Bell P-39 Airacobra

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The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the major American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. The P-39 was used by the Soviet Air Force, and printed the highest number of individual murders linked to US fighters in Eastern European theater. Other major users of this type include Free France, Royal Air Force, United States Air Force, and Italian Air Force Co-Belligerent.

Designed by Bell Aircraft, it has an innovative layout, with an engine mounted in the center fuselage, behind the pilot, and riding a tractor's blade through a long shaft. It is also the first fighter equipped with a tricycle undercarriage. Despite its innovative mid-engine placement, the P-39 design is inhibited by the absence of an efficient turbo supercharger, preventing it from doing high-altitude work. It was therefore rejected by the RAF for use in western Europe but was adopted by the Soviet Union where most of the air combat took place at medium and low altitudes.

Along with P-63 Kingcobra derivatives, the P-39 is one of the most successful fixed wing aircraft manufactured by Bell.

Video Bell P-39 Airacobra

Design and development

Circular Proposal X-609

In February 1937 Lieutenant Benjamin S. Kelsey, Project Officer for Fighters at the United States Air Force Corps (USAAC), and Captain Gordon P. Saville, combat tactical instructor at the Air Corps Tactical School, issued specifications for new fighters via Circular Output X-609 . It was a request for a single machine "interceptor" height "to have" tactical mission of interception and attack of high-altitude hostile aircraft. "Though called interceptors, the proposed plane's role was merely an extension of traditional (combat) roles, using heavier and more heavier aircraft stronger at higher altitude The specification calls for at least 1,000 pounds of heavy weapons including cannon, Allison engine liquid-cooled with General Electric turbo-supercharger, three-wheel landing gear, airspeed rate of at least 360 mph (580 km/h) at altitude, and climbing up to 20,000 feet (6.100 m) in 6 minutes.This is the specification of the most challenging fighter aircraft that USAAC showed on that date.Although Bell's limited battle plane design had previously produced an unusual Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, the proposal Model 12 adopts the same original configuration with the Allison V-12 engine mounted in the center of the board awat, just behind the cockpit, and the propellers are driven by a shaft that passes under the pilot's feet beneath the cockpit floor.

The main purpose of this configuration is to free up space for major heavy weaponry, 37mm (1.46 in) Oldsmobile T9 cannon that shoots through the center of the propeller hub for optimal accuracy and stability when firing. This is because H.M. Poyer, the designer for project leader Robert Woods, was impressed by the power of this weapon and urged his merger. This is unusual, because the design of the previous fighter has been driven by the intended machine, not the weapon system. Though crushing while working, T9 has very limited ammunition, low fire rate, and easy to jam.

The secondary benefit of the mid-engine setting is to create a smooth and efficient nose profile. Much is made of the fact that this produces the configuration "by trim and cleaning the nose of the aircraft as a high-speed bullet mug". Entry into the cockpit is through a side door (mounted on both sides of the cockpit) rather than a sliding canopy. The unusual engine location and long drive shaft caused some concern to the pilot at first, but the experience shows it is no more dangerous in landing crashes than the engine located in front of the cockpit. There is no problem with the failure of the propeller shaft.

XP-39 developments

XP-39 made its maiden flight on April 6, 1938. At Wright Field, Ohio, it reached 390 mph (630 km/h) at 20,000 feet (6,100 m), reaching this height in just five minutes. However, XP-39 found lack of performance at altitude. Flight testing has found the top speed at 20,000 feet lower than the 400 mph claimed in the original proposal.

As determined by Kelsey and Saville, XP-39 has a turbo-supercharger to improve its altitude performance. Bell cools the turbo with a spoon on the left side of the fuselage. Kelsey wants to shepherd XP-39 through initial care problems, but she is ordered to England. The XP-39 project was handed over to others, and in June 1939 the prototype was ordered by General Henry H. Arnold to be evaluated in the NACA wind tunnel to find ways to increase its speed, by reducing the parasitic barriers. Testing was done, and Bell engineers followed the NACA and Army recommendations to reduce barriers so the top speed increased by 16%. NACA writes, "it is important to include a supercharger in a plane with an efficient duct system to cool the rotor and remove cooling and exhaust air." But in the highly planned XP-39, there is no internal space left for the turbo. Using a drag-buildup scheme, a number of potential drag reduction areas are found. The NACA concluded that a top speed of 429 mph could be realized with the improved aerodynamics they developed and the V-1710 improved with only single-stage, single-speed superchargers.

