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United States' Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighter1,2,3
Bell P-63 Kingcobra:
Bell P-63 Kingcobra:
Bell P-63 Kingcobra ready to be delivered to the Soviets:
Bell P-63a6 Kingcobra:
Design
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was larger and had a more powerful engine than the Bell P-39.2,3
In June 1941 the US Army Air Force ordered two prototypes to be built.1
Like the P-39 it also had tricycle landing gear, engine behind the pilot, and a door similar to a car for the pilot.1 The P-63 had a taller tail.1
The intake, right behind the cockpit glass, provided air to the carburator.1
Prototype
The first flight of the XP-63 prototype was on December 7, 1942.1,2,3 Both prototypes were lost in early accidents.1
The third prototype, XP-63A, was first flown on April 26, 1943.2
Production
Deliveries of the production version began in October 1943.1,3
- XP-63/A: 33
- P-63A: 1,7252,3
- P-63C: 1,2272,3
- P-63D: 12,3
- P-63E: 132,3
- P-63F: 12, 23
- RP-63A: 903
- RP-63C: 2003
- RP-63G: 423
- Total: 3,3001, 3,3033
Orders Cancelled
At the end of World War II orders for 2,930 P-63Es were cancelled.3
Variants
- XP-63: Had an Allison V-1710-47 engine (1,325 HP).2
- XP-63A: Was the third prototype.2 Had an Allison V-1710-93 (1,500 HP).2
- P-63A-1: Delivery started in October 1943.2
- P-63A-10:
- P-63B: Was to have a Packard-Merlin engine but was never produced.3
- P-63C: Most supplied to the Soviet Union.2
- P-63D: Larger wing and bubble canopy.2,3 Had an V-1710-109 engine.2
- P-63E: Used standard canopy of earlier models (pre P-63D).2,3 Had the V-1710-109 engine.3
- P-63F: New vertical tail surfaces.2,3 Used an V-1710-135 engine.2,3
- RP-63A: Had armor and armament removed.3 A tough aluminum skin was added to the wings, fuselage, tail, and canopy.3 Firing aircraft fired frangible bullets.3 If a hit was scored a red light on the spinner would blink giving the aircraft the nickname "Pinball."3
- RP-63C: Had armor and armament removed.3 A tough aluminum skin was added to the wings, fuselage, tail, and canopy.3 Firing aircraft fired frangible bullets.3 If a hit was scored a red light on the spinner would blink giving the aircraft the nickname "Pinball."3
- RP-63G: Had armor and armament removed.3 A tough aluminum skin was added to the wings, fuselage, tail, and canopy.3 Firing aircraft fired frangible bullets.3 If a hit was scored a red light on the spinner would blink giving the aircraft the nickname "Pinball."3
Usage
Countries Using P-63s
France, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and the United States used the P-63.3 However, the United States never used it in combat, only as a trainer or a target aircraft.1,3
The US Army Air Force decided it was advanced enough and around 2,400 / 2,4213 P-63s were shipped to Russia.1,3 Around 300 went to the Free French forces.1,3 One was sent to the RAF.1
Korea
There were some reports by United Nations' pilots that they encountered P-63s flown by North Koreans.1
| Bell P-63 Kingcobra3 | Bell P-63A Kingcobra1 | Bell P-63A-1 Kingcobra2 | Bell P-63A-10 Kingcobra2 | Bell P-63C Kingcobra3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Fighter bomber3 Manned target3 |
Fighter1 Ground Attack1 |
Fighter bomber2 | ||
| Crew | 13 | 11 | |||
| Engine (Type) | Allison V-1710-931,3 | Allison V-1710-1173 | |||
| Cylinders | V 121,3 | ||||
| Cooling | Liquid1 | ||||
| HP | 1,3251,3 | 1,5103 | |||
| Propeller blades | 43 | 41 | |||
| Dimensions | |||||
| Span | 38' 4"3 11.68 m3 |
38' 4"1 11.68 m1 |
38' 4"2 11.68 m2 |
||
| Length | 32' 8"3 9.95 m3 |
32' 8"1 9.96 m1 |
32' 8"2 9.96 m2 |
||
| Height | 12' 7"3 3.83 m3 |
12' 7"1 3.84 m1 |
12' 7"2 3.83 m2 |
||
| Wing area | 248ft2 1 23.04 m2 1 |
248 ft2 2 23.04 m2 2 |
|||
| Weight | |||||
| Empty | 6,375 lb3, 6,932 lb1 2,892 kg1,3 |
6,375 lb2 2,892 kg2 |
|||
| Loaded | 10,479 lb1, 10,500 lb3 4,763 kg1,3 |
10,500 lb2 4,763 kg2 |
|||
| Performance | |||||
| Speed @ 5,000' / 1,524 m |
361 mph2 581 kph2 |
||||
| Speed @ 24,450' / 7,450 m |
408 mph3 656 kph3 |
||||
| Speed @ 25,000' / 7,620 m |
409 mph1 660 kph1 |
410 mph2 660 kph2 |
|||
| Cruising speed | 377 mph1 608 kph1 |
||||
| Climb to 25,000' / 7,620 m |
7.3 minutes3 | ||||
| Service ceiling | 43,0003, 43,200'1 13,105 m3, 13,106 m1 |
||||
| Range | 450 miles1,3 724 km1,3 |
||||
| Range with external tanks @ 177 mph / 285 kph @ 10,000' / 3,048 m |
2,200 miles2 3,540 km2 |
||||
| Armament | |||||
| Through propeller hub | 37 mm3 | 37 mm1 30 rounds1 |
37 mm M42 | ||
| Nose | 2: 0.5" MG3 | 2: 12.7 mm1 | 2: 12.7 mm MG2 | ||
| Wings | 2: 12.7 mm MG2 | ||||
| Under wing | 2: 0.5" MG3 | 6 rockets1 | |||
| Bombs | 3: 500 lb3 3: 227 kg3 |
520 lb1 237 kg1 |
3: 500 lb2 3: 226.8 kg2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- The Great Book of Fighters, William Green, Gordon Swanborough, 1994
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
