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United States' Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter^1,2,3,4,5

Bell P-39 Airacobra:

Bell P-39 Airacobra used by the Soviets:

Bell P-63 Kingcobra and Bell P-39 Airacobra used by the Soviets:

Design

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was designed around the 37 mm T-9 cannon that was demonstrated in 1935.^2,4,5

Engine

By using this gun the engine had to be placed in the middle of the fuselage and the drive shaft ran under the pilot's seat.^1,2,3,4,5

Landing Gear

It also had a tricycle undercarriage which was a first for a operational fighter.^1,4

Cockpit

The P-39's pilot was well protected by armor.¹ The cockpit door opened similarly to a car door.¹

Prototype

The XP-39 made it's first flight on April 6, 1938³ / April 6, 1939^1,2,5.⁴

Production

Production went on until May 1944.⁴

• XP-39: 1⁴
• XP-39E: 3⁴
• YP-39: 13⁴
• P-39C: 20^3,4
• P-39D: 923⁴
• Airacobra I: 497⁴
• P-39J: 25³, 29⁴
• P-39K: 210⁴
• P-39L: 250⁴
• P-39M: 240⁴
• P-39N: 2,095^3,4
• P-39N and P-39Q: 2,095²
• P-39Q: 4,905^3,4
• P-49F: 229⁴
• P-400: 179⁴
• Total: 9,558^1,2,3,5, 9,594⁴

Variants

• Naval XFL-1: Naval variant with a tail wheel and arrester hook. Wasn't successful in trials.¹
• V-Tail: Experimental tail that had combined elevator and rudder functions.¹ Reduced the P-39's handling.¹
• XP-39: Prototype.^2,5
• XP-39E: It had a square tail which was similar to a P-51.¹ Powered by an Allison V-1710-47.¹ Had laminated flow wings.^3,4
• YP-39: Thirteen were built for evaluation.³ Had an engine mounted 37 mm cannon, two fuselage mounted 12.7 mm guns, and two wing mounted 7.62 mm.³
• P-39C: Initial production model that was basically the same as the YP-39.³
• P-39D: Production model that entered service in 1941^2,4,5 / February 1942³. Used Curtis propellar.² Added self sealing fuel tanks, and two more wing mounted 7.62 mm MGs.³
• P-39D-1 / Airacobra I: Used a 20 mm M1 instead of the 37 mm M4.³
• P-39D-2: Used V-1710-63 (1,325 HP) engine.³
• P-39F: Used Aeroproducts propellar.^2,5
• P-39J: Used V-1710-59 engine.^2,3,5 1,100 HP.³
• P-39K: Used V-1710-63 engine.^2,5 Used the Aeroproducts propellar.⁵
• P-39L: Used V-1710-63 engine with Curtis propellar.^2,5 New nosewheel.³
• P-39M: Used V-1710-83 engine and a large diameter propellar.^2,3,5 1,200 HP.³ Started to be used in November 1942.³
• P-39N: Used V-1710-85 engine.^2,3,5 1,200 HP.³
• P-39Q: Used V-1710-85 engine.^2,5 Wing guns were removed and 12.7 mm MGs were mounted beneath the wings.³

Usage

Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and the United States used the P-39.⁴

French Order

France ordered some P-39s but they were taken over by the United Kingdom.⁴

Royal Air Force Disappointed

The RAF tested the P-39 but it didn't perform up to the standards of the British fighters at the time.¹ However, 675 were ordered, but only the No. 601 Squadron^2,5 received them.¹ 250 of them were sent to the Soviet Union.⁴

Fighting With the United States

The United States needed to use any available fighters against Japan in 1942 and 1943 and in the early combat in the Middle East.¹

The first combat was in April 1942 against the Japanese.⁵

"Shaving" With the Soviet Union

Approximately 5,000 (4,773^2,5) were supplied to the Russians and they were nick named "Shaving" as it was slang for ground strafing.¹ It was well liked for its ability to destroy German vehicles.¹

Free French and Italian Co-Belligerent

Some French and Italian pilots (of the Italian co-belligerent Air Force in 1944) also flew the P-39.¹

Australians

The Australians used 22 P-39s.⁴⁴

	Bell XP-393	Bell P-39 Airacobra1	Bell P-39D Airacobra3	Bell P-39N Airacobra2,5	Bell P-39Q Airacobra4
Type		Fighter1 Fighter bomber4		Fighter2,5
Crew		11,4		12,5
Engine (Type)	Allison V-1710-173	Allison V-1710-631	Allison V-1710-354	Allison V-1710-854 piston2,5
Cylinders	123		V 124	Inline2 V 125
Cooling	Liquid3	Liquid1
HP	1,1503	1,2001	1,1504	1,2002,4
Propeller blades				34
Dimensions
Span		34'1,4 10.36 m1,4	34'3 10.36 m3	34'2,5 10.36 m2,5
Length		30'1, 30' 2"4 9.19 m1,4	30' 2"3 9.19 m3	30' 2"2,5 9.19 m2,5
Height		11' 10"4, 12'1 3.6 m4, 3.78 m1	11' 10"3 3.6 m3	12' 5"2,5 3.78 m2,5
Wing area		213 ft2 1 19.79 m2 1	213 ft2 3 19.79 m2 3	213 ft2 2,3 19.79 m2 2,3
Weight
Empty		5,645 lb1 2,566 kg1	5,462 lb3 2,477 kg3	5,657 lb2,5 2,566 kg2,5	5,645 lb4 2,560 kg4
Loaded		8,145 lb1 3,702 kg1	8,850 lb3 4,014 kg3	8,200 lb2,5 3,720 kg2,5	8,300 lb4 3,765 kg4
Performance
Speed		400 mph1 642 kph1
Speed @ 5,000' / 1,524 m			335 mph3 539 kph3
Speed @ 9,700' / 2,955 m				399 mph2,5 642 kph2,5
Speed @ 11,000' / 3,350 m					385 mph4 620 kph4
Speed @ 13,800' / 4,200 m			368 mph4 592 kph4
Speed @ 15,000' / 4,572 m			360 mph3 579 kph3
Climb to 15,000' / 4,570 m				3.8 minutes2,5	4.5 minutes4
Climb to 15,000' / 4,575 m			5.7 minutes4
Service ceiling		38,500'1 11,735 m1	32,100'4 9,785 m4	38,500'2,5 11,735 m2,5	35,000'4 10,670 m4
Range		750 miles1 1,207 km1	800 miles4 1,287 km4	750 miles2,5 1,207 km2,5	650 miles4 1,046 km4
Range - internal @ 300 mph / 483 kph @ 25,000' / 7,620 m			450 miles3 724 km3
Armament
Propeller hub		1: 37 mm M41 30 rounds1	1: 37 mm4	1: 37 mm2,4,5
Nose		2: 12.7 mm1	2: 0.5"4	2: 12.7 mm2,4,5
Wings		4: 7.62 mm MG1	2 or 4: 0.3" MG4	4: 7.62 mm MG2,5 2 or 4: 0.3" MG4
Under wing					2: 12.7 mm1,4
Bombs - under fuselage		500 lb1 227 kg1		1: 500 lb2,5 1: 227 kg2,5
Bombs			1: 500 lb4 1: 227 kg4	1: 500 lb4 1: 227 kg4

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. The Great Book of Fighters, William Green, Gordon Swanborough, 1994
4. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
5. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, General Editor Chris Bishop, 1998

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