P-40C
| This page is about the Premium American fighter P-40C. For other uses, see P40 (Disambiguation). For other vehicles of the family, see P-40 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The P-40C Warhawk is a premium gift rank II American fighter with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.75 "La Résistance" in the 2017 "Festive Quest" that took place between 22 December 2017 to 22 January 2018. It was obtained via completing 7 pilot's Christmas toys.
The P-40C is nearly identical in looks to its younger brother, the P-40E. However, the distinguishing part of the P-40C are the nose-mounted .50 calibre machine guns. This allows you to have a denser cone of fire in contrast to other US aircraft at this battle rating.
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 4,500 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 537 | 521 | 10760 | 20.0 | 20.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 343 |
| Upgraded | 588 | 561 | 18.0 | 19.0 | 16.4 | 12.0 | ||
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 0 | 300 | 595 | 530 | 245 | ~13 | ~6 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 420 | < 380 | < 420 | > 310 |
| Compressor | Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | 3,660 m | 970 hp | 1,173 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Armoured windscreen
- 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plate behind engine
- 8 mm Steel - Armoured plate behind the pilot
- Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot, 1 under pilot's feet, 1 behind pilot)
Modifications and economy
2 × 40 / 80 / 150 % 2 × 118 / 118 / 118 % | Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Offensive armament
The P-40C is armed with:
- 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (235 rpg = 470 total)
- 4 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (490 rpg = 1,960 total)
Suspended armament
The P-40C can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)
Usage in battles
The most plausible manner to use this aircraft is in the Boom & Zoom role, given its fast speed in a dive. In addition, the nose-mounted .50 calibre can help you preform certain attacks a P-40E pilot only could dream of doing. However, there are certain methods to using the plane, as it is an earlier iteration of the P-40.
The first method is to climb to altitude, and try to intercept enemy attackers and bombers. This tends to play in favour of the P-40C, due to its excellent top speed of 528 km/h (328 mph) at 3,800 meters (12,467 feet.) That being said though, you are inhibited by its relatively slow rate of climb of only 10 meters/second (32 feet/second.) On the contrary, once you reach altitude, Boom & Zoom as much as you want against bombers, as your high dive speed will make it difficult for most gunners to target you. In addition, you have a nice turn speed of 21 seconds, which can allow you to snap over on some opponents with relative impunity. If you do find yourself fighting in the vertical, flaps will also be of use to you, as they do have a decent speed tolerance before they snap off.
- In Simulator, the P-40 can be used for BnZ fighting, bomber hunting and ground pounding. It is a decent plane with distinct pros and cons. Its heavy firepower of 2 x 12.7 mm and 4 x 7.62 mm MGs can critically damage the enemy and rip it apart. It also has great dive speed and decent level speed, capable of outrunning slower opponents like A6M. However, it is a nose-heavy plane so unlike other planes, the P-40 has to trim the elevators upwards. It has extremely limited visibility with lots of canopy frames and a razorback design which obstructs the backwards visibility. The P-40's over-the-nose visibility is one of the worst due to its big, long engine, and the small intake on top of the cowling, making leading very hard. Moreover, its engine tends to overheat frequently even with 95% throttle, meaning you have to cut throttle a lot to avoid damaging the engine. Before entering a battle, it is recommended to set keybinds for trimming and vertical head movements to improve the forward visibility a bit. Take at least 30 minutes of fuel. Set the convergence between 250-500 m, with vertical targeting on.
- For dogfighting, because almost all aerial battles in Sim occurs at around 3,000 m, the P-40 can easily climb to this altitude and gather up lots of speed before engaging a battle. The tactic is similar to the RB tactics above, which is to keep speed and boom and zoom. If, unfortunately, you find yourself being chased on your six and you don't know how to do any defensive manoeuvres, do a large, smooth turn towards the nearest friendly airfield to avoid bleeding too much speed. Then shallow-dive towards your airfield. The P-40 can quite easily outrun opponents like the A6M or I-15, but struggles to outrun Bf 109 F/Gs, Fw 190 A or other P-40s. Another way of disengaging is to do a sudden Split-S to dodge under the chaser. Average Sim players will now try and see where you went, if not immediately losing track of you. You can then run for your airfield or shallow climb for another attack.
- You want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. DO NOT follow behind a bomber's six unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself pretty much stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. The engine of the P-40 will usually get damaged. Instead, before launching an attack, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high six so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seems inadequate to do anything, but the six MGs on the P-40 are actually pretty destructive, as sometimes it only takes one bullet to set the target aflame.
