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Wings of
POWER II P-40 When shockwave decided to develop
Wings of Power, the agreed upon goal was to create the most complete flying
experience. This means building aircraft that not only look beautiful, but also
fly and function authentically. Some flyers live for
complex gauges and realistic cockpit environments, while others simply admire
watching their new aircraft fly through their favorite places around the world.
It is our belief that while soaring through the skies, even the casual flyer
will appreciate that there is a world of detail and history in every dial and
switch. It is the same feeling you get when you sit in the cockpit of a real
airplane. The difference is, in a simulated world, you can have it all. Wings of Power sets new
standards in many areas, probably the most notable are the 3D cockpit
environments. While they are beautiful to look at, they represent the top layer
of an amazing world that lies beneath. The more you fly these aircraft, the
more you discover. Like the entire Wings of
Power series, the flight model was very carefully researched. We used some
rare, authentic flight test reports and the actual pilot's training manual and
technical orders to ensure our procedures and performance matched the real thing
as closely as possible. We are passionate about
our work and are proud to be the makers of Wings of Power. We think you will
have many hours of enjoyment with it.
Hands-on
qualityExtensive
research goes into making an aircraft, and nothing quite replaces first-hand
experience. This includes visiting the aircraft(s), speaking with pilots and
mechanics, and flight-testing. We must first capture and verify how it looks,
sounds, and performs to create a faithful Wings of Power aircraft. For the P40, we made two
trips to the good people at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Dallas Texas
(http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/) , and took their P40 up for various test
flights to verify performance and capture live sound. Probably the best part of
this research was taking a lot of time to just be around the aircraft and the
people who take such good care of it.  Visual
Effects and Sound A host of new visual effects were created to immerse the pilot
further into an authentic experience. This includes
realistic startup effects and natural engine smoke (hit the "I" key to enable
engine smoke). Once started, experiment with the throttle in
any aircraft and notice the subtle differences of the engine sounds inside and
out. When your aircraft is taxiing on a dirt strip, you will
see more dust being kicked up by the wheels. Shockwave Productions recorded the
genuine Allison engine sound, both inside and out at all power levels, and at
all angles with the finest sound recording equipment available. The sounds are 100% genuine Allison P40 and have been reproduced for
Microsoft FSX unlike ever before.  Shockwave Productions on
site recording the Allison engine History The P-40 was one of the
most important fighters of World War II. Not because of
it's raw performance, but because it was widely available and served it's role
well and it remained a favorite aircraft to the pilots that knew it best.
The P40 was a very cost-effective aircraft to produce, and over a 5-year period,
almost 14,000 P-40 aircraft were produced. The P-40 flew in
Africa, Asia, and Europe and is probably most remembered for being used by the
Flying Tigers AVG (American Volunteer Group), with its famous shark-toothed
paint scheme.
The P40 roots are from the Curtiss Hawk 75. With the
impending war, Curtiss built on the Hawk's proven airframe and equipped it with
the Allison V-1710 engine. Flying
the Wings of POWER P40 The P-40 for all of its
shortcomings was a very stable gun platform. It's greatest
strength was its heaviness and ability to out-dive all of it's German and
Japanese counterparts. In a dive you can hold the pipper on
a target and maintain that view through 460 mph firing as you go, and even in
this heavy airframe have the ability to pull out the dive with sufficient
airspace underneath you to climb quickly into another firing position. Of course because it is heavy and fast in a dive you can reach the speed
of compressibility and be unable to pull out of a dive even in the heavier air. While compressibility is hard to model in a flight simulator, we
incorporated the over stress factor when that point is reached. The American
Volunteer Group used this diving from high altitude tactic over and over again
to gain air superiority over their enemies and the Shockwave aircraft exhibits
that same stability in a power dive.
At altitude below 14,000 feet, the aircraft is fairly agile and able to maneuver
sufficiently to dogfight pretty much anything that comes at it. I was told by
David Lee "Tex" Hill at a book signing that contrary to popular opinion and
myth, that a well maintained P-40 could, in fact, turn with most aircraft in a
dogfight at lower altitudes, where most combat actually occurs anyway. There
were of course some exceptions with much lighter aircraft. The British
historians of that era have stated that in the hands of competent pilots the
P-40 proved effective against even the best of the Luftwaffe and Regia
Aeronautica. Considered markedly superior to the older Hurricane which it
replaced as the primary fighter of the Desert Air Force,
the P-40 Tomahawk was deadly against Axis bombers in the North African theater,
as well as the
Bf 110 and early Italian fighter types, such as the
Fiat G.50
and the
Macchi C.200, though the
Bf 109 proved a greater challenge, particularly the later F and G variants.
