P-39 Airacobra
| P-39 Airacobra | ||
|---|---|---|
 Bell P-39 Airacobra | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Fighter | |
| Crew | 1 | |
| First Flight | April 1939 | |
| Entered Service | ||
| Manufacturer | ||
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 30 ft 2 in | 9.2 m |
| Wingspan | 34 ft 0 in | 10.4 m |
| Height | 12 ft 5 in | 3.8 m |
| Wing area | 213 ft² | 19.8 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 5,347 lb | 2,420 kg |
| Loaded | 7,379 lb | 3,350 kg |
| Maximum takeoff | lb | kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | Allison V-1710 | |
| Power | 1,200 hp | 895 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 376 mph | 605 km/h |
| Combat range | 1,098 miles | 1,770 km |
| Ferry range | miles | km |
| Service ceiling | 35,000 ft | 10,700 m |
| Rate of climb | 3,750 ft/min | 1,140 m/min |
| Wing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m² |
| Power/Mass | hp/lb | kW/kg |
| Armament | ||
| Guns | 1 × 37 mm T9 cannon (propeller hub) 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns | |
| Bombs | 500 pounds (230 kg) of bombs externally | |
The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal fighter aircraft in service with American forces at the start of World War II. It had just a single-speed, single-stage supercharger for its engine, instead of an exhaust-driven turbo-supercharger as initially fitted to the prototype but removed, and consequently its performance dropped off rapidly above 17,000 ft (5,000 m). This limited its usefulness in traditional fighter missions, especially in Europe where combat often took place at higher altitudes than in the Pacific. It also had a nasty tendency to go into a spin.
The aircraft's unusual design featured its Allison engine mounted in the rear fuselage, driving the propeller through a driveshaft passing between the pilot's feet. The purpose of this was to free up space for the heavy main armament, a 37 mm T9 cannon firing through the center of the propeller hub for optimum accuracy and stability when firing. The weight distribution so caused necessitated a tricycle undercarriage, a first among American fighters. Entry to the cockpit was through a side door rather than a moving canopy.
It is commonly believed that the Airacobra was used as a ground-attack airplane by the Soviet Union; the lack of a turbo-supercharger restricting it to low-altitude combat. In fact, it appears that the Soviets did not use it as for ground-attack, but instead to provide top cover. The tactical environment of the Eastern Front did not favor the high-altitude operations that the RAF and USAAF used with their big bombers. In the relatively low-altitude operations in the East the lack of a supercharger was not as bad an handicap.
9,584 were produced, with over half being sent to the Soviet Union under lend-lease.
A number are still in existence of which three are still flying.
| Related content | |
|---|---|
| Related Development | P-63 Kingcobra |
| Similar Aircraft | |
| Designation Series | P-36 - XP-37 - P-38 - P-39 - P-40 - XP-41 - XP-42 |
| Related Lists | List of military aircraft of the United States - List of fighter aircraft |
| List of Aircraft - Aircraft Manufacturers - Aircraft Engines - Aircraft Engine Manufacturers |
| Airlines - Air Forces - Aircraft Weapons - Missiles - Years in Aviation |