Specific enemies worth noting
Perhaps the biggest threat comes from facing any Japanese plane at this battle rating. They can turn so much faster than you as to bleed your speed and energy to the point of stalling out. The greatest threats come from the Ki-44s and the A6M2-N. In addition, the Ki-43 has significantly greater manoeuvrability than you. The vast majority of these planes have guns similar in calibre to a .50 cal, which means that they have the firepower to dispatch you at a fairly fast rate.
In terms of the British, any Spitfire or Hurricane will out-turn you. While they do not have as heavy of armament as you do, the sheer rate of fire from the .303s can light up exposed ares of the plane, or even score a pilot kill. While it is mostly unlikely, the Spitfire Mk. IIb not only boasts manoeuvrability, but also two 20 mm Hispano cannons, which can tear you to bits. In addition, almost all British fighters can out-climb you, which leaves you at a disadvantage in energy.
The Germans have the most planes that can give you a problem, due to the vast majority of them having 20 mm cannons. Most notably are aircraft like the Bf 110 and the Bf 109 E-3. You also do have to worry about aircraft like the Bf 109 F-1, which has a 20 mm cannon in the propeller hub. While it is unlikely, you may also face the Fw 190 A-1. Most German planes will have a significantly better climb rate than you and be able to energy fight you more efficiently. As mentioned earlier, most German planes boast much heavier firepower than you, which renders you at a disadvantage in punching power.
Most Russian planes will also give you a run for your money. Almost all of the Russian planes boast only nose-mounted weaponry, giving them a significant advantage over most allied planes. The most common enemies to worry about are any plane with the prefix "Yak". Perhaps the most common cause of US teams being defeated by the Russians, is the fact that they head on an IL-2. Never under any circumstance head on an IL-2.
Counter-tactics
As mentioned earlier, the P-40C has nose-mounted .50 cals, which can make short work of almost any fighter at its battle rating. The aircraft also has a tighter turning time than the P-40E, which can give a P-40C pilot a small advantage. If a P-40C finds its way onto your tail, try to make the pilot over-shoot or bleed energy. The cockpit, while having more protection than an open top and a bubble canopy, is still a fairly vulnerable spot, so pilot snipes aren't uncommon.
Heads up for German and Russian pilots! While aircraft like the Bf 110, LaGG-3 and the Yaks have nose-mounted weaponry, an experienced P-40C player can still make you pay dearly in a head-on. If you find yourself in a head on with a P-40C, fire a short burst, then hit the deck to avoid being hit by return fire. This is especially true with the Russians due to their wooden airframe.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Controllable | Controllable Auto control available |
Not controllable Not auto controlled |
Controllable Auto control available |
Combined | Not controllable 1 gear |
Not controllable |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Rather sturdy airframe
- Dense firepower
- Plentiful .30 cal ammunition
- Able to carry a 500 lb bomb, which can be useful against ground targets (Tank RB)
- Slightly tighter vertical turning circle than the P-40E
- Strong rudder authority
- High Vne (never exceed speed)
Cons:
- Scarce .50 cal ammunition
- Low energy retention
- Modest rear-cockpit visibility
- Modest climb rate
- Somewhat slow roll
- Very hard compression beyond 600 km/h
- Poor high altitude performance
- Rather unstable in pitch axis in SB
- Extremely bad visibility over the nose in SB
History
The P-40C Warhawk, known as the Tomahawk IIB in British service, was an improvement of the P-40B. The P-40C added provisions for underbelly fuel drop tanks and bomb shackles, added self-sealing fuel tanks, and also featured numerous minor improvements. All of these changes increased the weight of the aircraft, which had already suffered from a low power-to-weight ratio.
In the European and Mediterranean theaters, the P-40 was used heavily from 1942-1943. Notably, the first confirmed shoot down of a German aircraft by a USAAF unit occurred on 14 August 1942. 2nd Lt Joseph D. Shaffer of the 33rd Fighter Squadron, intercepted a Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3 maritime patrol aircraft that flew over his base in Reykjavik, Iceland. Flying a P-40C, he damaged the Fw 200, which was finished off by a P-38F Lightning. P-40s were used heavily during the African Campaign, especially during Operation Flax; this operation resulted in large numbers of Axis transport aircraft shot down, along with many fighter aircraft.
