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The Curtiss P-40 originated as a development of the radial-engined Curtiss P-36A Hawk. A prototype flew in October 1938 and handling characteristics were praised by the USAAC test pilots. On April 27, 1939, the USAAC awarded Curtiss-Wright a contract for 524 production P-40s, the largest order ever placed for an American fighter up to that time. The P-40s of the USAAF saw major action in the South Pacific during World War II. US production of all variants of the P-40 were 13,738, of which 4,219 were P-40Ns.
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