(Bell) P-39 Airacobra @·AIRCRAFTUBE

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Bell P-39 Airacobra

The Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service at the start of World War II. Although its mid-engine placement was innovative, the P-39 design was handicapped by the lack of an efficient turbo-supercharger, limiting it to low-altitude work, although the type was used with great success by the Soviet Air Force. Together with the derivative P-63 Kingcobra, these aircraft would be the most successful mass-produced, fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Bell.

In 1937, the United States Army Air Corps issued a specification for a new fighter via Circular Proposal X-608. It was a request for a high-altitude interceptor aircraft having "the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude". Specifications called for a maximum airspeed of at least 360 mph (or 580 km/h) at altitude, and a climb to 20,000 feet (or 6100m) within 6 minutes; the toughest set of specifications USAAC had presented to that date. Other competing designs included the Curtiss P-40, an outgrowth of a previous design, and the Lockheed P-38, which utilized a complex twin-engine twin boom configuration. Although Bell's limited fighter design work had previously resulted in the unusual Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, the Model 12 proposal adopted an equally original configuration with an Allison V-12 engine mounted in the middle of the fuselage, just behind the cockpit, and a propeller driven by a shaft passing beneath the pilot's feet under the cockpit floor.

The main purpose of this configuration was to free up space for the heavy main armament, a 37 mm Oldsmobile T9 cannon firing through the center of the propeller hub for optimum accuracy and stability when firing. In fact, the entire design was made to accommodate this gun in the aircraft. This happened because H.M. Poyer, designer for project leader Robert Woods, was impressed by the power of this weapon and he pressed for its incorporation though the original concept had been a 20-25 mm cannon mounted in a conventional manner in the nose. This was unusual, because fighters had previously been designed around an engine, not a weapon system. Although devastating when it worked, the T9 had very limited ammunition, a low rate of fire, and was prone to jamming.

A secondary benefit of the mid-engine arrangement was to create a smooth and streamlined nose profile. The weight distribution necessitated a tricycle undercarriage, a first among American fighters, though the Lockheed XP-38 was concurrently designed with tricycle landing gear. Entry to the cockpit was through side doors (mounted on both sides of the cockpit) rather than a sliding canopy. Its unusual engine location and the long driveshaft caused some pilot concern at first, but experience showed this was no more of a hazard in a crash landing than with an engine located forward of the cockpit. There were no problems with propshaft failure.

As originally designed, the XP-39 had a turbocharger with a belly scoop (a feature shared by the XP-40); both were deleted for production.

The XP-39 made her maiden flight on 6 April 1938 at Wright Field, Ohio, achieving 630 km/h at 6100 m (or 390 mph at 20,000 ft), reaching this altitude in only five minutes. The Army ordered twelve YP-39s for service evaluation and one YP-39A with the turbo-supercharger deleted. After these trials were complete, which resulted in detail changes including deletion of the external radiator, and on advice from NACA, the prototype was modified as the XP-39B; after demonstrating a performance improvement, the thirteen YP-39s were completed to this standard, adding two .30 inch (or 7.62 mm) MG to the two .50s as well. Lacking armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, the prototype was 900 kg lighter than the production fighters.

After completing service trials, and originally designated P-45, a first order for 80 aircraft was placed 10 August 1939; the designation would revert before deliveries began.

Technical details

The P-39 was an all-metal, low-wing, single-engine fighter, with tricycle undercarriage incorporating a very streamlined and aerodynamically efficient design.

The Airacobra was conceived with the T9 gun in mind. This weapon fired a 610 gram projectile capable of piercing 2 cm of armor at 450 m with armor piercing rounds. The complete armament fit as designed consisted of the T9 with a pair of Browning M2.50" (12.7 mm) machineguns mounted in the nose. This would change to two .50s and two .30s in the XP-39B (P-39C, Model 13, the first 20 delivered) and two .50 and four .30 (all four in the wings) in the P-39D (Model 15), which also introduced self-sealing tanks and shackles (and piping) for a 500 lb (or 227 kg) bomb or drop tank. The engine was placed behind the cockpit, so pilots often referred to this as "Allison armor." A long transmission tunnel passed through the fuselage, under the cockpit, and was linked to the three bladed propeller. The radiator was located in the fuselage.

