RobC wrote:
So you did, B-Deuelly. You were subtle and I am not the brightest crayon in the pack.
Having consulted my Francillion book, I have to correct my earlier statement. This is clearly the little-known XP-40U, developed by Curtiss to increase production during the war. It was felt that by eliminating the countersink and dimple operations, that production could be increased by 20%. The P-40, with its high drag coefficient, wouldn't notice the difference. Ultimately, the Riveters Union was able to succesfully lobby the Dept. of War to reject the idea, so only the prototype was built. Nice find.
I think I remember the XP-40U. Didn't Curtiss put everything they had into the future of sheet metal screw construction, only to have it lead to their downfall after the war?
Boy, wait till Wikipedia and the news media get ahold of these posts.
