The Curtiss P-40 B Tomahawk-- Part 3: #41-13297 "Rediscovered" and Restored

This is definitely a plane with a history, even if it had very little war record.

In 1985, the plane was "rediscovered".  After a preliminary investigation it was determined that its air frame was not severely damaged and it could be removed and restored.  Some parts were recovered in 1985 and the rest recovered in 1989.

In 1989, the Curtiss Wright Historical Association in Torrance, California, was formed to restore the plane.  The restoration was named "Project Tomahawk."

Whenever possible, parts of the original plane were used.  Two other P-40 Bs, the 39-287, that also crashed in Hawaii in 1941 and the 39-287, that crashed in a severe storm over the Sierra Nevadas on October 24, 1941, were utilized for parts.

When it was finished, it joined "The Fighter Collection" at Duxford, United Kingdom.  In 2003, it began flying wearing the same color scheme it had in Hawaii in 1941 as a member of the 18th Pursuit Squadron based at Wheeler Field.

--GreGen