In September 1940, Britain ordered 386 P-39Ds (as the Model 14), of 675 in all, differing in the 37 mm being replaced by a 20 mm Hispano and the six .3 by .303 (or 7.7 mm). These began equipping 601 Squadron in September 1941, and were promptly recognized as having inadequate rate of climb and performance at altitude; only 80 joined the RAF (only 601 being outfitted), over 250 being transferred to the Red Air Force, about 200 repossessed by the Army after Pearl Harbor, and some 200 sent to Eighth Air Force in 1942 (the Army models being designated P-400).

Because of the unconventional layout, there was no space in the fuselage to place a fuel tank. Although drop tanks were implemented to extend its range, the standard fuel load was carried in the wings, with the result that the P-39 was limited to short range tactical strikes.

A heavy structure, and around 120 kg of armor were characteristic of this aircraft as well. The production P-39's heavier weight combined with the poor performance of the Allison engine, limited the high-altitude capabilities of the fighter. The P-39's altitude performance was markedly inferior to the contemporary European fighters and, as a result, the first USAAF fighter units in the European Theater were equipped with the Spitfire V. However, the P-39D's roll rate was 75 degrees per second at 235 mph (378 km/h)- better than the A6M2, F4F, F6F, or P-38 up to 265 mph (or 426 km/h).

Above the V-1710's full throttle height of about 17,000 ft (or 5,000 m), the P-39's performance dropped off rapidly. This limited its usefulness in traditional fighter missions in Europe as well as in the Pacific, where it was not uncommon for Japanese bombers to attack at altitudes above the P-39's operational ceiling (which in the tropical hot air inevitably was lower than in moderate climates).

The weight distribution of the P-39 supposedly is the reason for its tendency to enter a dangerous flat spin - a characteristic Soviet test pilots were able to demonstrate to the skeptical manufacturer who had been unable to reproduce the effect. After extensive tests, it was determined the spin could only be induced if the plane was improperly loaded, with no ammunition in the front compartment. The flight manual specifically noted a need to ballast the front ammunition compartment with the appropriate weight of shell casings to achieve a reasonable center of gravity. High speed controls were light thus high speed turns and pull-outs were possible although the P-39 had to be held in a dive since it tended to level out, reminiscent of the Spitfire. Redline dive speed was a respectable 525 mph (or 845 km/h) for the P-39.

The rear-mounted engine made the aircraft ideal for ground attack since fire would be coming from the front-bottom quarter and was less likely to hit the engine and its cooling systems. However, the arrangement proved to be very vulnerable to attacks from above and behind and nearly any hit on the fuselage from an attacking enemy fighter was virtually guaranteed to disable the cooling system and lead to the prompt demise of the engine and thus the airplane. Coupled with lack of high-altitude performance, the Airacobra was extremely vulnerable to any enemy fighter with decent high altitude performance.

A naval version with tail-dragger landing gear, the XFL-1 Airabonita, was ordered as a competitor to the F4U Corsair and XF5F Skyrocket. It first flew 13 May 1940, but after a troublesome and protracted development and testing period, it was rejected.

By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 600 had been built.

When P-39 production ended in August 1944, Bell had built 9,558 and Airacobras, of which 4,773 (mostly -39N and -39Q) were sent to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program. There were numerous minor variations in engine, propellor, and armament, but no major structural changes in production types, excepting a few two-seat TP-39F and RP-39Q trainers. In addition, seven went to the U.S. Navy as radio-controlled drones.

Trials of a laminar flow wing (in the XP-39E) and Continental IV-1430 engine (the P-76) were unsuccessful. The mid-engine, gun-through-hub concept was developed further in the Bell P-63 Kingcobra .

Operational history

The Airacobra saw combat throughout the world, particularly in the Southwest Pacific, Mediterranean and Russian theaters. Because its engine was not equipped with a supercharger, the P-39 performed best below 17,000 feet (or 5,200 m) altitude. It often was used at lower altitudes for such missions as ground strafing. Russian pilots appreciated the cannon-armed P-39 for its ground attack capability.

United Kingdom

In 1940, the British Direct Purchase Commission in the US was looking for combat aircraft; they ordered 675 of the export version Bell Model 14 as the "Caribou" on the strength of the company's representations on 13 April 1940. The performance of the Bell P-39 prototype and 13 test aircraft which were able to achieve a speed of 390 mph (or 630 km/h) at altitude was due to the installation of turbo-supercharging. The British armament was 0.50-inch machine guns in the fuselage, and four 0.30-inch machine guns in the wings, the 37 mm gun was replaced by a 20 mm Hispano Suiza.

