The P-40M was similar to the preceding P-40K series, with the primary visual difference being a cooling inlet on each side of the nose ahead of the exhaust stacks, and a radio antenna mast.  Like the late-series P-40K, it was powered by an Allison V-1710-81 engine.  The 600 P-40Ms produced were almost all destined for Lend-Lease, and the airplane was known in the RAF and the Commonwealth Air Forces with whom it served as the Kittyhawk III.

 The RNZAF and the Kittyhawk III.

      The RNZAF had its first contact with the Curtiss P-40 when 80 P-40E-1 "Kittyhawk Is" were delivered in April and May 1942.  14, 15, and 16 Squadrons were formed on the Kittyhawks and undertook training through the rest of the year.

     15 Squadron was the first to enter combat on Guadalcanal, arriving at Henderson field on April 8, 1943, the day after the last great Japanese raid on the island, in which over 40 Japanese aircraft had been shot down by the Navy and Marine defenders.  15 Squadron undertook escorts of RNZAF Hudson reconnaissance flights in the Solomons, and scored their first success on May 6, when the squadron commander shot down an A6M-2N during a rainstorm.

      The tour of duty for a fighter squadron in the Solomons was six weeks at a time, and 15 Squadron was relieved by 14 Squadron in early June. 15 Squadron had taken part in the great fighter air battle of June 7, when the Kiwis claimed four of the 23 Zero-sens shot down that day.  14 Squadron began its score on June 11, when 25 Zeros were shot down.  Of the six claims by 14 Squadron, two were by Flt. Lt. Geoff B. Fisken flying NZ3072 "Wairapa Wildcat," who was already an ace - having been credited with six Japanese aircraft over Singapore in January and February 1942, while flying the Brewster Buffalo. Five days later, the largest of the three raids - 100 Zeros and Vals from the "Junyo" air group - were intercepted by 74 Allied fighters; the Kiwis scored five when they dove into a big dogfight over Savo Island involving 33 Zeros.

      With the invasion of New Georgia the following month, the New Zealanders had the opportunity to meet the Japanese on several occasions.  On July 4, Flt. Lt. Fisken claimed two Zeros and a Mitsubishi G4M-2 "Betty," the only multi-engine Japanese aircraft claimed by a New Zealand pilot in the Solomons.  This brought Fisken's Solomons score to 5, and with his 6 previous kills over Singapore, he became the top-scoring Commonwealth fighter pilot in the Pacific War, with a total of 11.

      As the Allied air forces moved into New Georgia and began the campaign that would end with the invasion of Bougainville in October, the RNZAF Kittyhawks became the favorites of the Dauntless and Avenger crews to whom they provided close escort on the Bougainville raids, and later on the missions against Rabaul once airfields were established on Bougainville in November.  Unfortunately, this role as close escort did not allow the Kiwi pilots much opportunity to score against the Japanese, who opposed nearly every mission.  When the Kiwis were released for fighter sweeps on two occasions during the Rabaul campaign they demonstrated their reputation for toughness, scoring strongly against the Japanese fighters despite the fact they were mounted in the "inferior" P-40.  Following the withdrawal of the IJN fighter units from Rabaul on February 28, 1944, the first Kittyhawk fighter-bomber mission was flown with 500-lb bombs on March 10, 1944. On March 21, 1944, the RNZAF Kittyhawk Wing began carrying 1,000-lb bombs on missions to Rabaul.  

      The last RNZAF aerial claim of the war was in February 1944 over Rabaul, and the total score of the Kittyhawk Wing stood at 99.  That May, the first RNZAF squadron exchanged their Kittyhawks for F4U-1A Corsairs, and the Kittyhawk left New Zealand service.

     This P-40M kit was originally released by Mauve in 1995, shortly after the release of their P-40N.  The kits heralded another Japanese model company's entry into world-wide plastic model production, but unfortunately for Mauve their production facility was destroyed in the Kobe-Osaka earthquake of that year.

Three years ago, Eduard obtained the molds of the Mauve kits and released the P-40N as a "Profipack" kit with a resin cockpit and radiator section, and photo-etch details.  The P-40M is the second release and features the same items as the P-40N, though with the different, early pilot's seat in the resin cockpit.  The kit also provides decals for five aircraft: RAAF and SAAF Kittyhawk IIIs in desert camouflage, G.B. Fisken's "Wairapa Wildcat" Kittyhawk III (the coverart airplane), a Red Air Force P-40M, and a P-40M of the Brazilian air force.  The decals sheet is in two sections, one with the RAAF and SAAF aircraft, and a larger sheet with the other three.  I have heard several complaints that the kits only have the smaller sheet for the desert-camouflaged airplanes.  My review kit had all the decals.  In my experience, Eduard is good about providing replacement parts quickly, so if your kit does not have all the decals, you should contact them at their website and request they provide the missing sheet.