P-40B/C nose guns - where did the spent shells go?

[Vince_M]

Hi,

I have been a P-40 fan ever since I saw the old movie "Death Race" in 1973.  The P-40E was my favorite and continues to be that.  I never cared that much for the Tomahawk version but over the last several years, I have come to appreciate its clean, classic lines. 
I have a photo of TFC P-40B as my computer desktop photo.  While looking at this beautiful photo, I was wondering, where do the shell casings go for the nose guns?  Do the fall out the belly somewhere?

 

[Mark Joyce]

Hi Vince,

I believe the casings were ejected out chutes under the fuselage, as you suspect.  Here's a link with a lot of information on the Tomahawk, and if you scroll down you'll find a few blurry photos:

http://www.freewebs.com/p40-tomahawk/

HTH,

Mark

[hbbates]

There were two setups

The nose guns on both the H75(P36) and H81(P40cu/B/C) had chutes for the spent shell casing that went out the bottom of the wing …

1. The chutes could dump in to a bay in the under belling faring and the shell casing would collect in, These had an access door that could be opened on the ground after landing to empty and collect the shell casing brass (Less common peace time, non/combat setup)

Or

2. The access door in the belling faring could be removed the chutes extended so the shell casing would just dump out bottom as the guns fired (common setup) 

[Vince_M]

Thanks for the great information Mark and Mr. Bates.

Mr. Bates your page is extremely well detailed and you have a fine eye for the Tomahawk.
One note about the Tomahawk down in Pensacola at the Naval museum, the forward portion of the nose and spinner are "off".
I know this because I talked to Tom Wilson and Johnathan Moore of Curtiss Hawks about it.
Tom did the restoration of that Tomahawk.  It looks like the base of the spinner is a bit too big and they shaped the nose to that.

Vince

[Mark Joyce]

Thanks, HB, for clearing that up.  It's interesting that with all the books I have on the P-40, I couldn't find an answer to Vince's question in any of them.

Mark