The British export models were renamed "Airacobra" in 1941. A further 150 were specified for delivery under Lend-lease in 1941 but these were not supplied. The Royal Air Force (RAF) took delivery in mid 1941 and found that actual performance of the non-turbo-supercharged production aircraft differed markedly from what they were expecting. In some areas, the Airacobra was inferior to existing aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire and its performance at altitude suffered drastically. On the other hand it was considered effective for low level fighter and ground attack work. Problems with gun and exhaust flash suppression and compass were fixable.

No. 601 Squadron RAF was the only British unit to use the Airacobra operationally, receiving their first two examples on 6 August 1941. On 9 October, four Airacobras attacked enemy barges near Dunkirk, in the type's only operational action with the RAF. The squadron continued to train with the Airacobra during the winter, but in March 1942, it re-equipped with Spitfires.

The Airacobras already in the UK, along with the remainder of the first batch being built in the US, were sent to the Soviet Air force.

U.S.

The U.S. requisitioned 200 of the next part of the order as the P-400. The P-400 designation came from advertised top speed of 400 mph (or 644 km/h). After Pearl Harbor, the P-400 was deployed to training units, but some saw combat in the Southwest Pacific including with the Cactus Air Force in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Guns salvaged from P-39s were sometimes fitted to Navy PT boats to increase firepower.

From September to November 1942 pilots of the 57th Fighter Squadron flew P-39s and P-38s from an airfield built on land bulldozed into Kuluk Bay on the barren island of Adak in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. They attacked the Japanese forces which had invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the Aleutians in June 1942. The number one foe that claimed the most lives, however, was not the Japanese but the weather. The low clouds, mist, fog, driving rain, snow and high winds made flying dangerous and lives miserable. The 57th remained in Alaska until November 1942 and then returned to the United States.

In North Africa, the Tuskegee Airmen were assigned P-39s in February 1944. They successfully transitioned and carried out their duties including supporting Operation Shingle over Anzio as well as missions over the Gulf of Naples in the Airacobra but achieved few aerial victories. By June they were scoring with P-47 Thunderbolts and then in P-51 Mustangs in July 1944.

USSR

The most successful use of the P-39 was in the hands of the VVS (Soviet Air Force). The tactical environment of the Eastern Front did not demand the extreme high-altitude operations that the RAF and USAAF employed with their big bombers. The P-39's inherent weakness was its lack of a turbocharger but in the relatively low-altitude operations in the East, this was not as great a handicap. The low-speed, low-altitude turning nature of most air combat on the Russian Front suited the P-39's strengths: sturdy construction, reliable radio gear and adequate firepower. It was common for the Soviet pilots to remove the wing guns and rely only on the cannon and nose machine guns as armament. The P-39 was well liked by VVS pilots. The second-highest scoring Allied ace, Aleksandr Pokryshkin, flew the P-39 from late 1942 until the end of the war; his unofficial score in the Airacobra stands at nearly 60 Luftwaffe aircraft. His wingman, Grigori Rechkalov, scored 57 victories with the P-39. This is the highest score ever gained by any pilot with any US-made aircraft. The usual nickname for the Airacobra in the VVS was Kobrusha, "dear little cobra".

Australia

In early 1942, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), experiencing Japanese air raids on towns in northern Australia, found itself unable to obtain British-designed interceptors or sufficient numbers of P-40s. US Fifth Air Force squadrons in Australia were already receiving the brand new P-39D-1. Consequently, in July 1942, older USAAF P-39s, which had been repaired at Australian workshops, were adopted by the RAAF as a stop-gap interceptor.

Seven P-39Ds were sent to No. 23 Squadron RAAF at Lowood, Queensland. Later, seven P-39Fs were operated by No. 24 Squadron RAAF at Townsville. In the absence of adequate supplies of P-39s, both squadrons also operated Wirraway armed trainers. However, neither squadron received a full complement of Airacobras, or saw combat with them. The home air defence role was filled first by P-40s, followed by Spitfires. Plans to equip two more squadrons with P-39s were also abandoned. 23 and 24 Squadrons converted to the Vultee Vengeance in 1943.

France

In 1940, France ordered numerous P-39s to Bell, but because of the armistice with Germany they were not delivered. However, after Operation Torch French forces in North Africa sided with the Allies, and were re-equipped with Allied equipment including P-39Ns. From mid-1943 on, three fighter squadrons, the GC 3/6 Roussillon, GC 1/4 Navarre and GC 1/5 Champagne, flew these P-39s in combat over the Mediterranean, Italy and Southern France. A batch of P-39Qs was delivered later, but Airacobras, which were never popular with French pilots, had been replaced by P-47 Thunderbolts in front line units by late 1944.

