The Curtiss XP-40Q was the ultimate version of the Curtiss Hawk line that began with the P-36 of 1935. Despite its many refinements, it was not put into production as it was still outclassed by the contemporary P-47 and P-51 fighters.
The Curtiss P-40Q was an attempt to produce a truly contemporary fighter by refining the P-40 design which had its roots in a mid-1930s design.

It was developed by modifying three existing P-40 airframes (two P-40Ks and a P-40N) with the installation of a more powerful Allison V-1710 engine and other refinements that included redesigned cooling system, a bubble canopy and clipped wings.

Although these changes resulted in an improved P-40 that began to approach the performance of more modern fighters, its performance was still not superior to that of the P-47 and P-51 and so production of the P-40 ended with the P-40N.

This model represents a Curtiss P-40Q in 1945.

AMC Models 1:72 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in February 2012.