Aircraft History
Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York, in 1941 as the 513th of the 699, Rolls Royce Merlin powered, short fuselage, P-40F Warhawks.

Wartime History
Ferried overseas aboard USS Nassau (CVE-16) to the New Hebrides. Assigned to the 18th Fighter Group, 44th Fighter Squadron. Assigned to flight leader Captain Sam Hitchcock (who was at Pearl Harbor during the December 7, 1941 attack). Other pilots known to have flown this P-40 include Captain Elmer 'Doc' Wheadon. Nicknamed "Pee Wee".

Mission History
Took off from Bauerfield Airfield on Efaté on a training and navigation mission. The other aircraft in the formation were flight leader 1Lt John E. Little, 2Lt Frank Radzuikinas, P-40F 41-14205 piloted 2Lt Ed Talbot and this aircraft. Thirty minutes into the mission, the formation encountered severe weather and ran short on fuel.

The four P-40s force landed in a clearing on Mount Santop on Erromango. All four pilots were uninjured in the landings. The two aircraft piloted by Little and Radzuikinas belly landed successfully. During the landing, this P-40 and P-40F 41-14205 went over an embankment and were badly damaged.

Wreckage
During the war, American forces cleared a path to the wrecks and stripped them for parts. Over the years, more parts were removed, including the fuselage star, cut out of the side fuselage. The wreckage remained in situ until 1989.

Salvage
One of two P-40's recovered in 1989 by Robert Greinert and Ian Whitney, the other being P-40F 41-14205 (along with parts from two others) from Erromango, Vanuatu in 1989, and transported to Australia.

Peninsula Aero Club - Warhawk Restoration by Judy Pay
"In 1989, I decided that, with the price of rare warbirds increasing rapidly, and as these were the only known Merlin powered P-40s ever found, it would be worth trying to get the aircraft. I traveled to Vanuatu only to find that an Australian group had arrived four weeks earlier and that the P-40s were on the wharf, ready to be shipped to Australia."

Restoration
Restoration began in 1990. Purchased by Australian Judy Pay and assigned civilian registration VH-HWK. The fuselage, tail, engine and wings were restored at Pioneer Aero Restoration. Afterwards returned to Old Aeroplane Company at Tyabb. Restored to flying status with its first flight by Stephen Death on April 22, 2009.

References
Peninsula Aero Club - Warhawk Restoration by Judy Pay
Pioneer Aero P-40 Kittyhawk 42-14112

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Last Updated
July 26, 2011

P-40

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