Italy

In June 1944, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (ICAF) 223° Group received approximately 150 P-39s, almost all -Ns and -Qs, but also at least one -L and five -Ms. The training of 4° Stormo pilots began on P-39Ns (with over 200 hours on them), while more modern Qs were used in the front line. The three groups of 4° Stormo trained at a small and poorly-maintained airfield near Vesuvio, then were sent to Galatina airfield in fall 1944. At least 19 training accidents occurred; among the victims on 25 August 1944 was Teresio Martinoli, a 22-victory ace with four years of combat experience.

Almost 70 aircraft were operational, and on 18 September 1944 12° Group's P-39s flew their first mission over Albania. Concentrating on ground-attack and accumulating over 3000 hours of combat, losing ten aircraft to German flak, the Italian P-39s proved to be suitable in this role.

Portugal

Between December 1942 and February 1943, the Aeronáutica Militar (Army Military Aviation) obtained aircraft operated by the 81st and the 350th Fighter Groups originally dispatched to North Africa as part of Operation Torch. Due to several problems en route, some of the aircraft were forced to land in Portugal and Spain. Of the 19 fighter aircraft that landed in Portugal, all were interned and entered service that year with the Portuguese Army Military Aviation - the first examples to enter service were five P-39s from the 81st Fighter Group, which landed on 27 December 1942 at Lisbon Airport.

Although, the obtainment of this aircraft was due to their landing in Portugal, the Portuguese Government requested the purchase of the aircraft that had until 1943 been interned. On 26 April 1943, the United States authorized the sale for $20,000 each of 16 Airacobras and one P-38 Lightning, which were intact, and to give as a gift four crates of aircraft, two of which were not badly damaged. However, the United States declined to supply spares.

The fact that these aircraft were interned during flight missions and that flight or maintenance manuals were bought or available, never allowed a correct transition for the pilots coming from another aircraft.

A check-list recovered from one of the aircraft, but that was incomplete and not totally correct, provided some help but still severe difficulties were felt in the adaptation of pilots to the aircraft. The arrival of American mechanics at the Lajes Air Base eased the maintenance problems, but still any type of documents and technical manuals were never handover to Portuguese crews.

Because of the previous stated reasons, the start of these aircraft activity was marked with accidents, dut mainly to deficient engine handling.

Other accidents are known in which many of the aircraft were not repairable, as one case in which the pilot lost control when rolling too fast and crashed against two other aircraft; and two other aircraft that had to make emergency landings due to engine failure (one at Póvoa de Varzim, and the other at Costa da Caparica).

In 1944, the Portuguese P-39 saw a peak of activity when 14 Airacobras, divided in two flights of seven aircraft each, participated in various combined armed forces exercises at Ota.

Due to the recurring problem of contamination of the cockpit with carbon monoxide when the machine guns were fired, with the fact that the weapons had a difficult access for maintenance, and had many malfunctions, led to the low or non-existent use of them.

The service life of the P-39 in Portugal was not a very long one, and the last six Airacobras that remained until the aircraft retirement in 1950, were sold for scrap.

Postwar

In 1945, Italy purchased the 46 surviving P-39s at 1% of their cost but in summer 1946 many accidents occurred, even fatal ones. By 1947, 4 Stormo re-equipped with P-38s, and P-39s were sent to training units until retirement in 1951. Only a T9 cannon survives today at Vigna di Valle Museum.

The Airacobra was raced at the National Air Races in the United States after World War II. Famous versions used for racing included the twin aircraft known as "Cobra I" and "Cobra II," owned jointly between three Bell Aircraft test pilots, Chalmers "Slick" Goodlin, Alvin M. "Tex" Johnston, and Jack Woolams. These craft were extensively modified to use the more powerful P-63 Kingcobra engine and had prototype propeller blades from the Bell factory. "Cobra I" with its pilot, Jack Woolams, was lost in 1946, over the Great Lakes while he was flying from the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio back to the factory to get a fresh engine.

The "Cobra II" (Race #84) flown by famed test pilot "Tex" Johnston, beat out P-51 Mustangs and other P-39 racers, which were the favorites, to win the 1946 Thompson Trophy race. Cobra II raced again in the 1947 Thompson Trophy race, finishing 3rd. It raced yet again in the 1948 Thompson Trophy race, but was unable to finish owing to engine difficulties. Cobra II did not race again and was destroyed on August 10, 1968 during a test flight prior to a run on the world piston-engine speed record, when owner-pilot Mike Carroll lost control and crashed. Carroll and the highly-modified P-39 perished.

