Name This AE...390

[Brady]

???

[AW1Steve]

A P-40b Tomahawk? It looks like British markings. [&:]

[tocaff]

Tomahawk?

[GI Jive]

Australian No. 76 Squadron Kittyhawk (P-40). The white tail is a Southwest Pacific marking.

[Reg]

Without looking anything up, it is a RAAF long fuselage P-40 with the New Guinea white tail identification marking which goes along with the roundel without the red center. The full height panel visible though the rear cockpit window behind the pilots head means it isn't a P-40N so I would suspect it is a late P-40E or a P-40L/M.

The squadron code of SV escapes me for the moment but is easily researched.

The truck and personnel will belong to one of a number of RAAF Repair and Salvage units operating in the South West Pacific area.

[AW1Steve]

You are right Reg, she can't be a P-40B because the cowing is off and I don't see any cowl guns. But the tail looks awfully slender for a late model. What about a P-40c?

[DivePac88]

It is a Hawk 87 Kittyhawk Mk. II or IIA, probably in New Guinea 1943.
Oh... and the Aussie personnel are lifting telephone wires, to get the A/C under them.

[wdolson]

It looks like a P-40K/Kittyhawk III to me.  It's difficult to tell for sure, but it does not look like the horizontal tail is staggered from the vertical tail, which is a characteristic of the long fuselage versions.  The E model didn't have an antenna mast.  The antenna was strung from the tail to the wings.

It looks like this one had a hard landing.  The landing gear leg appears to be missing.

Bill

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

You are right Reg, she can't be a P-40B because the cowing is off and I don't see any cowl guns. But the tail looks awfully slender for a late model. What about a P-40c?

The P-40C is very similar to a P-40B so it can't be one of those for the very reasons you state. If you look carefully, the rudder extends past the elevators which makes it a long fuselage version which makes in a late model P-40E or subsequent. As I also indicated above it doesn't have the rear cockpit of a P-40N so it must be something in between.

With some research I found the photo though they don't say anything beyond that it is a Kittyhawk*. I won't steal Brady's thunder with more detail.

Edit: * There is no tail/serial number mentioned either so we have licence to speculate... [:)]

[Reg]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

It looks like a P-40K/Kittyhawk III to me.  It's difficult to tell for sure, but it does not look like the horizontal tail is staggered from the vertical tail, which is a characteristic of the long fuselage versions.  The E model didn't have an antenna mast.  The antenna was strung from the tail to the wings.

It looks like this one had a hard landing.  The landing gear leg appears to be missing.

Bill

I'd be happy with this, though I'm still going with the long fuselage. It is hard to see the position of the vertical stab with the guy leaning on its leading edge and the white colour but I think it looks like the trailing edge of the elevators is in line the rudder hinge which is what I would expect from the long version. (Note the offset between the rudder and elevator hinge lines).

[greg_slith]

That's how Aussies back up a truck.
Best Paul Hogan accent "Now that's reverse"[:D]

[moonraker65]

I'm going to go Kittyhawk III. Somewhere in New Guinea.

[Knavey]

And those pilots complain about landing on an AIRCRAFT CARRIER! I can see it now...Carrier capable or Flatbed Truck capable...which squadron do I use?

[AW1Steve]

[:)]Why not? The French had a Mirage that used rocket assistance Take-off from a flat bed. [:)]

[Brady]

Kittyhawk III(Prety shure), it is[:)]


...................

KIRIWINA, TROBRIAND ISLANDS, PAPUA. 1943-12-26. A KITTYHAWK FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, CODED SV-D, OF NO. 76 SQUADRON RAAF DAMAGED IN A LANDING BEING HAULED ON THE BACK OF A TRUCK INTO NO. 26 REPAIR AND SALVAGE UNIT RAAF FOR REPAIRS