Old Exterminator depicts a shark-mouthed P-40 Warhawk in China, connecting the famous visual identity of the American Volunteer Group with the U.S. Army Air Forces units that continued the fight after the AVG was disbanded.
From the Flying Tigers to the 23rd Fighter Group
The American Volunteer Group became famous for its P-40s, shark-mouth markings and combat against Japanese forces in China and Burma. When the AVG was disbanded in July 1942, the 23rd Fighter Group carried forward much of its mission under U.S. Army Air Forces command.
P-40s remained central to fighter operations in the China-Burma-India theater. Pilots worked from difficult forward bases, often with limited supplies, while attacking Japanese aircraft, transportation networks and ground targets.
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the fighter type represented in Old Exterminator.
The Relic
The artwork is paired with an authentic P-40 air-intake fragment. The surviving material provides a physical connection to the Warhawk while the scene represents the aircraft's combat service in China.
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