Mira Slovak's "Mr. Mennen" (Race #21) P-39Q Airacobra was a very fast unlimited racer - a late arrival in 1972 kept this little 2000+ hp racer out of the Reno Air Races, and it was never entered again. Its color scheme was all white with "Mennen" green and bronze trim. It is now owned and displayed by the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. The P-39Q (former USAAC serial no. 44-3908/NX40A), is painted as a P-400, "Whistlin' Britches."

In 1942, an P-39 Airacobra crashed in Fiji, but was not found until a local pig farmer discovered the wreck in 2004. The pilot's body was also found and sent to Hawaii for identification. Personal items were recovered at the site.

A number of P-39s are still in existence of which three are still flying. The Commemorative Air Force flies a Bell P-39 Airacobra painted in the markings and colors of the 350th Fighter Group, which consisted of the 345th, 346th and 347th Fighter Squadrons operating P-39s in North Africa and Italy. At one time, the Airacobra was painted in Russian colors and markings. Bell P-39Q-6-BE USAAF, serial no. 42-19993, "Brooklyn Bum- 2nd" is now at the Fighter Collection in Duxford, UK. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has P-39Q-15BE, serial no. 44-2433 on display.

Keski-Suomen Ilmailumuseo at Tikkakoski, Finland, has one restored P-39Q Airacobra, "White 26", on static display. The aircraft is originally a Soviet lend-lease plane, shot down and captured by Finnish troops in World War Two. It has been restored in the original wartime camouflage and markings.

Popular culture

  • Introduction to the P-39 (1942) Bell wartime training film (38 min) intended for military pilots examining flight techniques, cockpit layout and armament.
  • Flying the P-39 (1943) Bell Training Film No. A.F. - 110 (23 min) demonstrating techniques for piloting the P-39 including aerobatics and strafing.
  • The P-39 Airacobra is featured in the Russian movie Transit (film) (2006) (Peregon, Transit) dealing with Lend Lease aircraft in transit to Russia.

Variants

  • XP-39: first prototype, unarmed.
  • YP-39: service test version, V-1710-37 (E5) 1,090 hp engine, 12 built.
  • YP-39A: intended to have a high-altitude V-1710-31 engine (1,150 hp) but delivered as a regular YP-39, one built.
  • XP-39B: streamlined XP-39 based on NACA wind tunnel testing resulting in revised canopy and wheel door shape, oil and radiator intakes moved from right fuselage to wing roots, increased length (by 1 ft 1 in to 29 ft 9 in) and decreased wingspan (by 1 ft 10 in to 34 ft). Turbosupercharger replaced with single-stage geard supercharger, Allison V-1710-37 (E5) engine rated to 13,300 ft (4,050 m).
  • P-39C: first production version, identical to YP-39 except for V-1710-35 1,150 hp engine. Armed with 1x 37 mm cannon, 2x.50 cal and 2x.30 cal machine guns. First aircraft lacked armor and self-sealing fuel tanks.
  • P-39D: 245 lb of additional armor, self-sealing fuel tanks. Armament increased to one 37 mm cannon (with 30 rounds), two .50 cal (with 200 rounds per gun) and four .30 cal (with 1,000 rounds per gun) machine guns. Provisions for a single 250-lb, 325-lb, or 500-lb bomb under the fuselage.
  • P-39D-1: Lend-Lease version, Hispano 20 mm cannon instead of the 37 mm cannon
  • P-39D-2: Lend-Lease version, upgraded V-1710-63 (E6) engine with 1,325 hp; restored the 37 mm cannon; provisions for a single 145 US gallon drop tank under the fuselage.
  • Bell Model 14: export version, ordered by France but not delivered.
  • P-400 Airacobra I: P-39D for Royal Air Force, briefly called Caribou; Hispano 20 mm cannon (60 rounds) instead of the 37 mm cannon. A total of 200 were requisitioned by USAAF after Pearl Harbor; most were used for training, but some saw service in the Southwest Pacific.
  • XP-39E: intended for Continental I-1430-1 engine with 2,100 hp.
  • P-39F-1: Aeroproducts constant speed propeller.
  • P-39F-2: field conversion of P-39F-1 with additional belly armor and cameras in rear fuselage.
  • TP-39F: Two-seat training version, built in small numbers.
  • P-39G: intended to be a P-39D-2 with an Aeroproducts propeller. Due to modifications during production no P-39G were actually delivered. Instead, these aircraft were designated P-39K, L, M and N.
  • P-39J: P-39F with V-1710-59 1,100 hp engine with automatic boost control.
  • P-39K: A P-39D-2 with Aeroproducts propeller and V-1710-63 (E6) 1,325 hp engine; one aircraft designated P-39K-5 and fitted with a V-1710-85 (E19) engine to serve as a P-39N prototype.
  • P-39L: P-39K with Curtiss Electric propeller, revised nose gear for reduced drag, provision for underwing rockets.
  • P-39M: 11 ft 1 in Aeroproducts propeller, V-1710-67 (E8) 1,200 hp engine with improved high-altitude performance at the expense of low-altitude performance, ten mph faster than P-39L at 15,000 ft (or 4,600 m).
  • P-39N: V-1710-85 (E19) 1,200 hp engine; Aeroproducts propeller enlarged from 10 ft 4 in to 11 ft 7 in starting with 167th aircraft. The P-39N-5 had reduced armor.
  • P-39Q: wing-mounted .30 cal machine guns replaced with a single .50 cal with 300 rounds of ammunition in a pod under each wing. These wing guns were often removed on Soviet aircraft. P-39Q-21 had a four-bladed Aeroproducts propeller. The P-39Q-30 reverted to a three-bladed propeller because the four-bladed unit worsened directional stability.
  • RP-39Q: Two-seat training version, built in small numbers.
  • P-45: The P-45 was the initial designation of the P-39C or Model 13.
  • F2L: Seven P-39s were supplied to the U.S. Navy to be used as target drones.
  • XFL-1 Airabonita: One prototype for the U.S. Navy.
  • A-7: Proposed radio-controlled target drone, never built.
  • TDL: Radio-controlled target drone for the U.S. Navy.

