Curtiss P-40 Warhawk On of the most recognizable aircraft because of it’s shark teeth nose decoration.  The P-40 first flew in 1938 and was available at the outbreak of WWII. Supplied in large numbers to the British and the Russians, and was widely used throughout the various theaters of war. It came to fame with the American Voluntary Group, known as the Flying Tigers in the Burma and China war zones.  It was during this campaign that the nose art of sharks teeth came into being. The US kept the Warhawk name throughout the war, but other nations named them Tomahawk and later versions Kittyhawk.  Early versions of the P-40 had the V-12 Allison single stage blower version installed but later in the war the Packard build Rolls Royce Merlin engine was used which added immensely to it’s high altitude performance.