P40 Corsair Courses

The Grumman F4F Wildcat and its successor, the Grumman F6F Hellcat, are icons of the U.S. Navy’s World War II aerial fleet. But the American-built fighter planes weren’t the only ones in the sky. The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, commonly known as the P-40 by its pilots, was another aircraft that saw service during the conflict — and it has its own devoted following. The P-40 was first used in 1940 and was derived from the P-36 Hawk, from which its predecessor was developed. Although the P-40 was initially viewed as inferior to the then-contemporary Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it held its own in the Pacific theater. P-40s were manufactured in several versions, including the obsolescent P-40N Corsair, which saw limited action during World War II. Armed with six machine guns and capable of speeds up to 375 mph, the P-40N could reach an altitude up to 35,000 feet and boasted a maximum range of 1,000 miles. The P-40N Corsair was known to be one of the most rugged fighters of the war, and was able to take more battle damage than other Allied fighters — often returning to base with big chunks missing. It was also known for its great maneuverability and stability in the air, which made it an ideal dogfighter. The P-40N Corsair has a long and distinguished history in the annals of history. Although it was made obsolete in the later part of the war, its role in the Pacific cannot be forgotten. It was flown by many brave pilots, who risked their lives for our freedoms, and who we must never forget.