The Mantz and Tallman P-40s

The workhorse Curtiss P-40 of course found a place in the Tallmantz stable, as both Paul Mantz and Frank Tallman owned examples of the type before they merged into one operation in 1961. Mantz, in fact, owned ninety P-40s when he purchased the field of surplus airplanes at Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1946. At least three of those surplus P-40s escaped scrapping and made it to California for Mantz’s post war film fleet. Mantz also purchased a dual-controlled TP-40N in 1958 for movie work. Frank Tallman, for his part, purchased one semi-derelict ex RCAF P-40E in 1957, but traded for another similar P-40E a year later, and that P-40E remained with Tallman when he merged his fleet with that of Mantz.