Smartass
Dawg, with the revised 3d and damage models, the P-40 series flies and fights like it should.
Fairly maneuverable at lower altitudes, but unhappy at high altitudes. OK speed for an early- to mid-war fighter, but not the fastest. Good firepower, as long as you understand the limitations of the M2 .50 caliber BMG. Rugged airframe, and engine and cooling systems are about as tough as an inline engine gets.
Most of the major variants of the P-40 series are modeled, with the only major omission being the P-40N series.
The P-40 requires some thought to fly, since it's neither the best turn-fighter, nor the best energy-fighter in the game, but if competently flown using appropriate tactics you can get results.
I don't know which flight sim franchise you're coming from, but be warned that IL2 uses fairly realistic flight and "engine management" models, especially as compared to MMO "air combat entertainment" like Warthunder.
You will need a joystick and some means of simulating rudder and throttle controls in order to get the most out of the game, and you might need to take a couple steps back and "learn to fly" a more forgiving aircraft like the Polikarpov R-5 or A6M2 Zero before you take on trickier aircraft.
That said, IL2, especially with mods added on, gives you one of the most diverse plane sets out there.
Graphics aren't all that great by modern standards, but then the sim is 16 years old, and emphasizes flight performance over pretty scenery.