At an important meeting with USAAC and NACA in August 1939, Larry Bell proposed that the P-39 production aircraft be configured without a turbocharger. Some historians question Bell's real motivation in reconfiguring the aircraft. The most powerful hypothesis is that the Bell factory does not have an active production program and he desperately needs a cash flow. Other historians say that wind tunnel tests make the designers believe that turbocharger installations are so messy aerodynamics that have more disadvantages than profits.

Army ordered 12 YP-39 (only with single-stage, single-speed supercharger) for service evaluation and one YP-39A. After this trial is completed, resulting in detailed changes including removal of the external radiator, and on the advice of NACA, the prototype is modified as XP-39B ; after showing a performance increase, 13 YP-39 was completed by this standard, adding two 0.30 machine guns (7.62 mm) to two 0.50 rifles in (12.7 mm). Lack of armor or self-sealing fuel tank, the prototype was a ton (900 kg) lighter than the production fighter.

Production P-39 retains single-stage, single-speed supercharger with critical altitude (above which performance decreases) about 12,000 feet (3,660 m). As a result, the plane is simpler to produce and maintain. However, the removal of the turbo destroyed the possibility that the P-39 could serve as a front-line fighter with medium altitudes. When the shortcomings were noticed in 1940 and 1941, the lack of turbo made it almost impossible to improve Airacobra's performance. The removal of the turbocharger and its drag pushed the inlet to cure the drag problem but reduced overall performance. In the following years, Kelsey expressed regret for not being present to rule out the decision to remove the turbo.

After completing the service trials, and originally designated P-45 , the first order for 80 aircraft was placed August 10, 1939; reappointment to P-39C before delivery begins. After assessing the air combat conditions in Europe, it is evident that without a self-sealing tank, the production of 20 P-39Cs is not suitable for operational use. The remaining 60 machines in the order are built as P-39D with their own armor, sealing tanks, and enhanced weaponry. The P-39Ds is the first Airacobras to enter into service with Air Corps Air Force units and will be the first to see action.

Technical details

The P-39 is an all-metal, low-wing, single-engine fighter, with a three-wheeled undercarriage and a V-12 fluid-cooled Allison V-1710 engine mounted on the central body just behind the cockpit.

Airacobra was one of the first production fighters conceived of as a "weapons system"; in this case the aircraft (originally known as the Bell Model 4) was designed to provide a platform for the 37 mm T9 cannon. This weapon, designed in 1934 by the American Armament Corporation, a division of Oldsmobile, fired a 1.3-liter (1b) projectile capable of penetrating a 0.8 inch (2 cm) armor at 500 m (450 m) with armor. rotation -piercing. Rifle 90Ã, in (230 cm) long, 200 pounds (91 kg) should be installed rigidly and fire parallel to and close to the centerline of the new fighter. It is impossible to install weapons on the fuselage, firing through a Vee-configured engine cylinder and a propeller hub as could be done with a smaller 20mm cannon. Weight, balance and visibility considerations mean that the cockpit can not be placed further behind the plane, behind the machine and the cannon. The adopted solution was to install the cannon on the front plane and the engine at the center of the plane, just behind the pilot seat. The tractor propeller is driven through a 10-foot (3.0 m) drive shaft made in two parts, equipped with self-aligning pads to accommodate the deflection of the fuselage during violent maneuvers. This shaft ran through the tunnel on the cockpit floor and connected to the gearbox on the nose of the plane which, in turn, propelled a four-three propeller (or) four blades through a short central axis. The gearbox is equipped with its own lubricant system, separate from the engine; in a newer version of Airacobra, the gearbox is equipped with armored protection. The glycol cooled radiator is installed in the center of the wing, just below the engine; it is flanked on both sides by a single drum oil cooler. Air for the radiator and oil cooler is pulled through the intake at both ends of the wing-root wing and is directed through four channels to the radiator's face. The air is then smoothed through three controlled hinged flaps near the center of the trailing trail. The air for the carburetor is pulled through the raised oval intake immediately after the rear canopy.

The structure of the fuselage is unusual and innovative, based on a strong central oval that combines armaments, cockpits, and machines. Two strong plane beams to the port and right form the base of the structure. It tilts forward and backward to make a mounting point for the T10 cannon and vane gearbox reduction and for each machine and accessories. A strong curved bulkhead provides the main structural attachment point for the main spar of the wing. This arch incorporates fireproof panels and armor plates between the engine and the cockpit. It also includes bullet turns and bulletproof glass panels behind the pilot's head. The arch also forms the basis of the cockpit housing; the pilot's seat was pressed against the front face like a cockpit floor. To the front of the aircraft's cockpit cockpit is formed from a large detachable cover. Long nose wells are also inserted into the lower part of the nose. Machines and accessories mounted on the back of the arches and the main structural beams; this is also covered using a large removable panel. A conventional semi-monocoque rear body mounted behind the main structure.

