Quote Originally Posted by ruthabagah View Post
Except that the P40F that were never delivered to the French before the capitulation in 1940 had a mix of Radial engines and later a some were adapted to carry the Hispano-suiza 12Y removed from downed airplanes, or surplus stored in Algeria. They were extensively used in north Africa, because they were already adapted to the local conditions.
[Citation needed.]

I was mistaken in that the Merlin was tested and flew in combat before the war ended. But no version of the P-40 ever had a radial engine.

P-40F "This version fulfilled the longstanding wish of the British to fit the P-40 with a Merlin engine (which is what ultimately led to the development of the P-51), but it arrived in combat relatively late and ironically, few of this type made it to Commonwealth units.... P-40F/L variants were supplied to Free French squadrons flying in North Africa."

P-40F "The P-40F was powered by a Packard-built Merlin V-1650-1 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid-cooled engine .... One hundred and fifty P-40Fs were supplied to the RAF under Lend-Lease"