Welcome to see Bell P-39Q-15-BE Airacobra
The Bell P-39Q Airacobra is an American single-seat fighter of all-metal construction. The Airacobra was designed around the 37-mm T9 cannon, which resulted in the aircraft’s exceptional design features. The engine is located behind the cockpit and the aircraft has a tricycle landing gear. The Airacobra’s maiden flight took place on 6th April, 1938. The prototype was equipped with an effective turbo-supercharger, which resulted in very good performance. The United States Army Air Force received its first P-39C production aircraft in February 1941. Their engines had a conventional mechanical supercharger so performance at altitude was poor. Altogether 9590 Airacobras were built in eight main versions. The last and the most important of these was the P-39Q, of which 4905 were built in several sub-versions. The first operational P-39 sorties were flown by the Royal Air Force over France in October 1941. The British considered the type totally unsuitable for fighter operations. The combat experiences of the Americans in the South Pacific and Mediterranean were also mostly negative. The most successful user of the Airacobra was the Soviet Air Force, which received 5700 aircraft. The Russians used the aircraft with success mainly for the support of the ground forces at low level where its performance was adequate.During the summer of 1944, large quantities of Airacobras were operated on the Finnish front. Many aircraft were captured more or less intact after forced landings. The wings of AAF 44-3255, which landed in Inkeroinen on 17th June, 1944, and the fuselage of AAF 44-2664, found near Ylä-Uuksu in Aunus, were restored at Central Finland Aviation Museum in 1995–2000. The vertical stabiliser and rudder are from an aircraft that crashed in Norway. |
