The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a
fighter produced by
Bell Aircraft
The Bell Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer, a builder of several types of fighter aircraft for World War II but most famous for the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft, and for the development and production of many ...
for the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
entered combat. The P-39 was used by the
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
, and enabled individual Soviet pilots to collect the highest number of kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type flown by any air force in any conflict. Other major users of the type included the
Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
, the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
, and the
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force.
[Gunston 1980, p. 22.]
It had an unusual layout, with the engine installed in the center fuselage, behind the pilot, and driving a
tractor propeller
In aviation, the term tractor configuration refers to an aircraft constructed in the standard configuration with its engine mounted with the propeller in front of it so that the aircraft is "pulled" through the air. Oppositely, the pusher co ...
in the nose with a long shaft. It was also the first fighter fitted with a
tricycle undercarriage
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle ge ...
.
[Angelucci and Matricardi 1978, p. 25.] Although its mid-engine placement was innovative, the P-39 design was handicapped by the absence of an efficient
turbo-supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
, preventing it from performing high-altitude work. For this reason it was rejected by the RAF for use over western Europe but adopted by the USSR, where most air combat took place at medium and lower altitudes.
Together with the derivative
P-63 Kingcobra
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...
, the P-39 was one of the most successful fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Bell.
Design and development
Circular Proposal X-609
In February 1937, Lieutenant
Benjamin S. Kelsey
Benjamin Scovill Kelsey (March 9, 1906 – March 3, 1981) was an American aeronautical engineer and test pilot. Serving as America's chief fighter projects officer, he helped bring success in World War II to the United States Army Air Forces ...
, Project Officer for Fighters at the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
(USAAC), and Captain
Gordon P. Saville
Gordon Philip Saville (September 14, 1902 – January 31, 1984). Retrieved on November 19, 2009. was a United States Air Force major general who was the top authority on US air defense from 1940 to 1951. Blunt and direct in manner, Saville had be ...
, fighter tactics instructor at the
Air Corps Tactical School
The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. C ...
, issued a specification for a new fighter via Circular Proposal X-609. It was a request for a single-engine high-altitude "
interceptor
Interceptor may refer to:
Vehicles
* Interceptor aircraft (or simply "interceptor"), a type of point defense fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft
* Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, a police car
* ...
" having "the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude". Despite being called an interceptor, the proposed aircraft's role was simply an extension of the traditional
pursuit (fighter) role, using a heavier and more powerful aircraft at higher altitude. Specifications called for at least of heavy armament including a cannon, a liquid-cooled Allison engine with a
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
turbo-supercharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
,
tricycle landing gear
Tricycle gear is a type of aircraft undercarriage, or ''landing gear'', arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has a single nose wheel in the front, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity. Tricycle g ...
, a level airspeed of at least at altitude, and a climb to within 6 minutes.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
'. Retrieved: 21 January 2007. This was the most demanding set of fighter specifications USAAC had presented to that date. Although Bell's limited fighter design work had previously resulted in the unusual
Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
The Bell YFM-1 Airacuda was an American heavy fighter aircraft, developed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation during the mid-1930s. It was the first military aircraft produced by Bell. Originally designated the Bell Model 1, the Airacuda first fle ...
, the Model 12
[Donald 1997, p. 106.] proposal adopted an equally original configuration with an
Allison V-12 engine mounted in the middle of the
fuselage
The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
, just behind the cockpit, and a propeller driven by a shaft passing beneath the pilot's feet under the cockpit floor.
![Bell XP-39](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Bell_XP-39.jpg)
The main purpose of this configuration was to free up space for a 37 mm
Browning Arms Company
Browning Arms Company (originally John Moses and Matthew Sandefur Browning Company) is an American marketer of firearms and fishing gear. The company was founded in Ogden, Utah, in 1878 by brothers John Moses Browning (1855–1926) and ...
T9 cannon
A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...
, later produced by
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
, firing through the center of the propeller hub for optimum accuracy and stability. This happened because H.M. Poyer, designer for project leader Robert Woods, was impressed by the power of this weapon and pressed for its incorporation. This was unusual, because fighter design had previously been driven by the intended engine, not the 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 that it created a smooth and streamlined nose profile. Much was made of the fact that this resulted in a configuration "with as trim and clean a fuselage nose as the snout of a high velocity bullet". 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 drive shaft caused some concern to pilots 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 propeller shaft failure.
XP-39 developments
The XP-39 made its maiden flight on 6 April 1938.
at
Wright Field
Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. Loca ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, achieving at , reaching this altitude in only five minutes. However, the XP-39 was found to be short on performance at altitude. Flight testing had found its top speed at to be lower than the of the original proposal.
As originally specified by Kelsey and Saville, the XP-39 had a turbo-supercharger to augment its high-altitude performance. Bell cooled the turbo with a scoop on the left side of the fuselage. Kelsey wished to shepherd the XP-39 through its early engineering teething troubles, but he was 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
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
to be evaluated in
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
wind tunnels to find ways of increasing its speed, by reducing parasitic drag.
[Pearcy 1993, p. 25.] Tests were carried out, and Bell engineers followed the recommendations of NACA and the Army to reduce drag such that the top speed was increased 16%.
[ NACA wrote, "it is imperative to enclose the supercharger within the airplane with an efficient duct system for cooling the rotor and discharging the cooling air and exhaust gases."][ In the very tightly planned XP-39, though, there was no internal space left over for the turbo. Using a drag-buildup scheme, a number of potential areas of drag reduction were found. NACA concluded that a top speed of could be realized with the aerodynamic improvements they had developed and an uprated V-1710 with only a single-stage, single-speed supercharger.
At a pivotal meeting with the USAAC and NACA in August 1939, Larry Bell proposed that the production P-39 aircraft be configured without the turbocharger. Some historians have questioned Bell's true motivation in reconfiguring the aircraft. The strongest hypothesis is that Bell's factory did not have an active production program and he was desperate for cash flow. Other historians mention that wind tunnel tests made the designers believe the turbocharger installation was so aerodynamically cluttered that it had more disadvantages than advantages.
The Army ordered 12 YP-39s (with only a single-stage, single-speed supercharger) for service evaluation][Donald 1997] and one YP-39A. After these trials were complete, which resulted in detail changes including deletion of the external radiator,[Fitzsimons 1977, p. 50.] and on advice from NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
, the prototype was modified as the XP-39B; after demonstrating a performance improvement, the 13 YP-39s were completed to this standard, adding two machine guns to the two existing guns. Lacking armor or self-sealing fuel tanks, the prototype was lighter than the production fighters.
The production P-39 retained a single-stage, single-speed supercharger with a critical altitude (above which performance declined) of about . As a result, the aircraft was simpler to produce and maintain. However, the removal of the turbo destroyed any chance that the P-39 could serve as a high-altitude front-line fighter. When deficiencies were noticed in 1940 and 1941, the lack of a turbo made it nearly impossible to improve upon the Airacobra's performance. The removal of the turbocharger and its drag-inducing inlet cured the drag problem but reduced performance overall.[ In later years, Kelsey expressed regret at not being present to override the decision to eliminate the turbo.
After completing service trials, and originally designated P-45, a first order for 80 aircraft was placed 10 August 1939; the designation reverted to P-39C before deliveries began. After assessing aerial combat conditions in Europe, it was evident that without armor or self-sealing tanks, the 20 production P-39Cs were not suitable for operational use. The remaining 60 machines in the order were built as P-39Ds with armor, self-sealing tanks and enhanced armament. These P-39Ds were the first Airacobras to enter into service with the Army Air Corps units and would be the first ones to see action.]
Technical details
The P-39 was an all-metal, low-wing, single-engine fighter, with a tricycle undercarriage and an Allison V-1710
The Allison V-1710 aircraft engine designed and produced by the Allison Engine Company was the only US-developed V-12 liquid-cooled engine to see service during World War II. Versions with a turbocharger gave excellent performance at high a ...
liquid-cooled V-12 engine mounted in the central fuselage, directly behind the cockpit.