Operators

  • Australia: RAAF.
  • France.
  • Italy.
  • Poland: (two aircraft only).
  • Portugal: Esquadrilha Airacobra (Airacobra Squadron), later renamed Esquadrilha 4 (Squadron No. 4) - Aeronáutica Militar (Army Military Aviation).
  • Soviet Union.
  • United Kingdom: RAF.
  • United States: US Army Air Corps and US Army Air Force.

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Source : Article Bell P-39 Airacobra of Wikipedia ( authors )

Bell P-39 Airacobra

  • Role : Fighter.
  • National origin : United States.
  • Manufacturer : Bell Aircraft.
  • First flight : 6 April 1938.
  • Introduction : 1941.
  • Status : Retired.
  • Primary users :
    • United States Army Air Forces.
    • Soviet Air Force.
    • Royal Air Force.
  • Produced : 1940 – May 1944.
  • Number built : 9,588.
  • Unit cost : US$50,666 (1944).
  • Variants :

    • Specifications (P-39Q Airacobra)

  • Length : 30 ft 2 in (9.2 m).
  • Height : 12 ft 5 in (3.8 m).
  • Wingspan : 34 ft (10.4 m).
  • Wing area : 213 ft² (19.8 m²).
  • Wing loading : 34.6 lb/ft² (169 kg/m²).
  • Empty weight : 5,347 lb (2,425 kg).
  • Loaded weight : 7,379 lb (3,347 kg).
  • Max. speed : 376 mph; (605 km/h; Redline dive speed = 525 mph.).
  • Range : 1,098 miles (1,770 km).
  • Service ceiling 35,000 ft (10,700 m).
  • Rate of climb : 3,750 ft/min (19 m/s).
  • Powerplant : An Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12.
  • Power : 1,200 hp (895 kW).
  • Power/mass : 0.16 hp/lb (0.27 kW/kg).
  • Armament : One 37 mm M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub at the rate of 140 rpm with 30 rounds of HE ammo. Four .50 cal machine guns : One in each wing and 2 guns synchronized in the cowl. Ammo : 200 rounds per nose-gun, 300 per wing-pod. Up to 500 lb (230 kg) of bombs externally.

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Source : Article Bell P-39 Airacobra of Wikipedia ( authors )
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Terms of use for the services available on this site

By using this Website, Users agree to the following terms of use and rules :

Definitions

  • Webmaster : Head Administrator with all authority over the management and development of the Website.
  • Administrator : Anyone that was given by the Webmaster full or partial access to the Website's structure or with moderation rights on messages posted by Users.
  • User or Visitor : Any person visiting the Website pages.
  • Website : The following provisions apply to a single Website accessible via the www.aircraftube.com, www.aircraftube.org, www.aircraftube.net and www.all-aircraft.com. URL's
  • Service : All free informations and tools contained on the Website.
  • Comments : All text written by users on Blogs and comment pages available on the Website.
  • Media : All media available on or through the Website. One must distinguish the local media (photos, curves, drawings) and the external media (videos) which the Website refers.

