2194days

Aircraft · United States · 1941-1944

Bell P-39 Airacobra

fighter / ground-attack

Bell's unusual design put the engine behind the cockpit, driving the propeller through a long shaft so a 37mm cannon could fire straight through the nose. It struggled at high altitude against the Zero and Bf 109, so it was pulled from front-line USAAF fighter duty in the Pacific and Mediterranean, but nearly half of all Airacobras built went to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease, where its low-altitude firepower made it a favorite of Soviet aces.

Wikipedia

crew1
top speed605 km/h
armament1x 37mm cannon, 2x .50cal, 4x .30cal MG
produced9,588

Pacific, Mediterranean and North Africa

Two mechanics crank the handle of a USAAF Bell P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra, at Hamilton Army Airfield, California (USA), in July of 1943. The aircraft "Saga Boy II" (serial no. 42-19447) belonged to Lt.Col. Edwin S. Chickering,
Two mechanics crank the handle of a USAAF Bell P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra, at Hamilton Army Airfield, California (USA), in July of 1943. The aircraft "Saga Boy II" (serial no. 42-19447) belonged to Lt.Col. Edwin S. Chickering,USAAF · Public domain · source
Bell P-39 Airacobra (US)
Bell P-39 Airacobra (US)Unknown authorUnknown author Uploaded by Bzuk at en.wikipedia · Public domain · source
A Bell P-39Q Airacobra on display at the Air Zoo at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan (United States).
A Bell P-39Q Airacobra on display at the Air Zoo at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport in Portage, Michigan (United States).Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

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