During W.W. II, many U.S. industrial giants built famous fighter designs under contract and sometimes improved upon them.
The Goodyear F2G is a well-known example of this.
Far less remembered is International Harvester's version of the iconic P-40.
While International Harvester was heavily supporting the war effort...
...they weren't known for cutting-edge combat aircraft.
The innovative staff at International Harvester came up with the radical P-40 re-design while working on an order for the Monaco Air Force. When Monaco was over-run by Italian troops and drunk tourists, the order was transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force.
Powered by a 1450 h.p. Allis-Chalmers engine and featuring a new, more robust canopy with better view, the new fighter was further enhanced with fully enclosed retractable landing gear to improve streamlining. The new aircraft was fast, especially in a dive. It also packed a heavy punch as it was armed with eight .50 mgs, two mounted over the engine synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.
Officially designated the P-40IH, it was more commonly known as the Harvester, or just the "Heavy". Unfortunately, the new P-40IH was substantially different from existing models, causing supply chain problems. Only one unit was partially equipped with the new sub-type, the 77th Pursuit Squadron. It may have all ended there with such small numbers actually reaching service.
Luckily, the Hootersville metropolitan area was in need of air defense after experiencing over-flights of an unknown nature.
The mayor was apparently unconcerned and took no action.
Luckily, one of Hootersville's leading citizens was able to employ her particular form of persuasion and successfully lobby for U.S. Army Air Forces protection.
While A & P flights of the 77th were keen to test their new fighters, they were a bit taken aback at the location of the duty.
They were reminded that there were worse places to be.
Thus A & P flights of the 77th formed the nucleus of what history would forget to record as the Green Acres Task Force.
Known for their unique tail marking, the pilots of the Green Acres Task Force would fly countless patrols, always keeping a keen eye peeled for anything out of the ordinary.
Commencing operations on Labor Day, 1942, over thirty-eight missions would be logged before the unit was transitioned to more modern aircraft and reassigned to a combat theater in early 1944.
No more sightings of unknown aircraft not eventually identified as scheduled flights or attributed to Green Acres Task Force ops were recorded for the entire time the P-40IHs patrolled. If historians ever bothered to note this brief period of events, they'd probably write off the initial sightings as war nerves.
No P-40IH Harvesters survived the war and it's not even remembered as well as many fictitious Luft '46 projects so no kit has ever been made. However, a conversion set was briefly available which is so poor many assume it to be a Merlin product although the actual maker remains unknown. Much like the P-40IH.
Brian da Basher