    • Purpose of this site

    The purpose of this non-commercial site is purely educational. Reflecting a passion, it is also there to preserve the memory of all those who gave their lives, their health or energy in the name of freedom, aviation safety or simply our passenger comfort.

    Copyright

    Some media may have escaped the vigilance of Administrators with regard to copyrights. If a user reports copyright infringement, he will be asked to prove that he is indeed the rights's owner for the concerned media. If so, his decision on the Administrator's next action will be respected: A total suppression of the Media on the Website, or the addition of some owner's reference. The publication of a media on the internet normally having as a goal to make it visible to many people, the Administrators expect in any case that the second option will be most often chosen.

    Pursuant to the Law on copyright and related rights, the user has the right to download and reproduce information on the Website for personal use and provided that the source is mentionned. They cannot however be used for commercial or advertising purposes.

    Using Blogs and filing comments

  • Moderator : The Administrator reserves the right to prevent the publication of comments that are not directly related to the Service without providing any explanation. Similarly, all insults, out of scope or unethical material will be banned.
  • Identification : Persons wishing to post a comment or use any form of contact are required to provide identification by the means of a valid e-mail address.
  • Responsibilities : Comments are posted on the Website under the unique responsability of their authors and the Administrators may in no case be liable for any statements or claims that the users might have issued.

    • As the comment system is hosted and maintained on servers external to the Website, the Administrators may in no circumstances be held responsible for the use that administrators of these servers or other third parties may have with those comments or filed data.

    Content Liability

    The Administrators carefully check the reliability of the sources used. They cannot, however, guarantee the accuracy of any information contained on the Website, partly because of the multiple sources from which they come.

    JavaScript and cookies - Storing information

    This Website imperatively uses JavaScript and cookies to function properly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Website for the retention or disclosure of personal information about Visitors. Exceptions to this rule will involve storing the Users banned for inappropriate comments they might have given as well as contact information for Users wishing to subscribe to future newsletters.

    When a user accesses the Website, the corresponding servers may automatically collect certain data, such as IP address, date and time of Website access, viewed pages and the type of browser used. This information is kept only for the purpose of measuring the number of visitors to the different sections of the site and make improvements.

    Donations - Advertising

    To continue providing the Service for free, the Webmaster reserves the right to insert advertising or promotional messages on any page of the Site. In the same idea, any donations will only by used to cover the running costs of the site, such as hosting, connection fees, hardware and software necessary for the development and maintenance of the Website.

    Links and other websites

    Administrators shall in no case be liable for the non-availability of websites operated by third parties to which users would access through the Website.

    Administrators assume no liability for any content, advertising, products and/or services available on such third party websites. It is reminded that those sites are governed by their own terms of use.

    Placing a link to third party sites or authorize a third party to include a link on their website refering to this Website does not mean that the Administrators recommend in any way the products or services offered by these websites.

    Modifications

    The Webmaster reserves the right to modify at any time without notification the present terms of use as well as all content or specific functionality that the Website offers.

    The modified terms and conditions immediately apply to the using Visitor when changes come online. Visitors are invited to consult the site regularly on the most current version of the terms and conditions

    Governing Law and Jurisdiction

    These general conditions are governed by Belgian law.

    In case of dispute regarding the interpretation and/or execution of the above terms, the parties agree that the courts of the district of Nivelles, Belgium shall have exclusive jurisdiction power.

    Credits page

    Wikipedia.org

    Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia.

    Youtube

    YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, view and share videos.

    Special thanks to all Youtube quality aviation vids providers, specially (Those I forgot, please excuse me or report) :

    Airboyd
    Andys Video
    Aviation videos archives
    Bomberguy
    Classic Aviation TV
    Historical Aviation Film Unit
    Horsemoney
    Jaglavaksoldier
    Joluqa Malta
    Just Planes
    Koksy
    Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture
    Memorial Flight
    Octane130
    Okrajoe
    SDASM archives
    Spottydog4477
    The Aviators TV
    Valentin Izagirre Bengoetxea
    Vexed123
    VonBerlich
    Zenos Warbirds

    Bundesarchiv

    The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv are the National Archives of Germany.