The Airacobra was one of the first production fighters to be conceived as a "weapons system"; in this case the aircraft (known originally as the Bell Model 4) was designed to provide a platform for the 37 mm T9 cannon.[Bowers 1978, p. 24.] This weapon, which was designed in 1934 by the American Armament Corporation, a division of Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
, fired a projectile capable of piercing of armor at with armor-piercing
Armour-piercing ammunition (AP) is a type of projectile designed to penetrate either body armour or vehicle armour.
From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armour-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armour carried on many warsh ...
rounds. The 90-inch-long (2.3 m), 200 lb (90 kg) weapon had to be rigidly mounted and fire parallel to and close to the centerline of the new fighter. It would have been impossible to mount the weapon in the fuselage, firing through the cylinder banks of the Vee-configured engine and the propeller hub as could be done with smaller 20 mm cannon. Weight, balance and visibility considerations meant that the cockpit could not be placed farther back in the fuselage, behind the engine and cannon. The solution adopted was to mount the cannon in the forward fuselage and the engine in the center fuselage, directly behind the pilot's seat. The tractor propeller was driven with a drive shaft made in two sections, incorporating a self-aligning bearing to accommodate fuselage deflection during violent maneuvers. This shaft ran through a tunnel in the cockpit floor and was connected to a gearbox in the nose of the fuselage which, in turn, drove the three- or (later) four-bladed propeller by way of a short central shaft. The gearbox was provided with its own lubrication system, separate from the engine; in later versions of the Airacobra the gearbox was provided with some armor protection. The glycol
A diol is a chemical compound containing two hydroxyl groups ( groups). An Aliphatic compound, aliphatic diol is also called a glycol. This pairing of functional groups is pervasive, and many subcategories have been identified.
The most common ...
-cooled radiator was fitted in the wing center section, immediately beneath the engine; this was flanked on either side by a single drum-shaped oil cooler. Air for the radiator and oil coolers was drawn in through intakes in both wing-root leading edges and was directed via four ducts to the radiator faces. The air was then exhausted through three controllable hinged flaps near the trailing edge of the center section. Air for the carburetor
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
was drawn in through a raised oval intake immediately aft of the rear canopy.[Green and Swanborough 1977, pp. 8–9.]
The fuselage structure was unusual and innovative, being based on a strong central keel that incorporated the armament, cockpit, and engine. Two strong fuselage beams to port and starboard formed the basis of the structure. These angled upwards fore and aft to create mounting points for the T9 cannon and propeller reduction gearbox and for the engine and accessories respectively. A strong arched bulkhead provided the main structural attachment point for the main spar of the wing. This arch incorporated a fireproof panel and an armor plate between the engine and the cockpit. It also incorporated a turnover pylon and a pane of bullet-resistant glass behind the pilot's head. The arch also formed the basis of the cockpit housing; the pilot's seat was attached to the forward face as was the cockpit floor. Forward of the cockpit the fuselage nose was formed from large removable covers. A long nose wheel well was incorporated in the lower nose section. The engine and accessories were attached to the rear of the arch and the main structural beams; these too were covered using large removable panels. A conventional semi-monocoque rear fuselage was attached aft of the main structure.
Because the pilot was above the extension shaft, he was placed higher in the fuselage than in most contemporary fighters, which, in turn gave the pilot a good field of view. Access to the cockpit was by way of sideways opening "car doors", one on either side. Both had wind-down windows. As only the right-hand door had a handle both inside and outside this was used as the normal means of access and egress. The left-hand door could be opened only from the outside and was for emergency use, although both doors could be jettisoned. In operational use, as the roof was fixed, the cockpit design made escape difficult in an emergency.
The complete armament fit consisted of the T9 cannon with a pair of Browning M2 machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
s mounted in the nose. This changed to two .50 caliber and two guns in the XP-39B (P-39C, Model 13, the first 20 delivered) and two .50s and four .30s (all four in the wings) in the P-39D (Model 15), which also introduced self-sealing tanks and shackles (and piping) for a bomb or drop tank.
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 of armor, were characteristic of this aircraft as well. The production P-39's heavier weight combined with the Allison engine with only a single-stage, single-speed supercharger, limited high-altitude performance, which was markedly inferior to contemporary European fighters and, as a result, the first USAAF fighter units in the European Theater
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 and ending with the ...
were equipped with the Spitfire V
Supermarine Spitfire variants powered by early model Rolls-Royce Merlin engines mostly utilised single-speed, single-stage superchargers. The British Supermarine Spitfire was the only Allied fighter aircraft of the Second World War to fi ...
. However, the P-39D's roll rate was 75°/s at – better than the A6M2
The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M w ...
, F4F
The Grumman F4F Wildcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft that entered service in 1940 with the United States Navy, and the British Royal Navy where it was initially known as the Martlet. First used by the Bri ...
, or P-38
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
up to .
Above the supercharger's peak altitude of about , performance dropped off rapidly, limiting usefulness in traditional fighter missions in Europe as well as in the Pacific, where it was not uncommon for Japanese bombers to attack from above the P-39's ceiling (which in the tropical heat was lower than in cooler climates). The late production N and Q models, which made up 75% of Airacobras built, could maintain a top speed of up to .
Weight distribution could result in it entering a dangerous flat spin, a characteristic Soviet test pilots demonstrated to the skeptical manufacturer, which had been unable to reproduce the effect. It was determined the spin could only be induced if the aircraft was flown with no ammunition in the nose. The flight manual noted a need to ballast the front ammunition compartment to achieve a reasonable center of gravity
In physics, the center of mass of a distribution of mass in space (sometimes referred to as the balance point) is the unique point where the weight function, weighted relative position (vector), position of the distributed mass sums to zero. Thi ...
. High-speed controls were light, consequently high-speed turns and pull-outs were possible. The P-39 had to be held in a dive since it tended to level out and the recommended never-exceed dive speed limit (Vne
In aviation, V-speeds are standard terms used to define airspeeds important or useful to the operation of all aircraft. These speeds are derived from data obtained by aircraft designers and manufacturers during flight testing for aircraft type- ...
) was .
Soon after entering service, pilots began to report that "during flights of the P-39 in certain maneuvers, it tumbled end over end." Most of these events happened after the aircraft was stalled in a nose high attitude with considerable power applied. Bell pilots made 86 separate efforts to reproduce the reported tumbling characteristics. In no case were they able to tumble it. In his autobiography veteran test and airshow pilot R.A. "Bob" Hoover provides an account of tumbling a P-39. He goes on to say that in hindsight, he was actually performing a ''Lomcovak A Lomcovák (or incorrectly spelled Lomcevak) is a family of extreme aerobatic maneuvers where the aircraft, with almost no forward speed, rotates on chosen axes due to the gyroscopic precession and torque of the rotating propeller. '', a now-common airshow maneuver, which he was also able to do in a Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
. A study of its spinning characteristics was conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center
The Langley Research Center (LaRC or NASA Langley), located in Hampton, Virginia, Hampton, Virginia, United States, United States of America, is the oldest of NASA's NASA facilities#List of field centers, field centers. It directly borders Langle ...
Free-Spinning Tunnel during the 1970s. A study of old reports showed that during earlier tests the aircraft never tumbled. However, it was noted that all testing had been done with a simulated full ammunition load, which moved the center of gravity forward. After finding the original spin test model of the P-39 in storage, the new study first duplicated the earlier tests, with consistent results. Then, the model was re-ballasted to simulate a condition with no ammunition load, which moved the aircraft's center of gravity aft. Under these conditions, the model was found to tumble.
The rear-mounted engine was less likely to be hit when attacking ground targets, but was vulnerable to attacks from above and behind. At its upper altitude limits, the Airacobra was out-performed by many enemy aircraft.
Service and versions
In September 1940, Britain ordered 386 P-39Ds (Model 14), with a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404
The HS.404 is an autocannon originally designed and produced by Spanish/French company Hispano-Suiza in the mid-1930s. It was widely used as an aircraft, naval and land-based weapon by French, British, American and other military services, p ...
and six instead of a 37 mm cannon and six .30 caliber guns. The RAF eventually ordered 675 P-39s. However, after the first Airacobras arrived at 601 Squadron RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
in September 1941, they were found to have an inadequate rate of climb and performance at altitude for Western European conditions. Only 80 were operated, all by 601 Squadron. Britain transferred about 200 P-39s to the Soviet Union.
