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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Curtiss 81/P-40 Tomahawk / 87/P-40 Kittyhawk/Warhawk
    Latest Model:Kittyhawk IV
    Last Military Serial:A29-556 RAAF
    Construction Number:29863
    Latest Owner or Location:RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London, England

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a P-40N-15-CU by Curtiss at Buffalo, NY.

    24 August 1943

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-106101.

    24 August 1943

    Transported by ground.
    Sent to Brooklyn, NY, for shipment to Australia.

    31 August 1943

    Transported by ship.
    Left Brooklyn by shipp for Australia.

    23 October 1943

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Australian Air Force with s/n A29-556 as a Kittyhawk IV.
    Date provided is the delivery date.

    23 October 1943

    Transferred to No. 3 Air Depot.

    19 March 1944

    Transferred to 22 Repair and Salvage Unit.

    30 March 1944

    Transferred to 80 Squadron, Cape Glouster, New Britain.

    29 April 1944

    Transferred to 80 Squadron, Tadji.
    The unit was relocated for operations over Tadji and Hollandia.

    15 May 1944

    Damaged.
    Hit by landing aircraft at the Tadji base.

    6 June 1944

    Transferred to No. 12 Repair and Salvage Unit.
    Allocated to No. 12.

    15 June 1944

    Transferred to No. 12 Repair and Salvage Unit.
    Arrived at No. 12.

    21 September 1944

    No. 12 recommended conversion of the airframe to components.

    3 October 1944

    Approval given to convert the airframe to components.

    1974

    To Yesterdays Air Force/David C. Tallichet, Chino Airport, Chino, CA.
    Dr. Charles Darby, of New Zealand, recovered about 13 Kittyhawk wrecks from the former Tadji Airstrip in the West Sepik District of Papua New Guinea. These airframes were collected on behalf of Yesterdays Air Force.
    View the Location Dossier

    To Military Aircraft Restoration Company/David Tallichet, Chino, CA.
    The Kittyhawk remains passed to the Military Aircraft Restoration Company.

    October 1987

    With Tim Routis of the Historic Flying Ltd. acting as the agent for the Ministry of Defense an exachange deal was made to exchange a the gate guard Spitfire for the Kittyhawk restored to museum standards.

    July 1988

    To Ministry of Defense.
    The exchange deal was confirmed.

    Circa 1990

    Contracted to RJ Aviation/Bob Schneider, Hawkins, TX for work on the airframe.
    At the time of the start of the restoration the identification of the fuselage, used as the basis of the restoration, was not known.

    January 1992

    Restoration completed.
    Markings Applied: FX760, GA ?

    25 May 1992

    Transported by ship.
    Arrived in the UK.

    29 May 1992

    Loaned to RAF Museum.
    Delivered to the RAF Museum by road.

    31 May 1992

    Assembled and placed on display.

    June 1992

    New serial number assigned: 9150M RAF

    10 April 1997

    On behalf of the owner stored with/at RC and RC Cardington.

    3 August 1998

    To RAF Museum.
    Officially donated to the RAF Museum by the Ministry of Defense. Not relocated at this time, remaining in storage.

    8 October 1999

    To RAF Museum RC and RC, RAF Wyton, Cambs.
    Moved by road for further storage.

    16 November 2001

    To RAF Museum Storage Centre, RAF Stafford.

    2002

    After a suggestion by a Australian P-40 researcher, the airframe at Stafford was closely examined and found to have the number 1673 stamped on the lower left longeron. This is a customer sequence number which was assigned to construciton number 29863 which eventually became RAAF serial number A29-556.

    11 March 2003

    To RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London, England.
    Moved by road to Hendon on this date.
    View the Location Dossier

    2009


    Photographer: Andy West

    11 December 2011


    Photographer: Terry Fletcher
    Notes: Kittyhawk IV on display in the Historic Hangars Collection at the RAF Museum at Hendon


    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Print Sources
    Warbirds Directory, 5th Edition by Geoff Goodall
    Wrecks and Relics

    Internet Sources
    Australian Defense Force Serials
    Royal Air Force Museum
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher

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