

It looks to be a short fuselage P-40E with Star, but no Bar. P-40E serial numbers start with either 40- or 41-.
Typically P-40's had three digits of the s/n on the vertical stab with the remainder on the rudder. The #4 appears to be one digit forward of the rudder hinge line. There may be a #1 touching the lead edge of the vertical stab, but that seems a bit too far forward. That would appear to allow four digits on the vertical stab.
Trying to use a #4 as one digit prior to the vertical stab/rudder hinge and P-40E known serial numbers narrows it down a bit.

40-358 P-40E-CU
40-382 / 40-681 P-40E-CU (Perhaps 0406, 0416, 0426, etc.)
41-5305 / 41-5744 P-40E-CU
41-13521 / 41-13599 P-40E-CU
41-24776 / 41-25195 P-40E-1-CU
41-35874 / 41-36953 P-40E-1-CU

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Last edited by mike furline on Sun Oct 29, 2023 9:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

[gemmer]

I was going to say it could be a P-40D, but the serial number doesn't seem to work.

[Buz]

@Mark Allen

Any further details on this one. Quick look at the image I make this a P-40E-1......, and by the look of things couple of others with similar markings in the rear of the image making this either Unit or exercise markings. Not a marking I've seen on any overseas Unit, so concur likely a Stateside unit.......

Will investigate further to see if I have anything (might have a sniff around 50thFG records first up)

Buz