Another 200 examples intended for the RAF were taken up by the USAAF
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
after the attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
as the P-400, and were sent to the Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
in Australia, for service in the South West Pacific Theatre
The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...
.
By the date of the Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
attack, nearly 600 P-39s had been built. When P-39 production ended in August 1944, Bell had built 9,558 Airacobras, of which 4,773 (mostly −39N and −39Q) were sent to the Soviet Union through the Lend-Lease program
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
. There were numerous minor variations in engine, propeller, 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
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
as radio-controlled drones.
Trials of a laminar flow
In fluid dynamics, laminar flow is characterized by fluid particles following smooth paths in layers, with each layer moving smoothly past the adjacent layers with little or no mixing. At low velocities, the fluid tends to flow without lateral mi ...
wing (in the XP-39E) and Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continent, the major landmasses of Earth
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (al ...
IV-1430 engine (the P-76) were unsuccessful. The mid-engine, gun-through-hub concept was developed further in the Bell P-63 Kingcobra
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...
.
A naval version with tailwheel landing gear, the XFL-1 Airabonita
The Bell XFL Airabonita was an American experimental carrier-based interceptor aircraft developed for the United States Navy by Bell Aircraft Corporation of Buffalo, New York. It was similar to and a parallel development of the U.S. Army Air Corp ...
, was ordered as a competitor to the Vought F4U Corsair
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...
and Grumman XF5F Skyrocket
The Grumman XF5F Skyrocket was a prototype twin-engined shipboard fighter interceptor. The United States Navy ordered one prototype, model number G-34, from Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation on 30 June 1938; its designation was XF5F-1. T ...
. It first flew 13 May 1940, but after a troublesome and protracted development and testing period, it was rejected.
Operational history
The Airacobra saw combat throughout the world, particularly in the Southwest Pacific, Mediterranean and Soviet theaters. Because its engine was equipped with only a single-stage, single-speed supercharger, the P-39 performed poorly above altitude. In both western Europe and the Pacific, the Airacobra found itself outclassed as an interceptor and the type was gradually relegated to other duties. It often was used at lower altitudes for such missions as ground strafing.
United Kingdom
In 1940, the British Direct Purchase Commission in the U.S. 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 British armament was two nose-mounted .50 caliber machine guns and four .303 caliber Browning machine guns in the wings. The 37 mm gun was replaced by a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannon.
British expectations had been set by performance figures established by the unarmed and unarmored XP-39 prototype. The British production contract stated that a maximum speed of +/- 4% was required at rated altitude.[Matthews 1996, p. 120.] In acceptance testing, actual production aircraft were found to be capable of only at . To enable the aircraft to make the guarantee speed, a variety of drag-reduction modifications were developed by Bell. The areas of the elevator and rudder were reduced by 14.2% and 25.2% respectively. Modified fillets were installed in the tail area. The canopy glass was faired to its frame with putty. The gun access doors on the wing had been seen to bulge in flight, so they were replaced with thicker aluminum sheet. Similarly, the landing gear doors deflected open by as much as two inches at maximum speed, so a stronger linkage was installed to hold them flush. The cooling air exit from the oil and coolant radiators was reduced in area to match the exit velocity to the local flow. New engine exhaust stacks, deflected to match the local flow and with nozzles to increase thrust augmentation, were installed. The machine gun ports were faired over, the antenna mast was removed, a single-piece engine cowling was installed and an exhaust stack fairing was added.
The airframe was painted with 20 coats of primer, with extensive sanding between coats. Standard camouflage was applied and sanded to remove the edges between the colors. Additionally, about of weight was removed, making it lighter than normal ( gross). After these modifications, the second production aircraft ( serial ''AH 571'') reached a speed of at in flight test. As this speed was within 1% of the guarantee, the aircraft was declared to have satisfied contractual obligations. Despite the success of these modifications, none were applied to other production P-39s. Later testing of a standard production P-400 by the British Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its work ...
(A&AEE) revealed a top speed of only .
The British export models were renamed "Airacobra" in 1941. A further 150 were specified for delivery under Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
in 1941 but these were not supplied. The Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) took delivery in mid-1941 and found that 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
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
and Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
and its performance at altitude suffered drastically. Tests by the Royal Aircraft Establishment
The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) was a British research establishment, known by several different names during its history, that eventually came under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), bef ...
at Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Def ...
showed the Airacobra reached at . The cockpit layout was criticized, and it was noted that the pilot would have difficulty in bailing out in an emergency because the cockpit roof could not be jettisoned. The lack of a clear vision panel on the windscreen assembly meant that in the event of heavy rain the pilot's forward view would be obliterated; the pilot's notes advised that in this case the door windows would have to be lowered and the speed reduced to On the other hand, it was considered effective for low level fighter and ground attack work. Problems with gun- and exhaust-flash suppression and the compass could be fixed.
No. 601 Squadron RAF
Number 601 (County of London) Squadron is a squadron of the RAF Reserves, based in London. The squadron took part in the Battle of Britain, during which the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of the squadron.
Reactivated in 2017 ...
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 a combination of poor serviceability and deep distrust of this unfamiliar fighter resulted in the RAF rejecting the type after one combat mission. In March 1942, the unit 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, the sole exception being ''AH574
''AH574'' was a Bell Airacobra I used by the Royal Navy for test work during and after the Second World War
Initial history
''AH574'' was initially ordered in 1940 for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as part of the Airacobra I serial number block ...
'', which was passed to the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
and used for experimental work, including the first carrier landing by a tricycle undercarriage aircraft on 4 April 1945 on , until it was scrapped on the recommendation of a visiting Bell test pilot in March 1946.
U.S. Army Air Forces
Pacific
The United States requisitioned 200 of the aircraft being manufactured for the UK, adopting them as P-400s (named for the advertised top speed of ). After the attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
, the P-400 was deployed to training units, but some saw combat in the Southwest Pacific including with the Cactus Air Force
Cactus Air Force refers to the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal August 1942 until December 1942 during the early stages of the Guadalcanal Campaign, particularly those operating from Henderson Field. The term " ...
in the Battle of Guadalcanal
The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, was a military campaign fought between 7 August 1942 and 9 February 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the ...
. Though outclassed by Japanese fighter aircraft, it performed well in strafing and bombing runs, often proving deadly in ground attacks on Japanese forces trying to retake Henderson Field. Guns salvaged from P-39s were sometimes fitted to Navy PT boat
A PT boat (short for patrol torpedo boat) was a motor torpedo boat used by the United States Navy in World War II. It was small, fast, and inexpensive to build, valued for its maneuverability and speed but hampered at the beginning of the wa ...
s to increase firepower. Pacific pilots often complained about problems of performance and unreliable armament, but by the end of 1942, the P-39 units of the Fifth Air Force had claimed about 80 Japanese aircraft, with a similar number of P-39s lost. Fifth and Thirteenth Air Force P-39s did not score more aerial victories in the Solomons due to the aircraft's limited range and poor high altitude performance.
Airacobras first fought Japanese Zeros on 30 April 1942 in a low level action near Lae, New Guinea. From May to August 1942 combat between Airacobras and Zeros took place on a regular basis over New Guinea. Compilation of combat reports indicates the Zero was either equal to or close to the P-39 in speed at the altitudes of the various low level encounters.
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
Kuluk Bay also known as Khulukh Bay is a small bay located at on the northeastern side of Adak Island, one of the larger Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands. The bay is significant for its ecology, role in the Second World War, and various ...
on the barren island of Adak in Alaska's Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands (; ; ale, Unangam Tanangin,”Land of the Aleuts", possibly from Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', "island"), also called the Aleut Islands or Aleutic Islands and known before 1867 as the Catherine Archipelago, are a cha ...
. They attacked the Japanese forces that had invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the Aleutians in June 1942. The factor that claimed the most lives was not the Japanese but the weather. The low clouds, heavy mist and fog, driving rain, snow, and high winds made flying dangerous and lives miserable. The 57th remained in Alaska until November 1942, then returned to the United States.
While Lt. Bill Fiedler was the only American pilot to become an ace in a P-39, many later U.S. aces scored one or two of their victories in the type. The Airacobra's low-altitude performance was good and its firepower was impressive; regardless, it soon became a joke in the Pacific Theatre that a P-400 was a P-40 with a Zero on its tail.