In the Pacific theater, the P-40 was one of three types that did the most to curb the Japanese air power in the early war, along with the P-39 Airacobra and the F4F Wildcat. It was the most numerous fighter aircraft in service with the USAAF in that theater from 1942-1943.
In the China Burma India Theater until 1944, notably being used by the American Volunteer Group (AVG) - known as the Flying Tigers. In that theater, the P-40 was used to establish complete air superiority over China, and was also used to attack ground targets such as bridges.
After 1943, in most theaters (all but the China Burma India Theater) the P-40 was replaced by P-51 Mustangs, P-38 Lightnings, and P-47 Thunderbolts.
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
Obtainable events
- The P-40C has only been available so far in the 2017 "Festive Quest" that took place between 22 December 2017 to 22 January 2018. It was obtained via completing 7 pilot's Christmas toys.
See also
- Related development
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
- Curtiss P-40 (Family)
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Bell P-39 Airacobra
- Dewoitine D.520
- Grumman F4F Wildcat
- Hawker Hurricane
- Kawasaki Ki-61
- Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3
- Macchi C.202
- Messerschmitt Bf 109
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Yakovlev Yak-1
External links
| Curtiss-Wright Corporation | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | BF2C-1 |
| P-36A · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-36C · P-36G | |
| P-40C · P-40E-1 · P-40F-10 | |
| Bombers | SB2C-1C · SB2C-4 |
| Floatplanes | SOC-1 |
| Experimental | XP-55 |
| Export | H-75A-1 · H-75A-4 · H-81A-2 · ▂P-40E-1 · ␗P-40E-1 · ▄P-40F-5 Lafayette · CW-21 · Hawk III |
| ▄SB2C-5 | |
| Captured | ▀Hawk H-75A-2 |
| USA fighters | |
|---|---|
| P-26 Peashooter | P-26A-33 · P-26A-34 · P-26A-34 M2 · P-26B-35 |
| P-36 Hawk | P-36A · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-36C · ○P-36C · P-36G |
| P-39 Airacobra | P-400 · P-39N-0 · P-39Q-5 |
| P-40 | P-40C · P-40E-1 · P-40E-1 TD · P-40F-10 |
| P-43 Lancer | P-43A-1 |
| P-47 Thunderbolt | P-47D-22-RE · P-47D-25 · P-47D-28 · P-47M-1-RE · ⋠P-47M-1-RE · P-47N-15 |
| P-51 Mustang | P-51 · P-51A (Thunder League) · P-51C-10 · P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30 · P-51H-5-NA |
| P-63 Kingcobra | P-63A-5 · P-63A-10 · P-63C-5 · ␠Kingcobra |
| Prototypes | XP-55 |
| F2A Buffalo | F2A-1 · Thach's F2A-1 · F2A-3 |
| BF2C | BF2C-1 |
| F3F | F3F-2 · Galer's F3F-2 |
| F4F Wildcat | F4F-3 · F4F-4 |
| F4U Corsair | F4U-1A · F4U-1A (USMC) · F4U-1D · F4U-1C · F4U-4 · F4U-4B · F4U-4B VMF-214 · F2G-1 |
| F6F Hellcat | F6F-5 · F6F-5N |
| F8F Bearcat | F8F-1 · F8F-1B |
| Other countries | ▃Ki-43-II · ▃Ki-61-Ib · ▃A6M2 · ▃Bf 109 F-4 · ▃Fw 190 A-8 · ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc |
| USA premium aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | Thach's F2A-1 · Galer's F3F-2 · F2G-1 · F4U-4B VMF-214 · P-26A-34 · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-40C · P-43A-1 |
| P-47M-1-RE · ⋠P-47M-1-RE · P-51A · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · ␠Kingcobra · XP-55 | |
| ▃A6M2 · ▃Ki-43-II · ▃Ki-61-Ib · ▃Bf 109 F-4 · ▃Fw 190 A-8 · ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc | |
| Twin-engine fighters | XP-38G · Bong's P-38J-15 · P-38K · YP-38 · P-61A-11 · XF5F · XP-50 · F7F-3 |
| Jet fighters | P-59A · F-86F-35 · F-89B · F-89D · F-4S Phantom II · F-5C · F-20A |
| Strike aircraft | A-1H · A2D-1 · AU-1 · XA-38 · AV-8A · AV-8B (NA) · A-6E TRAM · A-10A |
| Bombers | A-26C-45DT · B-10B · BTD-1 · PBM-3 "Mariner" · PBM-5A "Mariner" · PV-2D |
