What date was the first flight of the P-40 Warhawk?

The story behind the answer

October 14, 1938 is correct because the Curtiss XP-40 prototype—created by fitting an Allison V-1710 liquid‑cooled engine into the P-36 Hawk airframe—made its maiden flight that day in Buffalo, New York. The other dates reflect later testing or production milestones, not the first flight.

The P-40 Warhawk became an early World War II workhorse, famous for the American Volunteer Group “Flying Tigers” and their shark-mouth nose art. Though not the best at high altitudes, it was rugged, fast in a dive, and effective at low to medium levels in theaters from North Africa to China. Memory tip: the Warhawk took off before the war began—“’38 before ’39”—on 10/14/38, with “O” for October marking the Warhawk’s Opening flight.