The P-40 earned undying fame as the Flying Tiger of World War 2 when flown by General Claire Chennault s Volunteer Group fighting the Japanese in China and Burma. It also saw much service in the Middle East where it was used by Britain s R.A.F. and nicknamed the Tomahawk and Kittyhawk. When World War 2 broke out the P-40 was the only fighter available in quantity to the U.S.A.A.F. it being the first American single-seat plane to be manufactured in the U.S. on a mass production basis. By the end of the war over 14 000 planes had been delivered to fighting theatres..