Since the pilot is above the extension rod, it is placed higher on the plane than in most contemporary fighters, which in turn gives the pilot a good field of view. Access to the cockpit passes through the "car door" on the side, one on either side. Both have wind windows. Since only the right door has a handle, both inside and outside, it is used as a means of access and a normal solution. The left door can only be opened from the outside and for emergency use, although both doors can be discarded. In operational use, because the roof has been fixed, the cockpit design makes it difficult to escape in an emergency.

The complete armament forces consist of T9 cannons with a pair of Browning M2.50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted on the nose. It changed to two, 50 in (12.7 mm) and two 0.30 in (7.62 mm) weapons in XP-39B (P-39C, Model 13, 20 were first delivered) and two 0.50 in/12.7 mm and four 0.30 in/7.62 mm (all four on the wings) in P-39D (Model 15), which also introduced self-sealing tanks and shackles (and piping) for a 500-pound bomb (227 kg) or tank.

Due to the unusual layout, there is no space on the fuselage to place the fuel tank. Although the drop tank is applied to extend its range, standard fuel loads are carried on the wings, with the result that P-39 is limited to short-range tactical strikes.

The heavy structure, and about 265 pounds (120 kg) of armor are also the hallmark of this aircraft. The heavier P-39 production combined with Allison's engine with only single-stage, single-speed superchargers limits the fighter's ability. The P-39's altitude performance is very much inferior to contemporary European fighters, and as a result, the first USAAF combat units at the European Theater are equipped with Spitfire V. However, the P-39D roll is 75 Â °/s. 235 mph (378 km/h) - better than A6M2, F4F, F6F, or P-38 to 265 mph (426 km/h) (see NACA chart).

Above the critical height of the supercharger around 12,000 ft (3,658 m), the initial performance of the P-39 dropped rapidly. This limits its usefulness in traditional combat missions in Europe as well as in the Pacific, where it is not uncommon for Japanese bombers to strike at altitudes above the operational ceiling of P-39 (which in tropical hot weather is lower than in moderate climates). The final N and Q production models, 75% of all Airacobras, can maintain a top speed of about 375 mph (604 km/h) up to 20,000 ft (6,100 m).

The heavy distribution of P-39 should be the reason for its tendency to enter dangerous, dangerous, Soviet pilots that can show skeptical manufacturers who can not reproduce its effects. After extensive testing, it was determined that spin could only be induced if the plane was loaded incorrectly, without ammunition in the front compartment. The flight guide notes the need to weight the front ammunition compartment with the weight of a suitable sleeve shell to achieve a reasonable center of gravity. High speed control is light, so high speed rotation and pull is possible. P-39 must be held in the dive because it tends to widen, reminiscent of Spitfire. The speed limit of never exceeded dive (Vne) is 475 mph (764 km/h) for P-39.

Immediately upon entering the service, the pilot began reporting that "during a P-39 flight in a certain maneuver, the aircraft crashed at the end." Most of these events occur after the aircraft stops in a nose-high attitude with considerable force applied. Concerned, Bell embarked on a test program. Pilot Bell made 86 separate attempts to reproduce the reported characteristics of the fall. In any case they can not drop the plane. In an autobiographical veteran test and pilot of the Rs A show. "Bob" Hoover gives an explanation of the fall of P-39. He goes on to say that in the back, he really did Lomcovak , a now-common airshow maneuver, which he was also able to do in Curtiss P-40. An informal study of spinning P-39 characteristics was performed at Langley Research Center, a 20-foot Free-Spinning Tunnel during the 1970s. A study of the old reports shows that during previous spin testing at the facility, the plane never crashed. However, it was noted that all tests had been carried out with a full load of ammunition simulations, which drew the center of gravity of the plane forward. After finding the original spin test model of P-39 in storage, the new study first replicated the previous test, with consistent results. Then, the model was ballasted to simulate a no-load ammunition condition, which moved the center of gravity of the plane. Under these conditions, the model is found to fall frequently when thrown into the tunnel.

The rear-mounted engine makes the aircraft ideal for ground attacks because fire will come from the down-front quarter and is less likely to hit its engine and cooling system. This arrangement proved very susceptible to attacks from the top and back and almost every blow on the plane of an attacking enemy fighter was almost guaranteed to disable the cooling system and lead to the destruction of the engine and immediately the plane. Flying at the upper altitude, Airacobra is particularly vulnerable to enemy fighters with decent altitude performance.