The P-40 was superior to the Bf 109 in maneuverability and structural strength,
and was roughly equal to it in firepower, but was inferior in speed and rate of
climb.
The P-40 was an aircraft with a heavy nose, due in part to the
weight of the 1100 horsepower V12 1710-C15 Allison engine that propelled it.
This becomes quite obvious when you apply flaps at landing. The nose immediately
begins to drop and is modeled very well. The P-40 Tomahawk could not climb with
most of the opposing aircraft as its rate of climb was about 2100-2800
ft/min(11m/s) and could only reach speeds of 340mph or 300knots at 14, 000 ft
depending on the model of aircraft.
Specifications Length: 31.71 ft Wing Span: 37.29 ft Basic Weight: 6190 lbs Maximum Power: 1040 Hp Maximum speed: 360 mph @ 16000 ft Climb rate: 2800 ft/min Powerplant: Allison V-1710 Fuel Capacities P40B - total 159 U.S. Gallons
fuselage - 57.28
wing - 61.25
res - 40.35
P40B AVG - total 130 Imp. Gallons
fuselage - 47
wing - 50
res - 33
Tomahawks IIB - total 155.8 Imp. Gallons
fuselage - 40
wing - 45
res - 27.5
droptank - 43.3 Variants Included: Curtiss P40B serial number
41-13297. This aircraft was based at Oahu, Hawaii during the
attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. It survived the
attack but was lost on a routine patrol in January 1942. It
was recovered in 1989 with the intention of being returned to flying condition. It has now been beautifully restored and is flying in its original
wartime markings. The Fighter Collection, Duxford, now owns
the aircraft.
 Hawk 81-a2 Number '77'
flown by 3rd Squadron Flight Leader R.T. Smith, Kunming, China, January 1942. Robert Tharp (R.T.) Smith, born in York, Nebraska on 23 February 1918,
joined the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet in 1939.
Graduating with Class 40-C at Randolph on 21 June 1940, he remained there as a
flight instructor until July 1941 when he was allowed to resign his commission
to join the American Volunteer Group, then forming in Burma.
Flying as part of the AVG's Third Pursuit Squadron, Smith was credited with
one–and-one-half Sally bombers destroyed, another probably destroyed and four
damaged in the first air raid on Rangoon, Burma on 23 December. Two days later, on Christmas Day, he downed two more bombers and an Oscar
in a repeat raid on the Burmese capital. Moving to Loiwing,
China he became an ace on 8 April 1942 with the destruction of two Oscars over
the AVG base. He downed another Oscar two days later and
completed his scoring with the AVG on 28 April with a final Oscar south of
Hsipaw.  <!--[endif]--> Tomahawk MkIIB AK498 250
Squadron, flown by Flt LT Clive Caldwell, Libya November 1941. Clive Caldwell was born in Lewisham, Sydney. He learned to fly in 1938
with the Aero Club of New South Wales. When the Second World War broke out, he
joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Caldwell
served with 250 Squadron, Royal Air Force in the Middle East campaign and North
African campaign, flying Tomahawks and Kittyhawks. He became known for
developing a method of practicing aerial gunnery deflection by shooting at the
shadow of his own aircraft on the desert surface. Caldwell
claimed 22 victories while in North Africa flying P-40s, including ten Bf 109s
and two Macchi C.202s.  Tomahawk MkIIB "White 58"
20th GIAP, flown by Lieutenant Alexei Khlobystov. Alexei
Khlobystov was born on 23 February 1918 in Vtoroe Zakharovo in the Ryazan region
and learned to fly at the Ustomi aeroclub during 1938. In
1939 he joined the army and attended Kacha Military Air Collage where he won his
wings in 1941. Alexei Khlobystov's had a flare for taran
attacks, three of his eight victories were by this method.
On 13 December 1943, by which time he was leading an eskardrilya in the 20 GIAP,
he was killed in action. At the time of his death Khlobystov
had claimed 8 destroyed and 24 shared victories in 335 sorties.
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