    FAQ

    I don't see my comments any more!

    Please note that each page has it's own comment entry. So, if you enter a comment i.e. on the B-747, you will only see it on that related page.

    General comments are accessed via the "BLOG En" button.

    Comments are moderated, so please allow some delay before they appear, specially if you are outside Europe.

    Menus are developing below the page, because they are too long!

    But they remain accessible, for example by scrolling the mouse wheel, or with your finger (on the menu) on a smartphone or tablet.

    I see adds on all videos.

    Use a good free add remover software.

    The site is loading random pages at startup.

    We think it is a good way to bring back the memory of aircraft, persons or events sometimes quite forgotten.

    HELP PAGE

    Why this site?

    Discovery

    This website is dedicated to one's aeronautical passion (which I hope we share) and was realised mainly as an educationnal tool. Knowing that, you'll notice that each new visit brings random topics for the purpose of making new discoveries, some achievements or characters certainly not deserving the oblivion into which they have sometimes fallen.

    By these pages, we also want to pay tribute to all those who gave at one time or another, their lives or health in the name of freedom, aeronautical security or simply our comfort.

    Centralisation

    Internet is full of websites dedicated to aviation, but most are dedicated to subjects or periods that are very limited in space or time. The purpose of this site is to be as general as possible and thus treats all events as well as characters of all stripes and times while putting much emphasis on the most significant achievements.

    The same years saw birth of technologies like photography and cinema, thus permitting illustration of a large part of important aeronautical events from the start. Countless (and sometimes rare) media recently put online by enthousiasts finally give us access to these treasures, but the huge amount of information often makes things a little messy. A centralization effort is obviously most needed at this level.

    All persons who directly or indirectly contributed to the achievement or posting of such documents are here gratefully acknowledged.

    General

    Fluid website

    This site automatically fits the dimensions of your screen, whether you are on a desktop computer, a tablet or a smartphone.

    Bilingual website

    You can change the language by clicking on the flag in the upper left or via "Options" in the central menu. Of course, the videos remain in the language in which they were posted ...

    Browser compatibility

    The site is not optimized, or even designed to run on older browsers or those deliberately deviating from standards. You will most probably encounter display issues with Internet Explorer. In this case, it is strongly recommended installing a modern (and free!) browser that's respecting the standards, like Firefox, Opera, Chrome or Safari.

    Cookies and Javascript

    This site uses cookies and JavaScript to function properly. Please ensure that your browser is configured accordingly. Neither of these technologies, or other means shall in no case be used on the Site for the retention or disclosure of personal information about its Visitors. See the "Legal" page for more on this subject.

    Website layout

    Left menus

    Because of the lack of space on smartphones and small tablets, these menus are hidden. Everything is nevertheless accessible via the main menu option, located between the video and photo sections. This menu is placed there for compatibility reasons with some browsers, which play the videos over the menus.

    "Search" and "Latest" :
    The link "In Titles" restricts the search to the titles of different forms. Use this option if you are looking for a plane, a constructor, a pilot or a particular event that could have been treated as a subject.

    The link "In Stories" will bring you to a search in all texts (the "Story" tab) and will take more time. The search term will appear highlighted in green when opening the corresponding story.

    Would you believe, "Timeline" will show all subjects in chronological order.

    "Random" will reload the entire page with a new random topic.

    The bottom section keeps you abreast of the latest five entries. New topics are added regularly. Don't hesitate to come visit us often : add bookmark.

    Blogs and Comments central section

    Under the photos section comes the comments tabs window :

    You can enter general comments in your own language via one of the two buttons on the left (BLOG EN and BLOG FR). Note that these buttons are accessible regardless of the language to allow some participation in the other language.

    All comments are subject to moderation and will be published only if they comply with the basic rules of decorum, while remaining relevant to the purpose of this site.

    The third tab allows you to enter comments on the shown topic and is bilingual. Personal anecdotes, supplements and other information questions will take place here.

    The "Story" tab shows the explanatory texts. They are most often taken from Wikipedia, a site where we participate regularly.

    The "Data" tab is reserved for list of features and specifications.

    Right menus

    On a smartphone, the lack of space is growing and this menu is moved to the bottom of the page to give priority to videos and pictures.

    The top right icons are links to videos posted by third parties (on their own responsabilities) or by ourselves. The link below these icons will take you to the channel of the one who posted the video. Feel free to suggest other videos if you think they are of some interest (Use the BLOG button or the "Contact" link).