Mediterranean
In North Africa, the 99th Fighter Squadron
The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...
(also known as the Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...
) transitioned quickly from the P-40 and were assigned P-39s in February 1944, but only flew the type for a few weeks. The 99th carried out their duties including supporting Operation Shingle
The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The ope ...
over Anzio
Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.
Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a Port, fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine I ...
as well as missions over the Gulf of Naples
The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9.3 mi) gulf located along the south-western coast of Italy (province of Naples, Campania region). It opens to the west into the Mediterranean Sea. It i ...
in the Airacobra but achieved few aerial victories.
The major MTO P-39 operators included the 81st and 350th Fighter Group
The 350th Fighter Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Force formed in 1942 and inactivated in 1945. The fighter group consisted of 345th Fighter Squadron, 345th, 346th Fighter Squadron, 346th and 347th Fighter Squadron. The ...
s, both flying the maritime patrol mission from North Africa and on through Italy. The 81st transferred to the China Burma India Theater
China Burma India Theater (CBI) was the United States military designation during World War II for the China and Southeast Asian or India–Burma (IBT) theaters. Operational command of Allied forces (including U.S. forces) in the CBI was officia ...
by March 1944 and the 350th began transition to the P-47D in August 1944, remaining in Italy with the 12th Air Force.
Soviet Union
The most successful and numerous use of the P-39 was by the Red Air Force
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
(''Военно-воздушные силы'', ''Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily'', ''VVS''). They received the considerably improved N and Q models via the Alaska-Siberia ferry route. The tactical environment of the Eastern Front did not demand the high-altitude performance the RAF and AAF did. The comparatively low-speed, low-altitude nature of most air combat on the Eastern Front suited the P-39's strengths: sturdy construction, reliable radio gear, and adequate firepower.
Soviet pilots appreciated the cannon-armed P-39 primarily for its air-to-air capability. A common Western misconception is that the Bell fighters were used as ground attack aircraft. This is because the Soviet term for the mission of the P-39, ''prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk'' (coverage of ground forces) is commonly translated ''ground support'', but is often taken to mean close air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...
. In Soviet usage, it has a broader meaning. Soviet-operated P-39s did make strafing attacks, but it was "never a primary mission or strong suit for this aircraft". The Soviets developed successful group aerial fighting tactics for the Bell fighters and scored a surprising number of aerial victories over a variety of German aircraft. Soviet P-39s had no trouble dispatching Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (from ''Sturzkampfflugzeug'', "dive bomber") was a German dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann, it first flew in 1935. The Ju 87 made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Con ...
''Stuka''s or German twin-engine bombers and matched, and in some areas surpassed, early and mid-war Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
s. The usual nickname for the Airacobra in the ''VVS'' was ''Kobrushka'' ("little cobra") or ''Kobrastochka'', a blend of Kobra and ''Lastochka'' (swallow), "dear little cobra".[Loza and Gebhardt 2002]
The first Soviet Cobras had a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza cannon and two heavy Browning machine guns, synchronized and mounted in the nose. Later, Cobras arrived with the M4 37 mm cannon and four machine guns, two synchronized and two wing-mounted. "We immediately removed the wing machine guns, leaving one cannon and two machine guns," Golodnikov recalled later. That modification improved roll rate by reducing rotational inertia
The moment of inertia, otherwise known as the mass moment of inertia, angular mass, second moment of mass, or most accurately, rotational inertia, of a rigid body is a quantity that determines the torque needed for a desired angular acceler ...
. Soviet airmen appreciated the M4 cannon with its powerful rounds and the reliable action but complained about the low rate of fire (three rounds per second) and inadequate ammunition storage (only 30 rounds).
The Soviets used the Airacobra primarily for air-to-air combat against a variety of German aircraft, including Bf 109s, Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (" Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, ...
s, Ju 87s, and Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called ''Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fast f ...
s. During the battle of Kuban
Kuban (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Кубань; ady, Пшызэ) is a historical and geographical region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Pontic–Caspian steppe, ...
River, VVS relied on P-39s much more than Spitfires and P-40s. Aleksandr Pokryshkin
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
, from 16.''Gv.IAP'' ( 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment), claimed 20 victories in that campaign in a P-39.[Morgan 1999, p. 20.]
The last plane shot down by the Luftwaffe was a Soviet P-39, on May 8 by ''Oblt.'' Fritz Stehle of 2./JG 7 flying a Me 262 over the Erzgebirge mountains.
Also, the last Soviet air victory was in a P-39 on May 9 when ''Kapitan'' Vasily Pshenichikov scored against a Focke-Wulf Fw 189
The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 ''Uhu'' ("Eagle Owl") is a Nazi Germany, German twin-engine, twin-boom, three-seat tactical Aerial reconnaissance, reconnaissance and Liaison aircraft, army cooperation aircraft. It first flew in 1938 (Fw 189 V1), entered s ...
over Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
.
Five of the 10 highest scoring Soviet aces logged the majority of their kills in P-39s. Grigoriy Rechkalov
Grigory Andreevich Rechkalov (russian: Григо́рий Андре́евич Речка́лов; 9 February 1920 – 20 December 1990) was a Soviet fighter pilot during World War II who scored over fifty solo shootdowns, making him one of the ...
scored 44 victories in Airacobras. Pokryshkin scored 47 of his 59 victories in P-39s, making him the highest scoring P-39 fighter pilot of any nation, and the highest scoring Allied fighter pilot using an American fighter. This does not include his 6 shared victories, at least some of which were achieved with the P-39.
The United States did not supply M80 armor-piercing rounds for the autocannon
An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...
s of Soviet P-39s—instead, the Soviets received 1,232,991 M54 high-explosive rounds, which they used primarily for air-to-air combat and against soft ground targets. The VVS did not use the P-39 for tank-busting duties.
A total of 4,719 P-39s were sent to the Soviet Union, accounting for more than one-third of all U.S. and UK-supplied fighter aircraft in the VVS, and nearly half of all P-39 production. Soviet Airacobra losses totalled 1,030 aircraft (49 in 1942, 305 in 1943, 486 in 1944 and 190 in 1945).[Bergström 2008, p. 132.]
Airacobras served with the Soviet Air Forces as late as 1949, when two regiments were operating as part of the 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division
The 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Division was an Aviation Division of the Soviet Air Forces, active from 1942 to 1998. Originally activated in 1942 as the 258th Fighter Aviation Division from the Air Forces of the 14th Army, then the 258th Mixed ...
in the Belomorsky Military District
The Belomorsky Military District (russian: Беломорский военный округ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, active from in the immediate aftermath of the Russian Civil War and just after the Second World War.
...
.
Australia
A total of 23 re-conditioned Airacobras, on loan from the U.S. Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organiza ...
(5 AF), were used by the Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF) as a stop-gap interceptor in rear areas. The aircraft were assigned the RAAF serial prefix A53.[Crick, Darren]
"RAAF A53 Bell P-39D/F Airacobra"
''adf-serials.com'', 2006. Retrieved: 28 August 2013.
In the early months of the Pacific War, the RAAF was able to obtain only enough Curtiss Kittyhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...
s to equip three squadrons, destined for front-line duties in New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
.[Birkett, Gordon R]
"RAAF Bell Airacobras Part 1."
''adf-serials.com'', 2005. Retrieved: 20 June 2007. and – in the face of increasing Japanese air raids on towns in northern Australia – was forced to rely on the P-40, P-39, and P-400 units of 5 AF for the defence of areas such as Darwin. During mid-1942, USAAF P-39 units in Australia and New Guinea began to receive brand new P-39Ds. Consequently, P-39s that had been repaired in Australian workshops were loaned by 5 AF to the RAAF. In July, seven P-39Fs arrived at 24 Squadron, in RAAF Bankstown
Bankstown Airport is an airport and business park located in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, approximately from the Sydney Central Business District (CBD), Australia and west of Sydney Airport. It is situated on of land and has three paral ...
in Sydney. In August, seven P-39Ds were received by No. 23 Squadron RAAF
No. 23 (City of Brisbane) Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is a non-flying base operations and training squadron headquartered at RAAF Base Amberley near Brisbane, Queensland. The squadron was formed in 1937 and saw action agai ...
at Lowood Airfield
Lowood is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Lowood had a population of 4,159 people.
