While 1941 was a dark year for the Allies especially in the Pacific, the exploits of the Flying Tigers against a numerically superior Japanese force boosted American morale early in the war.β£ β£ The leader of the Flying Tigers, General Claire Chennault, rigorously trained his men to capitalize on the strengths of the P-40 Warhawk against the more maneuverable Japanese fighters. They avoided a turning fight and used the Warhawkβs speed and sturdiness in slashing attacks at high speed.Β Contrary to popular belief, the Flying Tigers never battled against the legendary Mitsubishi A6M Zero- it was likely a case of mistaken identity as the Zero was a naval fighter and the Imperial Japanese Navy had withdrawn its Zero units from China before the Flying Tigers went into action. β£ β£ Their main opposition would have been the Nakajima Ki-43 Oscar and the elderly Ki-27 Kate fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army. In those days, just about any Japanese fighter was referred to as a "Zero". Though not as a capable as the Zero, the Oscar was a more nimble and maneuverable fighter than the P-40 Warhawk. β£ β£ Flown in the right way, the Warhawk could effectively battle the Japanese. The Flying Tigers astutely realized the P-40 had a climb and speed advantage and used their P-40s in slashing attacks, avoiding the turning fight with the more nimble Japanese fighters. β£ β£ The bigger ailerons of the Oscar that gave it outstanding roll maneuverability were also a liability as Warhawk pilots would keep their speed up during dogfights- the higher speeds put higher dynamic loads on the Oscarβs ailerons, making the aircraft sluggish and less maneuverable.β£ β£ #avgeek #aviation #aircraft #planeporn #KRBD #RBD #Dallas Β #airport #texas #igtexas #WingsOverDallas2021 #CommemorativeAirForceβ£ β£ #Curtiss #P40 #Warhawk #FlyingTigers #USAAF #WW2 #mil_aviation_originals #instaaviationΒ #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flightΒ Β β£ β£ #AvGeekNation #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge (at Dallas Executive Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVwSKSSslnc/?utm_medium=tumblr