Service and version

In September 1940, Britain ordered 386 P-39D (Model 14), with 20 mm (0.79 inches) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 and six 0.303 deep (7.7 mm) instead of 37 mm (1.46 inches ). ) cannons and six.30 in (7.62 mm) weapons. The RAF has finally ordered a total of 675 P-39s. However, after the first Airacobras arrived at 601 RAF Squadron in September 1941, they were soon recognized as having inadequate climbing and performance levels at altitude for Western European conditions. Only 80 are adopted, all with 601 squadrons. Britain transferred about 200 P-39s to the Soviet Union.

Another 200 examples designated for RAF were taken by USAAF after the attack on Pearl Harbor as P-400 , and sent to the Fifth Air Force in Australia, for service in the Southwest Pacific Theater.

At the time of Pearl Harbor's attack, nearly 600 P-39s had been built. When the P-39 production ended in August 1944, Bell had built 9,558 Airacobras, of which 4,773 (mostly -39N and -39Q) were shipped to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program. There are many small variations in engines, propellers, and armaments, but no major structural changes in the type of production, except for some two-seat trainers TP-39F and RP-39Q. In addition, seven people went to the US Navy as radio controlled drones.

Experiments from the laminar flow wing (on XP-39E) and Continental IV-1430 (P-76) engines did not work. The mid-engine concept, gun-through-hub was further developed at Bell P-63 Kingcobra.

The naval version with landing gear wheel, XFL-1 Airabonita, is booked as a competitor of Vought F4U Corsair and Grumman XF5F Skyrocket. It first flew May 13, 1940, but after a difficult and protracted period of development and testing, it was rejected.

Maps Bell P-39 Airacobra

Operational history

Airacobra sees fighting around the world, particularly in the Southwest Pacific, the Mediterranean and Soviet theaters. Because the engine is only equipped with single-stage supercharger, single-speed, P-39 has a height of less than 17,000 feet (5,200 m). Both in Western Europe and the Pacific, Airacobra found itself defeated as an interceptor and the type was gradually relegated to other tasks. It is often used at low altitudes for missions such as shooting the ground.

United Kingdom

In 1940, the UK Purchasing Commission in the United States was looking for a fighter; they ordered 675 versions of Bell Model 14 exports as "Caribou " on the strength of the company's representation on April 13, 1940. The British armament were two noses attached 0.50 in (12.7 mm) weapons, and four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns on the wings; 37 mm rifle was replaced by a 20 mm (0.79 inch) Hispano-Suiza cannon.

British expectations have been set by the performance figures established by unarmed and unarmed XP-39 prototypes. The UK production contract states that a maximum speed of 394 mph (634 km/h)/- 4% is required at the rated heights. In acceptance testing, the actual production aircraft was found to be capable of only 371 mph at 14,090 ft. To allow the aircraft to make assurance speeds, various drag-reduction modifications were developed by Bell. Elevator and steering areas were reduced by 14.2% and 25.2%, respectively. The modified fillet is installed in the tail area. Glass canopy is framed with putty. The pistol access door on the wing has been prominent in flight, so they are replaced with thick aluminum sheets. Likewise, the landing gear doors are deflected open by as much as two inches at maximum speed, so stronger connections are installed to keep them watered. The exit of coolant air from the oil and cooling radiators is reduced in the area to match the exit velocity to the local stream. New engine exhaust pile, deflected to match local flow and with nozzle to improve thrust augmentation, mounted. The machine-gun port was faired up, the antenna pole was removed, the single-piece cowling engine was fitted and the fairing of the exhaust pile was added.

The fuselage was painted with 20 layers of primer, with extensive sanding between coats. Standard camouflage is applied and sanded to remove edges between colors. In addition, about  £ 200 (91 kg) weight has been removed, making it lighter than usual ( £ 7,466 gross). Following this modification, the second production aircraft (series AH 571 ) reached a speed of 391 mph (629 km/h) at 14,400 ft (4,400 m) in flight test. Because of this speed in 1% of warranties, the aircraft was declared to have fulfilled the contractual obligations. Despite the success of this modification, nothing has been applied to other P-39 production. Then the standard P-400 production test by British Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Association (A & amp; AEE) revealed a top speed of only 359 mph (578 km/h).

The British export model was named "Airacobra " in 1941. Subsequently 150 were designated for delivery under the Rent-Lease in 1941 but this was not granted. Royal Air Force (RAF) took delivery in mid-1941 and found that the performance of non-turbo-supercharged production aircraft was significantly different from what they expected. In some areas, Airacobra is lower than existing aircraft such as Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire and its performance at altitude suffers drastically. Testing by Royal Aircraft Establishment at Boscombe Down showed Airacobra reach 355 mph (571 km/h) at 13,000 ft (3,962 m). The cockpit layout is criticized, and it is noted that the pilot will have difficulty in saving in an emergency because the cockpit roof can not be thrown away. The lack of a clear vision panel on the windshield assembly means that in case of heavy rainfall, the pilot's front view will be completely obliterated; The pilot's note suggested that in this case the door window should be lowered and the speed reduced to 150 mph (241 km/h). On the other hand, it is considered effective for low level attacks and ground attacks. Problems with gun suppression and exhaust-flash and compass can be fixed.