Geography
The town is on the Brisbane River, west of the state capital, Brisbane, and north ...
, near Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
. Both squadrons also operated other types, such as the CAC Wirraway
The CAC Wirraway (an Aboriginal word meaning "challenge") was a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of ...
armed trainer. Neither squadron received a full complement of Airacobras or saw combat with them. From early 1943, the air defence role was filled by a wing of Spitfires.
Both 23 and 24 Squadron converted to the Vultee Vengeance
The Vultee A-31 Vengeance was an American dive bomber of World War II, built by Vultee Aircraft. A modified version was designated A-35. The Vengeance was not used operationally by the United States, but was operated as a front-line aircraft by ...
dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...
in mid-1943, their P-39s transferred to two newly formed fighter squadrons: No. 82 (augmenting P-40s, still in short supply) at Bankstown and No. 83 (as it awaited the Australian-designed CAC Boomerang
The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, the ...
) in Strathpine
Strathpine is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the Moreton Bay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Strathpine had a population of 9,503 people. It is home to the Pine Rivers District offices of the Moreton Bay Region, as well ...
, near Brisbane. After serving with these squadrons for a few months, the remaining Airacobras were returned to the USAAF and the RAAF ceased to operate the type.
France
In 1940, France ordered P-39s from Bell, but because of the armistice with Germany
The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...
they were not delivered. After Operation Torch
Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
, 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
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bomber ...
s in front line units by late 1944.
Italy
In June 1944, the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (ICAF) received 170 P-39s, most of them -Qs, and a few -Ns (15th USAAF surplus aircraft stored in Napoli-Capodichino airfield) and also at least one -L and five -Ms. The P-39 N (without the underwing fairings for .50 caliber machine guns) had engines with about 200 hours; a little newer than the P-39Q engines with 30–150 hours. A total of 149 P-39s would be used: the P-39N for training, while newer Qs were used in the front line.
In June–July 1944, ''Gruppi'' 12°, 9° and 10° of 4° ''Stormo'', moved to Campo Vesuvio airstrip to re-equip with the P-39s. The site was not suitable and, in three months of training, 11 accidents occurred, due to engine failures and poor maintenance of the base. Three pilots died and two were seriously injured. One of the victims, on 25 August 1944, was the "ace of aces", ''Sergente Maggiore'' Teresio Vittorio Martinoli
Teresio Vittorio Martinoli, MOVM, (26 March 1917 – 25 August 1944) was an Italian World War II fighter pilot in the Regia Aeronautica and in the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force (ICBAF).
During the war, he fought over Libya and Tunisia, in No ...
.
The three groups of 4° ''Stormo'' were first sent to Leverano (Lecce) airstrip, then in mid-October, to Galatina airfield. At the end of the training, eight more accidents occurred. 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, the Italian P-39s proved to be suitable in this role, losing 10 aircraft between 4 November and 3 December 1944,[Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 77.] to German flak.
In February–March 1945, 10° and 9° ''Gruppi'' moved North of Galatina, in Canne airbase, near Campobasso
Campobasso (, ; nap, label= Campobassan, Cambuàsce ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sann ...
, while Allied allowed Italian pilots to use the airstrip of Lissa island, in the Adriatic
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) ...
sea, as an intermediate scale during the long sorties on the Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. The 4° ''Stormo'' pilots flew many effective ground attack missions on northern Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
, losing only one more P-39, for engine failure in Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
area, on 2 April 1945.[Dimensione Cielo 1972, p. 78.] The Italian P-39 flew over 3,000 hours of combat.[Gueli 2004]
By the end of the war, 89 P-39s were still at the Canne airport and 13 at the ''Scuola Addestramento Bombardamento e Caccia'' ("Training School for Bombers and Fighters") at Frosinone airfield. In 10 months of operational service, the 4° ''Stormo '' had been awarded three ''Medaglia d'Oro al Valore Militare "alla memoria"''. After the war the P-39s were taken over by the Aeronautica Militare Italiana
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
(the new Italian air force) and used for several years as training aircraft. In Galatina fighter training unit (''Scuola Caccia''), war veteran ''Tenente colonnello'' Francis Leoncini was killed during a flying accident, on 10 May 1950.
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
Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...
. 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
The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
Military Aviation. They formed the Squadron OK, based at Ota Air Base OTA or ota may stand for:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Off the Air'', an Adult Swim television series
* Otakon, an annual anime convention in Baltimore, Maryland
Electronics, science, and technology
* Ochratoxin A (also termed OTA), a mycoto ...
.
Though unnecessary, the Portuguese Government paid the United States US$20,000 for each of these interned aircraft as well as for one interned Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
.[Public Record Office entry of 18 March 1943, quoted by "Wreckovery" in ''Aviation News'', 10–23 August 1984.] The U.S. accepted the payment, and gave as a gift four additional crates of aircraft, two of which were not badly damaged, without supplying spares, flight manuals or service manuals. Without proper training, incorporation of the aircraft into service was plagued with problems, and the last six Portuguese Airacobras that remained in 1950 were sold for scrap.
Post-war use
A very small number of late-production P-39Qs survived long enough in the USAAF inventory to be acquired by the United States Air Force upon its separation from the Army. These aircraft served in training and testing roles for approximately a year. They were redesignated as ZF-39Qs ("ZF" for "Obsolete Fighter") in June 1948 as part of the new aircraft designation scheme throughout the USAF.
In 1945, Italy purchased the 46 surviving P-39s at 1% of their cost but in summer 1946 many accidents occurred, including fatal ones. By 1947, 4° ''Stormo '' re-equipped with P-38
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
s, with P-39s sent to training units until the type's retirement in 1951. Only a T9 cannon survives today at Vigna di Valle Museum.
Racing
The Airacobra was raced at the National Air Races
The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...
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 by Bell Aircraft test pilots Tex Johnston
Alvin Melvin "Tex" Johnston (August 18, 1914 – October 29, 1998) was an American jet-age test pilot for Bell Aircraft and the Boeing Company.
Early life
Johnston was born August 18, 1914, in Admire, Kansas, to farmers Alva and Ella Johnst ...
and Jack Woolams
Jack Valentine Woolams (1917–1946) - was the senior experimental test pilot and later chief test pilot at Bell Aircraft during the introduction of the P-39, P-63, P-59, and X-1 aircraft. He set a world record for altitude and was the first pe ...
. These aircraft were powered by an extensively modified 2000-horsepower engine, and a P-63
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft that was developed by Bell Aircraft during World War II. Based on the preceding Bell P-39 Airacobra, the P-63's design incorporated suggestions from P-39 pilots and was superior to its pr ...
four-blade propeller. "Cobra I" with its pilot, Jack Woolams, was lost in 1946 during a test flight over Lake Ontario. The "Cobra II" flown by test pilot "Tex" Johnston, beat racing-modified P-51s, as well as other P-39 racers (which were the favorites), to win the 1946 Thompson Trophy race.
''Cobra II'' competed again in the 1947 Thompson Trophy, finishing 3rd. In the 1948 Thompson trophy, she was unable to finish due to engine difficulties. ''Cobra II'' did not race again and was destroyed on 10 August 1968 during a test flight prior to an attempt at the 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.
Mira Slovak
Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus.
ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a varia ...
's P-39Q "Mr. Mennen" (Race #21) was a fast unlimited racer, but a late arrival in 1972 kept the racer out of the Reno races, and she was never entered again. Her color scheme was all white with "Mennen" green and bronze trim. She is now owned and displayed by the Kalamazoo Air Zoo
The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan. The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, ...
, in the color scheme of P-400 "Whistlin' Britches."
Variants
;XP-39
:Bell Model 11,[Pelletier 1992, p. 224] one prototype ''38–326'' first flown 6 April 1938[Pelletier 1992, pp. 27–28] or 1939.[Dorr 1998, p. 126] Powered by a Allison V-1710-17 (E2) engine and was fitted with a General Electric B-5 turbosupercharger, creating a two stage supercharging system similar to the P-38 (engine-mounted mechanical supercharger, remote exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger as a second stage for high-altitude). Aircraft remained unarmed. Later converted to XP-39B.
