Warhawk Air Museum

P-40E Kittyhawk AK933 (N94466N) and P-40N (N1195N) being flown by
John Paul and his son John Curtiss Paul.

After leaving the Curtiss Factory in Buffalo, New York in March of 1942, the aircraft was operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force as number 1059. Its RAF serial number was AK933 and it remained in their inventory until 16 August 1946. The aircraft was sold as surplus and was bought by a farmer in Alberta, Canada.

After going through several owners and a re-covering job during the 1960s, it was sold to George Maude who used the wings for his own P-40E, which was registered to the RCAF as number 1034. The fuselage and other components were purchased by George Perez from Half Moon, California where he stored the aircraft until it was purchased by John Paul in 1966.

After a four-year restoration the aircraft was completed in 1970. At that time it was the only P-40E in the country that was operational. Over the next several years Paul restored three more P-40E models, one of which (N62435) went to Kermit Weeks in Florida, but was damaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and is currently under restoration.

John Paul leased his P-40E, still in British markings with letters S-U-E ( his wife's name) on the side to the Old Flying Machine Co. in Oxford, England. It was returned in 1989 and has performed in many aviation and events on the West Coast.

John Paul's Warhawk Air Museum also flies its P-40N ( N1195N ) which in this photo is in its original USAAC olive drab overall with a dark green dapples on the leading edges. This aircraft now sports its unique Parrot Head nose art.

By Frank Schaufler and Seth Goltzer