Curtiss P-40N-35-CU Warhawk 44-7516 with Rocket Rack ...

[Mark Allen M]

Looks to have been in November 1944. Almost at the end life of Curtiss P-40's in major combat if I'm correct. I would imagine there were still active units (either USAAF or Allies) who still flew P-40's in combat at the end of 1944 into 45 so perhaps firing rockets could have been useful.

J Baugher states: (MSN 33256) Damaged" 2 Feb 1945" Forced landing (out of fuel)" 2 miles N.of Kent, DE"" 4146BU W/o 21 Jun 1945" Fatal crash 3 miles S. of Round O, SC 126BU

[ErrolC]

Looks to have been in November 1944. Almost at the end life of Curtiss P-40's in major combat if I'm correct. I would imagine there were still active units (either USAAF or Allies) who still flew P-40's in combat at the end of 1944 into 45 so perhaps firing rockets could have been useful.

The RAAF used P-40s in the front line until the end, replacing with P-51s in 1946.
https://aeropedia.com.au/content/curtis ... kittyhawk/

[junkman9096]

This rocket rack has been part of any number of P-38 model kits. However I’ve never seen a photo with them mounted on any operational fighter. Was it just one those things that looked cool but wasn’t used?

[quemerford]

Record card says 'delivered Dover for tests' 24 July 1944 then recommended survey (at Walterboro AAF?) 22 June 1945; reclamation complete 5 June 1946.

[JohnB]

There are photos of 38s with the conventional wing mounts.
And there is a often seen series of shots of a black piggyback P-38M which appears to have the Christmas tree mounts.
Why a night fighter would have them, I have no idea.

I doubt if the P-40s used them operationally. Happy to be proven wrong.
By then, weren't P-40s used as fighter leading trainers? If so, perhaps they were used for training Mustang/Thunderbolt/Lightning pilots in the use if the rockets.
So, probably just a test.

If you look at what was tested towards the end if the war, it you get the feeling the USAAF had o lot of resources...men and equipment on hand, some tests look like a case of "Why not try this....? as opposed to something they were looking for immediate applications.

Again, let me recommend the books :

U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects...Fighters 1939-45
and
American Aircraft Development of the Second World War...Research. Experimentation and Modification 1939-45
both by Bill Norton