P-40 Warhawk

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was not the fastest or most maneuverable fighter of WWII, but it was available in quantity when it mattered most. The American Volunteer Group, the famous Flying Tigers, painted shark mouths on their P-40s and achieved a legendary 296-to-14 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft over China and Burma in 1941-42. The P-40 served in every theater of the war, from North Africa where it dueled Bf 109s and Fw 190s to the Pacific and the Eastern Front under Soviet Lend-Lease. Its rugged construction and reliable Allison engine made it a dependable workhorse. Over 13,738 were built, making it the third most-produced US fighter of the war.