No. 601 The RAF Squadron is the only British unit to use Airacobra operationally, receiving their first two samples on August 6, 1941. On October 9, four Airacobras attacked enemy barges near Dunkirk, in the only operational action with the RAF. The squadron continued to practice with Airacobra during the winter, but the combination of poor serviceability and deep distrust of the unknown fighter caused RAF to reject the type after a combat mission. In March 1942, the unit was equipped with Spitfires.

Airacobras already in England, along with the first remaining batch built in the US, was sent to the Soviet Air Force, the only exception being the AH574 , being forwarded to the Royal Navy and used for experimental work, including ship landing first by a three-wheeled undercarriage aircraft on April 4, 1945 at HMSÃ, Castle Pretoria, until it was canceled on the recommendation of a Bell test pilot who visited in March 1946.

AS. Air Force Air Force

Pacific

The United States requested 200 aircraft produced for the UK, adopting them as P-400 (named for the highest speed of 400 mph (644 km/h) advertised.After the Pearl Harbor attack, the P-400 was deployed to the training unit, but some saw the battle in The Southwest Pacific included with the Cactus Air Force in the Battle of Guadalcanal.Although defeated by Japanese warplanes, it performed well in strikes and bombings, often proving deadly in ground attacks on Japanese troops who tried to recapture Henderson Field weapons taken from P-39 is sometimes installed on Navy ships PT to increase firepower Pacific pilots often complain about performance problems and unreliable weaponry, but by the end of 1942, P-39 units of the Fifth Air Force had claimed about 80 aircraft Japan, with the same amount of P-39 lost.At any standard, Airacobras and pilot mere ka defend their land against Japan. The Fifth and Thirteenth Air Force P-39s did not score more victories in the air at the Solomon due to limited range of aircraft and low altitude performance.

Airacobras first against Japan Zero on April 30, 1942 in a low-level action near Lae, New Guinea. From May to August 1942 the battle between Airacobras and Zero took place on a regular basis over New Guinea. The combat report compilation shows Zero equal or close to P-39 in speed at various low-level meetings.

From September to November 1942, the 57th Combatron Combat pilot flew P-39 and P-38 from an airfield built on bulldozed land to Kuluk Bay on the arid island of Adak in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. They attacked Japanese troops who invaded Attu and Kiska Islands in the Aleutians in June 1942. The most deadly factor was not the Japanese but the weather. Low clouds, thick fog and fog, heavy rain, snow, and high winds make flying dangerous and miserable lives. The 57th remained in Alaska until November 1942, then returned to the United States.

Lieutenant Bill Fiedler became an ace in P-39, while many AS ace scored one or two of their wins in kind. Airacobra's low-altitude performance is very good and its firepower is impressive, and with air fighting in the Pacific fighting at medium altitudes, the P-39 manages against mild and agile A6Ms from Japan and Ki-43 (considering the numerical inferiority of American and Japanese veteran pilots). It soon became a joke at the Pacific Theater that the P-400 was a P-40 with Zero on its tail.

Mediterranean

In North Africa, the 99th Combatron Squadron (also known as Tuskegee Airmen) transitioned quickly from P-40 and was given P-39 in February 1944, but only flew for several weeks. The 99 carried out their duties including supporting Operation Shingle over Anzio as well as missions in the Bay of Naples at Airacobra but achieved several air victories.

The main MTO P-39 operators include the 81st and Fighter Group 350, both flying maritime patrol missions from North Africa and through Italy. The 81st was transferred to the Indian Burmese Indian Theater in March 1944 and the 350th began transitioning to P-47D in August 1944, remaining in Italy with the 12th Air Force.

USSR

The most successful and successful use of P-39 is by Red Air Force ( ?????? - ????????????? -Vozdushnye Sily , VVS ). They received a much better model of N and Q through the Alaska-Siberian ferry route. The Eastern Front's tactical environment does not demand high-altitude performance by RAF and AAF. The low-speed, low-altitude nature of most of the air combats on the Soviet Front fits into the strength of P-39: sturdy construction, reliable radio equipment, and adequate firepower.

