By Randy Malmstrom
Since his childhood, Randy Malmstrom has had a passion for aviation history and historic military aircraft in particular. He has a particular penchant for documenting specific airframes with a highly detailed series of walk-around images and an in-depth exploration of their history, which have proved to be popular with many of those who have seen them, and we thought our readers would be equally fascinated too. This installment of Randy’s Warbird Profiles takes a look at Curtiss TP-40N Warhawk 42-104721.
Curtiss TP-40N, formerly P-40K, s/n 42-104721, painted at the time these photos as NL293FR – it is listed with the FAA as N293FR. Briefly and from what I have determined, this particular aircraft was built in 1942 as a P-40K by Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Buffalo, New York, and was assigned to the U.S. Eleventh Air Force, Alaskan Air Defense Command, as part of the defense of the Aleutian Islands during World War II (U.S. military stationed there could hear Japanese radio communications and some spoken in very good English, as many Japanese went to school in America before the war).
In 1943, it suffered engine failure and crashed near Fort Morrow Army Airfield near Port Heiden, Alaska, and was struck off charge. In 1975, warbird enthusiasts Al Redick and Steve Myers discovered the aircraft in a swamp and had it recovered by helicopter by Aviation Classics Ltd. of Reno, Nevada (or Fairbanks Air depending on your source). It exchanged hands several times and was restored to airworthiness in 1986 and flew as Burma Rascal.
In 1990, it became part of the Evergreen Heritage Collection in Arizona, and then became part of the collection at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. In 2017, it was acquired by the Collings Foundation and converted to a TP-40N (Trainer Pursuit) 2-seat full dual-control trainer variant, painted as USAAF P-40N-1-CU, s/n 42-9749, that was recovered from New Guinea where records indicate had originally served with the Royal Australian Air Force as A29-499, and has flown with the Wings of Freedom Tour.
I understand it is now (as of this writing) sitting in a U.K. hangar. I was told that the conversion and rebuild was done by Precision Airmotive in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia; however, the Collings Foundation lists California Aerofab.
About the author
Randy Malmstrom grew up in a family steeped in aviation culture. His father, Bob, was still a cadet in training with the USAAF at the end of WWII, but did serve in Germany during the U.S. occupation in the immediate post-war period, where he had the opportunity to fly in a wide variety of types which flew in WWII. After returning to the States, Bob became a multi-engine aircraft sales manager and as such flew a wide variety of aircraft; Randy frequently accompanied him on these flights. Furthermore, Randy’s cousin, Einar Axel Malmstrom flew P-47 Thunderbolts with the 356th FG from RAF Martlesham Heath. He was commanding this unit at the time he was shot down over France on April 24th, 1944, spending the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. Following his repatriation at war’s end, Einar continued his military service, attaining the rank of Colonel. He was serving as Deputy Wing Commander of the 407th Strategic Fighter Wing at Great Falls AFB, MT at the time of his death in a T-33 training accident on August 21, 1954. The base was renamed in his honor in October 1955 and continues to serve in the present USAF as home to the 341st Missile Wing. Randy’s innate interest in history in general, and aviation history in particular, plus his educational background and passion for WWII warbirds, led him down his current path of capturing detailed aircraft walk-around photos and in-depth airframe histories, recording a precise description of a particular aircraft in all aspects.