;XP-39B
:One conversion first flown 25 November 1939. Streamlined XP-39 based on NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
wind tunnel
Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...
testing resulting in revised canopy and wheel door shape, oil cooler/ engine coolant radiator intakes moved from right fuselage to wing roots, fuselage increased length by and decreased wingspan (by . The turbosupercharger was removed, and the single-stage, single speed, supercharged Allison V-1710-37 (E5) engine remained. The carburetor air intake was moved behind the canopy.[Pelletier 1992, pp. 28, 39][Dorr 1998, pp. 126–127]
;YP-39
:Bell Model 12, service test version, V-1710-37 (E5) engine. Armed with an M4 37 mm cannon with 15 rounds, 2 × .50 caliber machine guns with 200 rpg, and 2 × .30 caliber machine guns with 500 rpg in the nose. Wider vertical tail than XP-39B. 13 completed with the first flying on 13 September 1940.[Pelletier 1992, pp. 28–29][Dorr 1998, p. 127]
;YP-39A
:One intended to have a V-1710-31 engine, but was delivered as a regular YP-39.
;P-39C
:Bell Model 13, initial US Army designation P-45 Airacobra. First flown in January 1941, it was the first production version, identical to YP-39 except for V-1710-35 engine. Armed with 1 × 37 mm cannon, 2 × .50 caliber and 2 × .30 caliber machine guns in the nose. Aircraft lacked armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. Twenty were produced out of an order of 80, with the remainder completed as P-39Ds.[Pelletier 1992, p. 29]
;P-39D
:Bell Model 15, production variant based on the P-39C with additional armor and self-sealing fuel tanks. Armament increased to 1 × 37 mm cannon with 30 rounds, 2 × .50 caliber and 4 × wing mounted .30 caliber machine guns; 429 produced.[Dorr 1998, p. 129]
;;P-39D-1
:Bell Model 14A, production variant fitted with a 20 mm M1 cannon instead of 37 mm cannon. Specifically ordered for delivery under Lend-Lease. 336 produced.
;;P-39D-2
:Bell Model 14A-1, production variant again intended for lend lease and fitted with 20 mm cannon, but with V-1710-63 (E6) engine. 158 produced.
;;P-39D-3
:26 conversions from P-39D-1 to photo reconnaissance configuration; K-24 and K-25 camera in rear fuselage, extra armor for oil coolers.
;;P-39D-4
:11 conversions from P-39D-2 to photo reconnaissance configuration. Same modifications as D-3 aircraft.
;XP-39E
:Bell Model 23. three P-39Ds modified for ground and flight testing first flown 21 February 1942. Intended for Continental I-1430-1 engine but only flown with 1325 hp Allison V-1710-47 engine. Used to test various wing and vertical tails. Fuselage lengthened by and used in the development of the P-63. The production variant, with the Continental engines was to be designated P-76; there was no Bell XP-76 as such.[Bowers 1979, p. 25.]
;P-39F
:Bell Model 15B, production variant with three-bladed Aeroproducts constant speed propeller
In aeronautics, a variable-pitch propeller is a type of propeller (airscrew) with blades that can be rotated around their long axis to change the blade pitch. A controllable-pitch propeller is one where the pitch is controlled manually by the ...
. 229 built.[Pelletier 1992, p. 31][Dorr 1998, p. 130]
;;P-39F-2
:27 conversions from P-39F for ground attack and tactical reconnaissance.
;P-39G
:Bell Model 26, 1800 ordered, intended to be a P-39D-2 with a different propeller. Later cancelled, with aircraft delivered as P-39K, L, M and N.
;P-39J
:Bell Model 15B, P-39F with V-1710-59 engine with automatic boost control; 25 built.[Dorr 1998, p. 132][Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 46.]
;P-39K
;;P-39K-1
:Bell Model 26A. Fitted with an Aeroproducts propeller and powered by a V-1710-63 (E6) engine. 210 built.
;;P-39K-2
:Six conversion from P-39K-1 for ground attack and reconnaissance.
;;P-39K-5
:One conversion with a V-1710-85 (E19) engine to serve as a P-39N prototype.
;P-39L
;;P-39L-1
:Bell Model 26B, similar to P-39K with Curtiss Electric propeller and higher gross weight. 250 built.
;;P-39L-2
:Eleven conversions from P-39L-1 for ground attack and reconnaissance.
;P-39M
;;P-39M-1
:Bell Model 26D, variant with an Aeroproducts propeller, V-1710-83 engine with improved high-altitude performance , faster than P-39L at . 240 built.
;;P-39M-2
: Modification of P-39M-1 for ground attack/[Pelletier 1992, pp. 31–32]
;P-39N
:Bell Model 26N, originally part of the P-39G order. 1325 hp V-1710-85 (E19) engine. Aeroproducts propeller and different reduction gear ratio. Starting with the 167th aircraft, the propeller diameter was increased to and internal fuel reduced from ; 500 built.
;;P-39N-1
:Variant with internal changes to adjust center of gravity when nose guns were fired; 900 built.
;;P-39N-2
:128 P-39N-1 converted with additional belly armor and cameras in rear fuselage.
;;P-39N-3B
:35 P-39N converted with additional belly armor and cameras in rear fuselage.
;;P-39N-5
:Variant with armor reduced from , Armor plate replaced the bulletproof glass behind the pilot, SCR-695 radio was fitted, and a new oxygen system was installed; 695 built.
;;P-39N-6
:84 P-39N-5 converted with additional belly armor and cameras in rear fuselage.
;P-39Q
:The final production variant last one built in August 1944.
;;P-39Q-1
:Bell Model 26Q, variant with wing-mounted .30 caliber machine guns replaced with a .50 caliber with 300 rounds of ammunition in a pod under each wing. Armor was increased to ; 150 built.
;;P-39Q-2
:Five P-39Q-1s modified to carry cameras for photographic reconnaissance by adding K-24 and K-25 cameras in the aft fuselage.
;;P-39Q-5
:Production variant with reduced armor (), fuel capacity increased (). Type A-1 bombsight adapters added; 950 built.
;;TP-39Q-5
:One conversion to a two-seat training variant with additional cockpit added in nose – no armament. Enlarged tail fillet and a shallow ventral fin added.
;;P-39Q-6
:148 P-39Q-5s modified to carry cameras for photographic reconnaissance by adding K-24 and K-25 cameras in the aft fuselage.
;;P-39Q-10
:Variant with increased armor (), fuel capacity increased (). Automatic Boost controls added and throttle and RPM controls coordinated. Winterization of oil systems and rubber mounts added to the engines; 705 built.
;;P-39Q-11
:Eight P-39Q-10s modified to carry cameras for photographic reconnaissance by adding K-24 and K-25 cameras in the aft fuselage.
;;P-39Q-15
:Production variant with reinforced inclined deck to prevent .50 caliber machine gun mounting cracking, bulkhead reinforcements to prevent rudder pedal wall cracking, a reinforced reduction gearbox bulkhead to prevent cowling former cracking, and repositioning of the battery solenoid. Oxygen system reduced from four bottle to two; 1,000 built.
;;P-39Q-20
:Production variant with minor equipment changes. The under-wing .50 caliber machine gun pods sometimes omitted; 1,000 built.
;;P-39Q-21
:109 P-39Q-20 fitted with a four-bladed Aeroproducts propeller.
;;RP-39Q-22
:12 P-39Q-20s converted to two-seat trainers .
;;P-39Q-25
:Production variant similar to the P-39Q-21 but with a reinforced aft-fuselage and horizontal stabilizer structure; 700 built.
;;P-39Q-30
:Production variant that reverted to the three-bladed propeller; 400 built.
;ZF-39
:Remaining examples in service, re-designated in June 1948.
;P-45
:The P-45 was the initial designation of the P-39C or Model 13.
;XFL-1 Airabonita
The Bell XFL Airabonita was an American experimental carrier-based interceptor aircraft developed for the United States Navy by Bell Aircraft Corporation of Buffalo, New York. It was similar to and a parallel development of the U.S. Army Air Corp ...
:One prototype tail-wheel undercarriage carrier fighter for the USN.
