This P-40 was built as a Kittyhawk IA for the RAF. Having been purchased by the British Purchasing
Commission, she did not fall under any Lend-Lease agreement and therefore did not receive a US Army
serial number. She was given the RAF serial AK875 but was handed over to Canada and given the RCAF
serial 1047. During her time with the RCAF she served with 111(F) Squadron and 133(F) Squadron.

After the war scores of RCAF aircraft were auctioned off, including a number of Kittyhawks. This particular
ship is one of many that went to Fred Dyson of Seattle, Washington and she spent some time at Boeing Field
before going to Ellis R. Meaker of Albany, NY in 1948. He was the first of several owners, including the
Choctaw Area Boy Scouts in Mississippi. In 1964 AK875 wound up with the NASM, being restored at
Andrews AFB during the mid-1970s for static display at the old facility on the National Mall in Washington
D.C. She has since been moved to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport.

The late Don Lopez, who was Deputy Director of the NASM, strikes the same pose with AK875
as in the photo he is holding, which shows Lopez with the P-40N he flew in the CBI during WWII.
Lopez flew with the 75th FS, 23rd FG, and you can see the photo he is holding HERE...


NASM photo - Larger Image


Angad Singh photo (See more of his photos here) - Larger Image


Curt Smith photo - Larger Image


Curt Smith photo (See more of his photos here) - Larger Image

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