The Soviet pilots appreciated the P-39 winged primarily for air-to-air capabilities. A common Western misconception is that Bell fighters are used as ground attack aircraft. This is because the Soviet term for the P-39 mission, prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk (landline coverage) is usually translated ground support , which is often regarded as close air support. In Soviet usage, it has a broader meaning. The Soviet-operated P-39 indeed carried out a bombing attack, but it was "never a major mission or a strong force for this aircraft". The Soviets developed successful group air fighting tactics for Bell fighters and scored a staggering number of air wins over German aircraft. Soviet P-39 had no trouble sending Junkers Ju 87 Stuka or a German twin-engined bomber and matched, and in some areas surpassed Messerschmitt Bf 109s early and mid-war. The usual nickname for Airacobra on VVS is Kobrushka ("little cobra") or Kobrastochka , a combination of Cobra and Lastochka (swallow), "little cobra dear".

The first Soviet Cobra had a 20-mm Hispano-Suiza cannon and two heavy Browning machine guns, synchronized and mounted on the nose. Later, the Cobra arrived with a 37 mm M4 cannon and four machine guns, two synchronized and two wings mounted. "We immediately removed the wing machine gun, leaving a cannon and two machine guns," Golodnikov recalls later. The modifications increase the roll speed by reducing rotational inertia. Soviet sailors appreciate M4 cannons with strong spin and reliable action but complain about low fire rates (three rounds per second) and inadequate ammunition storage (only 30 rounds).

The Soviets used Airacobra primarily for air-to-air battles against various German planes, including Bf 109s, Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, Ju 87s, and Ju 88s. During the battle on the Kuban River, VVS relied on P-39s far more than Spitfires and P-40s. Aleksandr Pokryshkin, from 16. Gv.IAP (16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment), claimed 20 victories in the campaign in P-39.

The last aircraft shot down by the Luftwaffe was Soviet P-39, on May 8th by Oblt. Fritz Stehle from 2./JG 7 flew Me 262 in Erzgebirge. Also, the last Soviet air victory was in P-39 on May 9 when Captain Vasily Pshenichikov scored against Focke-Wulf Fw 189, in the sky above Prague. Five of the 10 highest Soviet scores recorded the majority of their murders in the P-39s. Grigoriy Rechkalov scored 44 wins in Airacobras. Pokryshkin scored 47 of his 59 victories on the P-39, making him the P-39 fighter pilot with the highest scores in any country, and Allied fighter pilots with the highest scores using American fighter. This does not include 6 wins together, at least some of which are reached by P-39.

The United States did not provide a round of M80 armored shields for Soviet P-39 autocannons - instead, the Soviets received 1,232,991 M54 high explosive rounds, which they mainly use for air-to-air combat and against soft ground targets. VVS does not use P-39 for tank-busting tasks.

A total of 4,719 P-39s were sent to the Soviet Union, accounting for more than a third of all US and British supplied aircraft at VVS, and nearly half of all P-39 production. Soviet Airacobra losses reached 1,030 aircraft (49 in 1942, 305 in 1943, 486 in 1944 and 190 in 1945).

Airacobras served with the Soviet Air Force at the end of 1949, when two regiments operated as part of the 16th Guard Flight Guard Division in Belomorsky Military District.

Australia

A total of 23 re-contracted Airacobras, borrowed from the Fifth Air Force (AF 5), are used by the Australian Air Force (RAAF) as intercept interceptors in the rear area. The aircraft was prefixed RAAF A53 series.

In the early months of the Pacific War, the RAAF could only obtain enough Curtiss Kittyhawks to equip the three squadrons, destined for frontline tasks in New Guinea. and - in the face of increasing Japanese air strikes to northern Australian cities - were forced to rely on P-40s, P-39s and P-400 units of 5 AF for defense of areas such as Darwin. During mid-1942, USAAF P-39 units in Australia and New Guinea began receiving the new P-39D. As a result, the repaired P-39 at the Australian workshop was loaned by 5 AF to the RAAF. In July, seven P-39Fs arrived at 24 Squadron, at RAAF Bankstown in Sydney. In August, seven P-39Ds were received by No. 23 RAAF Squadron at Lowood Airfield, near Brisbane. Both squadrons also operate other types, such as armed trainer CAC Wirraway. Both squadrons receive complete Airacobras or see a battle with them. From early 1943, the role of air defense was filled by the Spitfires wing.

Both 23 and 24 squadrons were converted to the Vulte Vengeance dive bomber in mid-1943, their P-39 being transferred to two newly formed combat squadrons: No. 82 (adds P-40, still in short supply) in Bankstown and no. 83 (due to wait for a CAC Boomerang designed by Australia) at Strathpine, near Brisbane. After serving with this squadron for several months, the remaining Airacobra is returned to USAAF and the RAAF stops operating.

