Another Mystery Plane
- Thread starter THE PILGRIM
- Start date
Lee in Quartzsite
Member
Might be a Bell P-39 Airacobra...but the ones I've seen have a 3 bladed prop.
Alk8944
US Veteran
P-63 "King Cobra". Basically a super P-39 Airacobra.
Fat Frank
US Veteran
Bell P-63 Kingcobra.
cmort666
Member
Judging from the tricycle landing gear, the inline engine and the four bladed prop with engine mounted gun, I'd say it's a P-63 King Cobra.
cmort666
Member
Actually the P-39 Airacobra and P-63 King Cobra were produced in substantial numbers. As I recall, most of the latter went to the Soviets, and a few to the French.
The Soviets really liked the Airacobra because of it's good low altitude performance and powerful engine mounted (37mm or 20mm) gun.
Alk8944
US Veteran
Per Wikipedia there were 3,303 built! Bell P-63 Kingcobra - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 9,588 P-39s.
cmort666
Member
I don't know about the King Cobra, but the Airacrobra was reputed to be a tricky, and sometimes dangerous plane to fly.
There was an article in "Aviation History" about a P-39 pilot who, as I recall, was told that if he ever got it into a flat spin to bail out, as it was likely unrecoverable. If I'm not mistaken, I think he managed to get his into an INVERTED flat spin! He survived, but did bail out.
There was an article in "Aviation History" about a P-39 pilot who, as I recall, was told that if he ever got it into a flat spin to bail out, as it was likely unrecoverable. If I'm not mistaken, I think he managed to get his into an INVERTED flat spin! He survived, but did bail out.
Jessie
US Veteran
That rear mounted engine played hell on the center of gravity.
It is the P-63. It never saw operational service with the USAAF. Usually equipped with 4 .50cal. MGs, and the big 37mm cannon in the nose. Of the 3.303 built, 2,421 went to the Soviets, 300 to France, and 332 were completed as armored target aircraft.
Information from "War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters Vol. 4", by William Green.
Information from "War Planes of the Second World War, Fighters Vol. 4", by William Green.
Kernel Crittenden
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
It's a Boeing B-29 in the background. I seem to remember the Super Fortress did something important, long ago.
OP
THE PILGRIM
Member
It is of course a P-63. It's over at Tucson.
The only one I ever saw. Never met anybody who flew one.
I posted a while about hearing Hervey Stockman telling about flying the P-63's little brother, the P-39. Hervey flew it at gunnery school over at Kingman.
But not worry. When he went to Europe, he flew a Mustang.
The only one I ever saw. Never met anybody who flew one.
I posted a while about hearing Hervey Stockman telling about flying the P-63's little brother, the P-39. Hervey flew it at gunnery school over at Kingman.
But not worry. When he went to Europe, he flew a Mustang.
