RINGS THE CHANGES

摘要

(J) first saw 'Little Kitty' [Peter's name for Curtiss P-40 KittyhawkG-KITT] at the Sandown Airshow in 2005. I was immediately captivated to the point where I made Stephen Grey an offer for the aircraft. He initially didn't take up the offer, but thankfully later did. I soloed in her during January 2006 after a frustrating weather delay and was just blown away by the crisp handling and fantastic harmonisation of controls. My first display season in our wonderful new toy was 2006 and I just loved showing her. She is certainly, in my opinion, the most comfortable and manoeuvrable fighter to display in a tight space. Was it not Ray Hanna himself who always led the OFMC Breitling Fighter display team in a P-40? Not a coincidence, I say! At the time of buying the P-40, her colour scheme was of the 11th Fighter Squadron, 343rd Fighter Group, based in Alaska to protect the USA from possible invasion from over the North Pole, circa 1943. I have to say that the scheme was not my favourite and I really wanted to go for a more traditional RAF Squadron 'shark's teeth' scheme.