French

In 1940, the French ordered P-39 from Bell, but because a ceasefire with Germany they were not sent. After Operation Torch, French troops in North Africa sided with the Allies, and replenished with Allied equipment including P-39N. From mid-1943, three fighter squadrons, GC 3/6 Roussillon , GC 1/4 Navarre and GC 1/5 Champagne , flew P -39 in the battle against the Mediterranean, Italy, and the South of France. A series of P-39Qs were sent later, but Airacobras, which was never popular with French pilots, had been replaced by P-47s in the front-line unit at the end of 1944.

Italy

In June 1944, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (ICAF) received 170 P-39s, most of them -Qs, and several -Ns (15 USAAF surplus airplanes kept at the Naples-Capodichino airfield) and also at least one L and five-M. P-39 N (without fairing underwing for 12.7 machine guns) has a machine with about 200 hours; slightly newer than the P-39Q engine with 30-150 hours. A total of 149 P-39s will be used: P-39N for training, while the newer Q is used on the front line.

In June-July 1944, Gruppi 12Ã, °, 9Ã,  ° and 10Ã,  ° of 4Ã,  ° Stormo , moved to the Campo Vesuvio airstrip to complete back with P-39. The site did not match and, in three months of training, 11 accidents occurred, due to machine failure and poor base maintenance. Three pilots were killed and two others were seriously wounded. One of the victims, on August 25, 1944, was "ace of aces", Sergio Maggiore Teresio Vittorio Martinoli.

Three groups of 4 Â ° Stormo first sent to Leverano (Lecce) airstrip, then in mid-October, to the Galatina airfield. At the end of the training, eight accidents occurred. Nearly 70 aircraft were in operation, and on September 18, 1944, the Group's 12 Â ° P-39s flew their first mission over Albania. Concentrating on ground attack, the P-39 Italia proved fit in this role, losing 10 aircraft between November 4 and December 3, 1944, to the German flak. In February-March 1945, 10 Â ° and 9 Â ° Gruppi moved to North Galatina, at the Canne air base, near Campobasso, while the Allies allowed Italian pilots to use the Lissa island airstrip, in the Adriatic Sea , as medium scale during long sorties in the Balkans. Pilot 4 Â ° Stormo flew many effective ground attack missions in northern Yugoslavia, missing just one P-39 again, for engine failure in the Sarajevo area, on April 2, 1945. Italian P-39 flying in over 3,000 hours of fighting.

At the end of the war, 89 P-39s were still at Canne airport and 13 at the Scuola Addestramento Bombardamento e Caccia ("Training School for Bombs and Fighters") at the Frosinone airfield. Within 10 months of operational service, 4 Â ° Stormo has been awarded three Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Militare "alla memoria" . After the war, the P-39 was taken over by Aeronautica Militare Italiana (new Italian air force) and used for several years as a training aircraft. In the Galatina combat training unit ( Scuola Caccia ), the veteran of the Tenente colonnello war Francis Leoncini died in a flying accident, on May 10, 1950.

Portugal

Between December 1942 and February 1943, AeronÃÆ'¡utica Militar (Military Military Flight) obtained the aircraft operated by the 81st and 350th Combat Group originally sent to North Africa as part of Operation Torch. Due to some problems on the way, some aircraft were forced to land in Portugal and Spain. Of the 19 fighters landing in Portugal, all were interned and entered the service that year with the Portuguese Military Army. They form the OK Squadron, based in Ota Air Base.

Although not necessary, the Portuguese Government paid US $ 20,000 for each of these interned aircraft and for one Lockheed P-38 Lightning interned. The US accepted the payment, and gave as a gift four additional crates of aircraft, two of which were not badly damaged, without providing spare parts, flight manuals or service manuals. Without proper training, the incorporation of aircraft into service was disrupted with problems, and the remaining six Portuguese Airacobras in 1950 were sold for scrap.

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Postwar

A small amount of P-39Q's final production lasted long enough in USAAF inventory to be acquired by the United States Air Force after being separated from the Army. This aircraft served in a training and testing role for approximately one year. They were redesigned as ZF-39Q ("ZF" for "Obsolete Fighter") in June 1948 as part of a new aircraft designation scheme across the USAF.

In 1945, Italy bought 46 P-39s alive with 1% of their cost but in the summer of 1946 many accidents occurred, including fatal ones. In 1947, 4 Â ° Stormo was replenished with the P-38, with the P-39 shipped to the training unit until retirement type in 1951. Only T9 cannons survive today at Vigna at the Valle Museum.

