P-40 using bombs?

stikpusher wrote:

I have photos in one of my referance books of late model P-40s carrying 2 under wing bombs. They appear to be 500 pounders, but could be 250 pounders. The aircraft are RAAF and RNZAF in the Solomons area. The late production P-40s were primarily used as fighter bombers once more modern types replaced them on the front line in the air to air role. Early P-40s were used with smaller bombs (100 lb) under the wings by the USAAF early in the Pacific War. And as others have said here, when used in the Western Desert campaign by the RAF/RAAF/SAAF, the often carried a single bomb on the centerline.

I believe you may be right stikpusher. IIRC, RAAF -K to -N Kitty's out of Morotai, NG were equipped with wing hardpoints for 500lbers. It's likely this was a field mod though. We used them in this role to to free up the Mk VIII Spits coming back from the Western Desert for outright fighter duties.

The British P-40s were equipped to carry a bomb under each wing, plus one under the fuselage. They called them the Kittybombers and used them in Africa against Rommel. Michael O'Leary's book USAF Fighters of World War Two has a nice photo of the Kittybombers. The book also has a photo of a 14th Air Force P-40E with a "homemade" mount which carried three 70 pound incendiary bombs.

Waste Land wrote:

Anything know anything about finding some of these smaller lb bombs or how I would go about building the gear to hold them? I'm sorry for asking so many questions. Once I get started and learn the basics I'll pick it up fast

If you get the monthly Squadron flyer - and even if you don't, it is always available on their website - they always offer different-sized bombs.  Resin, though - so I for one wouldn't know what to do with them without some kind of research on sanding and painting technique - but they have all sorts of sizes (and possibly nationalities as well).  There might even be some manufacturer who puts them out in styrene, but the resin ones are solid, 1-piece affairs and look pretty good from what I can see in the pictures.

And then there are many of us here who probably have assorted bombs and whatnot in our parts boxes.

Now look here, Pil-grim. Those bombs weren't carried under the wings... you know it, and I know it. As-a-matter-of-fact, they weren't bombs at all, 'y'see? We each had a coolie stuffed in the radio compartment with a bag full of hand grenades... it took some time to train 'em to pull those pins out, but in the end it all came out alright, I reckon...

Lookee, Capain Jim!

Termites.

I always loved that line - even if I don't feel like watching the entire movie, I have to wait until that line before I switch channels.  Arnold's corny lines like that were always groaners - somehow the Duke was able to make them entertaining.  And thanks for the pic - the Duke's one of my all-time favorite actors!

Which reminds me - did you catch many movies on TCM this month?  It was "Aviation in Cinema" month and every Tuesday in July they aired nothing but aviation-related movies.  Some were tenuous - such as the night they showed movies about airline stewardesses and their romantic problems - but for the most part the selections were pretty darn good.  I saw some I haven't seen in years - like The Dawn Patrol with Errol Flynn.  And of course they showed Dive Bomber.

But the reason I thought of that in connection with this thread was that they also showed Fighter Squadron (1948) - with Robert Stack, Edmond O'Brien and the kid who played Jimmy Olsen in the Superman TV series - complete with the awful supposed-to-be-funny things they would say during combat, such as singing "I've Been Working on the Railroad" while shooting up an ammunition train, and the inevitable "Special Delivery, Fritzie".  Didn't mean to sidetrack the thread - I just had to get that off my chest.  And apologize to anyone who missed all those great films, because I completely forgot to mention it here on FSM before the month began.

alumni72 wrote:

Well then how do you explain all those bombing/strafing runs the Flying Tigers made while under the command of Captain Jim Gordon?

Now look here, Pil-grim. Those bombs weren't carried under the wings... you know it, and I know it. As-a-matter-of-fact, they weren't bombs at all, 'y'see? We each had a coolie stuffed in the radio compartment with a bag full of hand grenades... it took some time to train 'em to pull those pins out, but in the end it all came out alright, I reckon... 

 

roadkill_275 wrote:

Well, Now I feel like an idiot

...and rightfully so...

I'M JOKING!!!!

Everybody makes mistakes Kevin...

 

Waste Land wrote:

Anything know anything about finding some of these smaller lb bombs or how I would go about building the gear to hold them? I'm sorry for asking so many questions. Once I get started and learn the basics I'll pick it up fast

You won't have to find the small bombs if you don't want to. I have some photos of P-40s carrying larger stuff under the wings. I'll post them a bit later. You may have to scratchbuild the hardpoints though... more later...

 

Fade to Black... 

 

Anything know anything about finding some of these smaller lb bombs or how I would go about building the gear to hold them? I'm sorry for asking so many questions. Once I get started and learn the basics I'll pick it up fast

Well, Now I feel like an idiot

Roadkill, thanks for the plug... I've temporarily removed the link from my signature, but here it is for anyone interested:

The Hawk's Nest 

Unfortunately there's a buncha ads and pop-ups on there right now, and probably will be for some time... but if you can deal with all that crap please check the site out.

The current link in my sig will take you to my photostream on flickr... there's alotta groovy aircraft photos on there, so please take a look. 

 

Anyhoo, most H87 variants of the P-40 were indeed capable of carrying bombs on the wings. This photo showing a 64th FS, 57th FG P-40K being loaded with 40lb bombs (I think) illustrates this nicely:

 

And another from the same series:

 

The hardpoints being used in those photos were factory jobs, but there were field mods used as well. I'll post some images a little later on tonight...

 

Fade to Black... 

All good info. Trying to decide to go with dual P-40s or a P-40 along with a more suitable bomber. Hmmmm

I have photos in one of my referance books of late model P-40s carrying 2 under wing bombs. They appear to be 500 pounders, but could be 250 pounders. The aircraft are RAAF and RNZAF in the Solomons area. The late production P-40s were primarily used as fighter bombers once more modern types replaced them on the front line in the air to air role. Early P-40s were used with smaller bombs (100 lb) under the wings by the USAAF early in the Pacific War. And as others have said here, when used in the Western Desert campaign by the RAF/RAAF/SAAF, the often carried a single bomb on the centerline.

Well then how do you explain all those bombing/strafing runs the Flying Tigers made while under the command of Captain Jim Gordon?

Thanks, Kevin—I'd lost that link!

Starting with the E the P-40 could carry bombs on the centerpoint in place of a drop tank. Usuall, IIRC, no more than a 500 pounder. At no point in time were bombs carried under the wings. Blackhawk3945 has a link in his signature that will take you to his fantastic site about the P-40. You could also shoot him an e-mail with questions about the P-40.

P-40's carried bombs, but IIRC, they generally carried them on the center pylon. I don't think the wings were designed to take the stress.