;XTDL-1
:United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(USN) designation for two P-39Qs used as target drones. Assigned to NAS Cape May
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones.
Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea
* National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia
** Nas Air (S ...
for test work. Later redesignated F2L-1K.
;F2L-1K
:XTDL-1 drones re-designated
;P-400
:An export model of the P-39 with a less powerful cannon, using a 20 mm Hispano cannon rather than the standard 37 mm cannon. It also had 2 .50 caliber machine guns in the nose, and 2 x .30 caliber machine guns in each wing.
;Airacobra I
:Bell Model 13, Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
(RAF) designation for three P-39Cs delivered to the A&AEE
The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) was a research facility for British military aviation from 1918 to 1992. Established at Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, the unit moved in 1939 to Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, where its work ...
Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down ' is the home of a military aircraft testing site, on the southeastern outskirts of the town of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. The site is managed by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Def ...
for testing.
;Airacobra IA
:Bell Model 14. Briefly named Caribou. 1,150 hp V-1710-E4 engine, 1 × 20 mm cannon with 60 rounds and 2 × .50 caliber machine guns mounted in the nose and four .303 caliber machine guns were mounted in the wings. IFF
In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (shortened as "iff") is a biconditional logical connective between statements, where either both statements are true or both are false.
The connective is bicon ...
set removed from behind pilot. note: the designation IA indicates direct purchase aircraft (as opposed to Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
); 675 built. The USAAF operated 128 former RAF aircraft with the designation P-400.
Operators
;
* Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
;
* Armée de l'Air
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
;
* Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force operated 170 Bell P-39 Airacobra
;
* Italian Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = (Ordinance March of the Air Force) by Alberto Di Miniello
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 28 March ...
operated 102 surviving Bell P-39 Airacobra retired in 1950s
;
* Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
(One aircraft operated; personal aircraft of General Fyodor Polynin, Commander of the Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force ( pl, Siły Powietrzne, , Air Forces) is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 16,425 mil ...
)
;
* '' Esquadrilha Airacobra'' (Airacobra Squadron), later renamed '' Esquadrilha 4'' (Squadron No. 4) — '' Aeronáutica Militar'' (Army Military Aviation)
;
* Soviet Air Forces
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
(''Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily'' or VVS)
* Soviet Naval Aviation
Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF, for ''Авиация военно-морского флота'' in Russian, or ''Aviatsiya voyenno-morskogo flota'', literally "aviation of the military maritime fleet") was the naval aviation arm of the Soviet Nav ...
;
* Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
* Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
(Airacobra Mk 1 – test flight)
;
* United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
/ United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
Survivors
Australia
;On display
;;P-39D
*41-6951 – Beck Military Collection in Mareeba, Queensland
Mareeba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia. Between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Tablelands Region. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ''meeting of the waters'' ...
.
Canada
;Under restoration or in storage
;;P-39M
*42-4725 – Under restoration at the Alberta Aviation Museum
The Alberta Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The museum is located on-site at the former Edmonton City Centre (Blatchford Field) Airport on the southwest corner of the field (11410 Kingsway Avenue).
T ...
in Edmonton Alberta
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
.
Finland
;P-39Q
*44-2664 – Aviation Museum of Central Finland
The Finnish Air Force Museum ( fi, Suomen Ilmavoimamuseo), formerly the Aviation Museum of Central Finland ( fi, Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo), is an aviation museum located near Jyväskylä Airport in Tikkakoski, Jyväskylä, Finland. The museum ...
in Tikkakoski
Tikkakoski is a northernmost residential area of Jyväskylä, Finland, about north of the city centre. It has a population of 6,000.
The Jyväskylä Airport, Aviation Museum of Central Finland, and a Finnish Air Force base, with the FAF Headqua ...
.
Papua New Guinea
;P-39N
*42-19039 – J. K. McCarthy Museum in Goroka, Papua New Guinea
Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people (2000), above sea level. It has an airport (in the centre of town) and is on the "Highlands Highway", about 285 km from L ...
.
Russia
;On display
;;P-39
*220613 – House of Culture. Gagarin, Yakutsk
Yakutsk (russian: Якутск, p=jɪˈkutsk; sah, Дьокуускай, translit=Djokuuskay, ) is the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located about south of the Arctic Circle. Fueled by the mining industry, Yakutsk has become one of ...
, Russia, south of the Arctic Circle
United States
;Airworthy
;;P-39F
*41-7215 (unnamed) – Military Aviation Museum
The Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is home to one of the world's largest collections of warbirds in flying condition. It includes examples from Germany, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, from ...
in Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
. Was restored by Pioneer Aero Ltd at Ardmore, Auckland, for Jerry Yagen. MSN 15-554 was forced to land near Weipa, Queensland
Weipa () is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly involv ...
, on May 1, 1942, after running out of fuel. The aircraft remained abandoned at the site until recovery operations began in November 1971. First flight at Ardmore by Frank Parker on 26 February 2019. Painted in USAAF colors as P-39Q-5-BE 42-20341 (Lend Lease to USSR) and now relocated to and flying with the Fighter Factory/MAM as of May 2019.
;;P-39N
*42-8740 (unnamed) – Yanks Air Museum
The Yanks Air Museum is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization and museum dedicated to exhibiting, preserving and restoring American aircraft and artifacts in order to show the evolution of American aviation, located at Chino Airport in Chino, Calif ...
in Chino, California
Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chino ...
.
;;P-39Q
*42-19597 ''Miss Connie'' – Commemorative Air Force
The Commemorative Air Force (CAF), formerly known as the Confederate Air Force, is an American non-profit organization based in Dallas, Texas, that preserves and shows historical aircraft at airshows, primarily in the U.S. and Canada.
The CAF h ...
(CenTex Wing) in San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos ( ) is a city and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. The city's limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe Counties, as well. San Marcos is within the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area and on the Interstate 35 ...
.
*42-19993 ''Brooklyn Bum'' – Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
;On display
;;P-39N
*42-18814 ''Girlie'' – recovered from Tadji New Guinea in 1972 by MARC Pima Air & Space Museum
The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occ ...
, adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
*42-18408 ''Snooks 2nd / Betty Lou 3rd'' – Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the bank of the Buffalo River in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including th ...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
.
;;P-39Q
*42-20000 (unnamed) – March Field Air Museum
The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, adjacent to March Air Reserve Base.
History
The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. One of the first exhibits at the museum was ...
at March ARB
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
(former March AFB
March Air Reserve Base (March ARB), previously known as March Air Force Base (March AFB) is located in Riverside County, California between the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris. It is the home to the Air Force Reserve Command's Fo ...
) in Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...
.
*42-20007 (unnamed) – Virginia Air & Space Center near Langley AFB
Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News. It was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the entry of the United States into World War I in April 19 ...
in Hampton, Virginia
Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
.
*44-2485 (unnamed) – Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon
Madras ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. Originally called "The Basin" after the circular valley the city is in, it is unclear whether Madras was named in 1903 for the cotton fabric called " Madras" ...
.
;;RP-39Q
*44-3887 (unnamed) – National Museum of the United States Air Force
The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...
at Wright-Patterson AFB
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) is a United States Air Force base and census-designated place just east of Dayton, Ohio, in Greene and Montgomery counties. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wri ...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...
.
*44-3908 ''Whistlin Britches'' – Air Zoo
The Air Zoo, founded as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, is an aviation museum and indoor amusement park next to the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan. The Air Zoo holds many historical and rare aircraft, inc ...
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolit ...
.
;Under restoration or in storage
;;P-39N
*42-19027 ''Small Fry/Little Sir Echo'' – under restoration for static display at Planes of Fame
Planes of Fame Air Museum is an aviation museum in Chino, California, Chino, California,[Chino, California
Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chino ...]
.
;;P-39Q
*44-2433 ''Galloping Gertie'' – in storage at the Paul Garber Facility of the National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States.
Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...
in Silver Hill, Maryland
Silver Hill is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, approximately southeast of Washington, D.C. Per the 2020 census, the population was 6,381. Prior to 2010, Silver Hill ...
.
*44-2911 ''Miss Lend Lease'' – under restoration at the Niagara Aerospace Museum
The Niagara Aerospace Museum is an aviation museum located in Niagara Falls, New York, in the old terminal building of the Niagara Falls International Airport. The museum has been located in a number of places in the Niagara Falls/Buffalo area ...
in Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a City (New York), city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city had a total population of 48,671. It is adjacent to the Niagara River, across from the city of Niagara ...
