Warbird Information Exchange

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?

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45-47=-2

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

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

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)