P-40 Tomahawk and Kittyhawk In RAF Service

Europe and North Africa

by Neil Robinson

Wingleader Photo Archive Number 24

Reviewed by Andrew Garcia

A recent Hyperscale forum post ignited a series of views regarding a reference book review. I was made aware that reviewing a book doesn’t mean you are the subject matter expert and able to provide an un-paralleled examination of the contents and compare the book to all other references. I have accumulated many references over the years. Sometimes out of general aviation interest and other times to enjoy getting insight into an airframe preparing for a model build. I am always impressed by what I don’t know about aviation subjects that have been covered many times over the years in a variety of references. I am not an expert on the P-40 series. The purpose of this review is to introduce you to a very nice reference book and if interested in the subject matter encourage you to get one and enjoy it as I did.

I buy references to better understand the subject matter, increase my awareness of variations and versions of the airframe and study photos for details such as radio antenna configurations and missed details such as the fuselage internal and external iron gunsights, brake lines, etc. 

Eduard recently released a beautiful P-40E and P-40N. The desert P-40 Tomahawks flown by the RAF and Commonwealth pilots are beautiful modeling subjects. Eduard has provided excellent 1/48th scale P-40E/N plastic kits. In the desert camouflage scheme they provide the basis to take weathering your kit to a new height. There are many stunning examples being shown on the internet. With that in mind I ordered the Wingleader Photo Archive Number 24 P-40 Tomahawk and Kittyhawk In RAF Service – Europe and North Africa. Now, I have a superb reference for both the Eduard P-40E & N and the Airfix kit 5133 Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk Mk.II.

The books size and shape is the similar to the Squadron In Action series of reference books (see the 1:1 photo). The layout is different with less text and more clear full page photos interspersed with an occasional color photo or color profile in the Wingleader book.

Text and photos start with the XP-40 with large, very clear period photos. The next section provides coverage of the UK based RAF Tomahawk Mk I (Hawk 81A-1) and Tomahawk Mk IIA (Hawk 81A-2). Many photo captions help identify salient airframe or photo nuances.

The next section features the Tomahawk Mk IIB (Hawk 81A-3/P-40C) and is titled “Tomahawks in the Desert”. Advances in airframe development evolves into the next chapter titled The First Kittyhawks, the Kittyhawk Mk I (P-40D) and Kittyhawk Mk IA (P-40E).

The next chapter titled Operational in the Desert provides excellent photos some in color and a three view color profile of the Kittyhawk Mk I (P-40D) and Kittyhawk Mk IA (P-40E). It has excellent large sized quality images for the detail minded. The Kittyhawk Mk IA cockpit is examined with superb notations of the UK specific changes and color information are provided.
The coverage of Merlin Engined Kittyhawks, Kittyhawk Mk II (P-40F) and Kittyhawk Mk IIA (P-40L) is short and informative. The Kittyhawk Mk III (P-40K & P-40M) follows. The last section features a few pages on the Kittyhawk Mk IV (P-40N). Informative “Modeler’s Notes” accompany the full page color profile. The book closes with an inside cover page pro viding Curtiss P-40 RAF Serial Numbers and Curtiss Basic Recognition Features.

I purchased the review copy.  You can obtain yours by going to the Wingleader website at https://wingleader.co.uk/ and follow the links there to the photo archive series. For USA buyers it is available from RZM IMPORTS, Inc. (website rzm.com) in Riverside, CT 06878 USA with better shipping rates for USA based buyers.

Wingleader books provides a colorful photo oriented airframe specific picture book. It is not an end all be all reference book on the Curtiss fighter.  Some of the photos were so clear that I could spend a significant amount of time with the pictures absorbing the many details that you cannot find from smaller and less sharply focused photo formats. It is not a walk around or kit review book.

Purchased by reviewer

Review Copyright © 2025 by Andrew Garcia
This Page Created on 20 August, 2025
Last updated 21 August, 2025

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