. This plane was recovered from a Russian lake after disappearing during a routine mission during WWII. The pilot's remains were recovered and buried with full military honors. The aircraft crashed due to engine failure, as two holes were found inside the engine block from snapped connecting rods."P-39Q Airacobra/44-2911"
''Niagara Aerospace Museum'' Retrieved: 12 September 2022.
Specifications (P-39Q)
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
* ''AAHS Journal, American Aviation Historical Society,'' Volume 46, 2001.
* Angelucci, Enzo and Paolo Matricardi. ''World Aircraft: World War II, Volume II'' (Sampson Low Guides). Maidenhead, UK: Sampson Low, 1978. .
* Angelucci, Enzo and Peter M. Bowers. ''The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present.'' New York, Orion Books, 1987. .
* Bergström, Christer. ''Bagration to Berlin – The final Air Battle in the East 1944–45''. Hersham, UK: Classic Publications, 2008. .
* Bodie, Warren
''The Lockheed P-38 Lightning.''
St. Paul, Minnesota: Widewing Publications, 1991. .
* Bowers, Peter M. "Airborne Cobra Pt. I". ''Airpower'', Vol. 8, No. 6, November 1978.
* Bowers, Peter M. "Airborne Cobra Pt. II". ''Airpower'', Vol.9, No. 1, January 1979.
* Brown, Captain Eric. ''Wings on My Sleeve''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006. .
* Byk, Gary. ''The Modeller's Guide to the Bell P-39 Airacobra in RAAF Service''. Melbourne, Australia: Red Roo Models Publication, 1997. .
* Dean, Francis H. ''America's Hundred Thousand''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1997. .
* Dial, Jay Frank. ''The Bell P-39 Airacobra, Aircraft in Profile no.165''. Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications. Ltd., 1966 (reprinted 1971). No ISBN.
* "Dimensione Cielo aerei Italiani nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale. (in Italian) ''Caccia Assalto 3''. Rome: Edizioni Bizzarri, 1972.
* Donald, David. "Bell P-39 Airacobra." ''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. Leicester, UK: Blitz Editions, 1997. .
* Dorr, Robert F. "Bell Cobra Variants: Bell P-39 Airacobra and P-63 Kingcobra". ''Wings of Fame'', Volume 10, 1998. London: Aerospace Publishing. pp. 116–143. . .
* Dorr, Robert F. and Jerry C. Scutts. ''Bell P-39 Airacobra''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press Ltd., 2000. .
* Drabkin, Artem. ''The Red Air Force at War: Barbarossa and the Retreat to Moscow – Recollections of Fighter Pilots on the Eastern Front''. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Military, 2007. .
* Fitzsimons, Bernard, editor. "Airacobra, Bell P-39". ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, Volume 1''. New York: Columbia House, 1977. .
* Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume 4''. London: Macdonald & Co., 6th Edition, 1969. .
* Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. ''WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: U. S. Army Air Force Fighters, Part 1''. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1977. .
* Gueli, Marco. "Gli Airacobra Italiani" (in Italian). ''Storia Militare n.132'', September 2004.
* Gunston, Bill. ''Aircraft of World War 2''. London: Octopus Books Limited, 1980. .
* Hardesty, Von. ''Red Phoenix: The Rise of Soviet Air Power 1941–1945''. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1991 (first edition 1982). .
* Hoover, R.A. and Mark Shaw. ''Forever Flying''. New York: Pocket Books, 1996. .
* Johnsen, Frederick A. ''Bell P-39/P-63 Airacobra & Kingcobra''. St. Paul, Minnesota: Voyageur Press, 1998. .
* Johnson, Brian and Terry Heffernan. ''A Most Secret Place: Boscombe Down 1939–45''. London: Jane's Publishing Company Limited, 1982.
* Juszczak, Artur and Robert Pęczkowski. ''Bell P-39 Airacobra'' (in Polish). Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2003. .
*Kelsey, Benjamin S. ''The Dragon's Teeth?: The Creation of United States Air Power for World War II.'' Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1982. .
* Kinzey, Bert. ''P-39 Airacobra in Detail, D&S Vol. 63''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1999. .
*
*
* Lednicer, David A. "Aerodynamics of the Bell P-39 Airacobra and P-63 Kingcobra." ''SAE paper 2000-01-167.'' Warrendale, Pennsylvania: SAE International, 9 May 2000.
*
* Loza, Dmitriy and James F. Gebhardt, editor and translator. ''Attack of the Airacobras: Soviet Aces, American P-39s & the Air War Against Germany''. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2002. .
* Mariinskiy, Evgeniy. ''Red Star Airacobra: Memoirs of a Soviet Fighter Ace 1941–45''. Solihull, UK: Helion and Company, 2006. .
* Mason, Francis K. ''Royal Air Force Fighters of World War Two, Volume One''. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1971. .
* Matthews, Birch. ''Cobra! Bell Aircraft Corporation 1934–1946''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1996. .
* Mattioli, Marco. ''Bell P-39 Airacobra in Italian Service, Aviolibri Special 7'' (Bilingual Italian/English). Rome: IBN Editore, 2003. .
* McDowell, Ernest. ''P-39 Airacobra in Action, Aircraft No.43''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1980. .
* Mellinger, George and John Stanaway. ''P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War 2''. Botley, Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2001. .
* Mitchell, Rick. ''Airacobra Advantage: The Flying Cannon. The Complete Story of Bell Aircraft Corporation's P-39 Pursuit Fighter Plane''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1992 (second printing 1995). .
* Morgan, Hugh. ''Gli assi Sovietici della Seconda guerra mondiale'' (in Italian). Rome: Edizioni del Prado/Osprey Aviation, 1999.
* Park, Edwards. ''Nanette, Her Pilot's Love Story''. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1977. (2nd edition 1989). .
* Pearcy, Arthur. ''Flying the Frontiers: NACA and NASA Experimental Aircraft.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1993. .
* Pejčoch, Ivo. ''Bojové Legendy: P-39 Airacobra'' (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Jan Vašut s.r.o., 2008. .
* Pelletier, A. J. ''Bell Aircraft since 1935''. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press, 1992. .
* Roman, Valerij. ''Aerokobry vstupayut v boy ('Airacobras enter combat'), Белл P-400, P-39D-1, P-39D-2 ("Avia-retro" series 1)'' (in Ukrainian). Kiev, Ukraine: Aero-Hobby, 1993. .
* Roman, Valerij. ''Aerokobry nad Kuban'yu (Airacobras over Kuban'), P-39 K, L и M ("Avia-retro" series 2)'' (in Ukrainian). Kiev, Ukraine: Aero-Hobby, 2006. .
* Tomalik, Jacek. ''Bell P-39 Airacobra Cz.1, Monografie Lotnicze 58'' (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 1999. .
* Tomalik, Jacek. ''Bell P-63 Kingcobra, XFL-1 Airabonita, P-39 Airacobra Cz.2, Monografie Lotnicze 59'' (in Polish). Gdańsk, Poland: AJ-Press, 2001. .
* ''United States Air Force Museum Guidebook''. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: Air Force Museum Foundation, 1975.
* Williams, Neil. ''Aerobatics''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975. .
* Wixey, Ken. "Flying Cannon: Bell's Cobra Family, Part One". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 80, May–June 1999, pp. 20–27.
* Woods, Robert J. "Why a Rear Engine Installation," Parts I and II. ''Aviation,'' March and April 1941.
Further reading
* Vernon, Jerry. "Round-Out: Canadian 'Cobras". ''Air Enthusiast'', No. 82, July–August 1999, pp. 76–77.
External links
*
Australian War Memorial, ''US 5th Airforce gun camera footage'', 1943
Includes P-39 gun camera footage (from the 1:03 mark). Lt Robert Adler ( 41st FS, USAAF) downing twin-engine Japanese bombers near Tsili Tsili, New Guinea, in 1943.
{{Authority control
P-39
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter aircraft, fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 ...
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Mid-engined aircraft
Bell P-39
Aircraft first flown in 1938