NMF P-40's

[mike furline]

What is the story on Natural Metal Finish P-40's? Did they leave the factory like this or a painted aircraft that's been stripped?

[Joe Scheil]

The last P-40N-40's were delivered in natural metal, however no documentation is conclusive regarding which serial was the first one delivered that way. This website offers a serial number which is a good start for more research...

http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contribut ... /13747.htm

[Chris Brame]

Paging jdvoss - Spence Field, GA fuselage code?

Mike, besides these, the RCAF stripped some of their Kittyhawks back to bare metal late in the war - the Maude family's AK803 is an example.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p40regis ... ak803.html

[jdvoss]

Mike,

Do you have any idea as to where either of the first two photos may have been taken? The reason I ask is that I have been trying to track down the name of the AAF where the "infix" field code of "R" was used. I have a couple of B-26 Marauder photos that also show the identical infix field code of 'R'. Most elusive!!

Thanking you in advance,
JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com

[jdvoss]

Chris Brame,

Yes, Spence Field is the proper base. According to Shettle's book "Georgia's Army Air Fields" the P-40's operated from an auxiliary field called Tifton.

JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com

[mike furline]

Mike,

Do you have any idea as to where either of the first two photos may have been taken? The reason I ask is that I have been trying to track down the name of the AAF where the "infix" field code of "R" was used. I have a couple of B-26 Marauder photos that also show the identical infix field code of 'R'. Most elusive!!

Thanking you in advance,
JDV
http://www.fuselagecodes.com

The photos are from the US Navy Collection (80-G) at NARA. The attached information with the photo is all that was there.

Some clues that may help could be the P-39 42-18914, the TDR's or the mountains in the background.
Nothing on the P-39. http://joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1.html

You can request an Aircraft History Card from NASM. https://airandspace.si.edu/collections/ ... tory-cards

[ErrolC]

Mike, besides these, the RCAF stripped some of their Kittyhawks back to bare metal late in the war - the Maude family's AK803 is an example.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p40regis ... ak803.html

Maude P-40E going past by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

[junkman9096]

Then there are the less common nmf P-40s. 51st FS, Galapagos Islands 1944

[LysanderUK]

There were also several RAAF Kittyhawks that were stripped back to bare metal, both Mk.III (P40E) and MK.IV (P40N).

[avenger2504]

All our RNZAF P40s were painted but there was at least one postwar which I think was a COs aircraft. Saw a photo of her parked at the Rukuhia (NZ3210 a late P40N)graveyard.

Last edited by avenger2504 on Fri Mar 20, 2020 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mark Sampson]

Wait a minute. We were defending the Galapagos islands in 1944? I guess it was a world war, but that seems like a stretch.

[Chris Brame]

Wait a minute. We were defending the Galapagos islands in 1944? I guess it was a world war, but that seems like a stretch.

We had an Army air and naval base on Baltra Island to patrol for submarines, and as an outlying defense for the Panama Canal.