THE CURTISS P-40 Warhawk represented the classic
American fighter aircraft at the onset of WW II. When the
AVG (American Volunteer Group) painted a shark’s
mouth on it, the P-40 became an icon.
Pat Johnston designed his P-40K to retain the charisma
of the full-scale fighter, but with tweaking that would lend
itself well to CL flying. An example is how the wing
employs sweepback in the LE and forward sweep in the
flap hinge line, producing a wing with the correct P-40
proportions.
Pat built and flew the P-40K with a .60 size two-stroke
engine; however, a smaller .46 or .53 would also work. He
recorded the model’s flying weight at 61 ounces and the
wingspan at 59 inches. According to Pat, the P-40 is great
for fun-flying or competition, having achieved his highest
personal Stunt (CL Precision Aerobatics) score with it.
This design was the subject of a construction article that
was published in the August 1999 MA. Members can
access the magazine’s digital archives on the Academy’s
Web site to read more about it.
The P-40K is AMA Plans Service listing 879E, and it is
available for $30 plus shipping and handling. See page 175
or go to www.modelaircraft.org/plans.aspx for ordering
information. MA
Edition: Model Aviation - 2009/08
Page Numbers: 133
