Dates

Event

Constructed as a P-40M by Curtiss at Buffalo, NY.

20 January 1943

Assigned s/n 43-5813 with the United States Army Air Force for administrative purposes. It did not serve with this service.
Received by USAAF for delivery to Australia/New Zealand under lend-lease.

January 1943

Transported by ground. Delivered to United Nations Depot Buffalo.

Transported by ship.
SS Port Alma.

21 May 1943

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal New Zealand Air Force with s/n NZ3119.

Transferred to 16 Squadron.

Circa 1943

Photographer: Des White via Air Force Museum of New Zealand
Notes: At RNZAF Station Fairhall. The man on the airplane is Ron Hildreth.

6 August 1943

Crashed.
Landed with one landing gear partially retracted due to pilot error. Aircraft was being flown by Flying Officer R. J. M. Archibald at Woodbourne.

August 1943

16 Squadron transfers from Woodbourne to Fairhall. NZ3119 is believed to have remained behind due to damage from previous accident.

November 1943

Transferred to No. 2 Operational Training Unit.

23 November 1943

Crashed.
Aircraft tipped up on nose resulting in propeller strike. Cause was slipstream from aircraft being run up ahead of it. NZ3119 was being operated by Flying Officer C. C. White at Ohakea.

1 December 1943

Crashed.
Forced landing due to temporary engine failure that resulted in smoke in the cockpit. Cause was failure of No. 6 connecting rod in the engine due to over-revving. Aircraft was being flown by Sergeant E. P. Shorthouse at Ohakea.

18 January 1944

Crashed.
Forced landing due to engine failure. Cause was hose connecting oil return pipe to oil cooler coming loose due to improper inspection by inexperienced mechanic. Aircraft was being flown by Flying Officer John Evelyn Sanders at Ohakea.

2 March 1948

To J. Larsen, Rukuhia, New Zealand.

By April 1962

Markings Applied: 1 Japanese kill flag

By October 1969

To Asplins Supplies Ltd, Rukuhia, New Zealand.

Circa October 1969

Recovered.
Retrieved from a scrapyard.

Circa October 1969

To John Chambers, Howick, New Zealand.

By 1994

To Allied Fighter Rebuilds, Auckland, Auckland, North Island.
View the Location Dossier

1994

Restoration started.
By Allied Fighter Rebuilds.

31 March 2005

Photographer: Darren J. Pitcher
Notes: At Allied Fighter Rebulids in Dairy Flat, Auckland.

2006

To Tri-State Warbird Museum, Batavia, OH.
View the Location Dossier

24 March 2006

To Tri-State Warbird Museum, Batavia, OH with new c/r N5813.

20 February 2008

Transported by ground. Delivered to Tri-State Warbird Museum.

25 July 2011

1 September 2011

Certificate of airworthiness for NX5813 (P40M, 27501) issued.

By 25 October 2011

8 December 2011

Crashed.
There was one minor injury. The accident occurred at the Clermont County Airport (I69) Batavia, OH, United States while cruising. The damage was substantial. The pilot stated that the engine shuddered several times and that the engine oil pressure dropped to zero, followed by a complete loss of engine power. About that time, the windshield and canopy were covered with oil and coolant, which restricted forward visibility. The pilot performed a forced landing at the departure airport...
For a complete description of the event read the NTSB Report.

8 December 2011

The incident happened during a test flight.

18 December 2013

Photographer: Kenneth Smith
Notes: Under restoration after crash on airport. Note the destroyed engine block sitting on the dolly.

18 December 2013

Photographer: Kenneth Smith
Notes: The wings under rebuild in a jig following an accident.

13 July 2016

First post-restoration Flight.

July 2016

Won WWII Grand Champion at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

29 June 2018

Photographer: Mark Pasqualino
Notes: At Clermont County Airport