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Racing

Airacobra spurred on the National Air Races in the United States after World War II. Famous versions used for racing including twin aircraft known as "Cobra I" and "Cobra II," were jointly owned by three Bell Aircraft test pilots, Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin, Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston, and Jack Woolams. The aircraft was modified widely to use a more powerful P-63 engine and propeller propeller propellers from the Bell factory. "Cobra I" with its pilot Jack Woolams disappeared in 1946 during a test flight over Lake Ontario, in the afternoon, possibly at speeds up to 400 mph. The plane suddenly and mysteriously crashed into the water, ruptured by a collision.

The "Cobra II" (Race # 84) was flown by test pilot "Tex" Johnston, beat the modified P-51 race, as well as other P-39 racers (favorites), to win the 1946 Thompson Trophy trophy. Cobra II competed again in the 1947 Thompson Cup, finishing third. At the 1948 Thompson Cup, he could not finish because of engine trouble. Cobra II was no longer racing and was destroyed on August 10, 1968 during a test flight before attempting a world piston engine air speed record, when owner-pilot Mike Carroll lost control and crashed. Carroll died and the highly modified P-39 was destroyed.

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 30 ft 2 in (9.2 m)
• Wide width: 34 ft 0 in (10.4 m)
• High: 12 ft 5 in (3.8m)
• Wings area: 213 sq ft (19.8 m²)
• Empty weight: 6,516 lb (2,955 kg)
• Weight being loaded: 7,570 lb (3,433 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 8,400 lb (3,800 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 Ã, "Allison V-1710-85 cooled V-12 fluid, 1,200 hp (894 kW) at 9,000 ft (using emergency power)

Performance

• Never exceeds speed: 525 mph (845 km/h)
• Maximum speed: 389 mph (626 km/h) at 10,000 feet (using emergency power)
• Kiosk Speed: 95 mph (152 km/h) Turn off Flaps & amp; undercarriage down
• Range: 525 miles on internal fuel (840 km)
• Service ceiling: 35,000 feet (10,700m)
• Ascent level: 3805 ft/mnt (19,3 m/sec) at 7,400 ft (using emergency power)
• Wings loading: 34.6 lb/ sq ft (169 kg/mÃ,²)
• Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.27 kW/kg)
• Time to climb: 15,000 in 4.5 minutes at 160 mph (260 km/h).

Armament

• Weapons:
  
  • 1 ÃÆ'â € "37 mm M4 cannon in the nose (shoot through the propeller hub) with 30 rounds of HE-T ammunition./li>
  • 2 ÃÆ'â € ".50 cal (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine guns are synchronized, mounted on the nose; 200 revolutions per shotgun
  • 2 ÃÆ'â € ".50 cal (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine gun (each one wing), 300 revolutions per pistol
• Bomb: Bomb up to 500 lb (230 kg) under wing and abdomen

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Important appearances in media

• The P-39 Airacobra featured in the Russian film Peregon (Transit) (2006) deals with the Lend Lease aircraft while transiting into the Soviet Union.

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See also

Pengembangan terkait

• Bell XFL Airabonita
• Bell P-63 Kingcobra

Airplane with equivalent role, configuration, and era

• Curtiss P-40
• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Supermarine Spitfire
• Yakovlev Yak-1
• Yakovlev Yak-9

Related list

• List of World War II planes
• List of US military planes
• List of fighter planes

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References

Note

Quote

Bibliography

src: 3dexport.com

External links

• "The World's Most Deadly Shipwrecker", Popular Science , November 1941, the first major article on P-39 published in the US for the general public
• 1941 cover cover of P-39 magazine
• P-39 Airacobra by Joe Baugher
• XFL-1 Airabonita
• Bell P-39 Airacobra at acepilots.com
• "The Soviets use more of Loza's reference description and use of P-39 for air superiority" at acepilots.com
• Tankbusters: Air anti-tank gun at WW2
• The Bell XP-39 Airacobra
• Movie clip Fly The P-39 , shows the technique to pilot the P-39 Airacobra available on the Internet Archive
• "The Giant Killer!" 1941 commercial for Airacobra at Flights
• "The Bell Caribou - Latest Information on this Ultra-modern American Fighter." Flights, 1941
• "Airacobra Squadron." Flights , 1941
• "Conventional and unconventional." Flights , 1945
• Australian War Memorial, 5th US Air Force camera record , 1943. Includes a rare P-39 gun camera record (from 1: 3 mark). Lieutenant Robert Adler (FS 41, USAAF) downed two Japanese twin-engined bombers near Tsili Tsili, New Guinea, on August 15, 1943.

Source of the article : Wikipedia