The
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal
fighter and
ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous
Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk was used by most
Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter, after the
P-51 and
P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at
Curtiss-Wright Corporation's main production facilities at
Buffalo, New York.