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The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. The P-39 was used with great success by the Soviet Air Force, which scored the highest number of individual kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type. Other major users of the type included the Free French, the Royal Air Force, the United States Army Air Forces, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force.
Designed by Bell Aircraft, it had an innovative layout, with the engine installed in the center fuselage, behind the pilot, and driving a tractor propeller via a long shaft. It was also the first fighter fitted with a tricycle undercarriage. Although its mid-engine placement was innovative, the P-39 design was handicapped by the absence of an efficient turbo-supercharger, limiting it to low-altitude work. As such it was rejected by the RAF for use over western Europe and passed over to the USSR where performance at high altitude was less important.
Together with the derivative P-63 Kingcobra, the P-39 was one of the most successful fixed-wing aircraft manufactured by Bell.
Below is a list of Airacobra airframes that survived military service.
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41-6802 (?-88) 41-6951 (D-02) 41-6970 (C-72) 41-7215 (R-02) 42-4312 (R-04) 42-4949 (D) 42-8740 (A-05) 42-8784 (R-00) 42-18403 (S-93) |
42-18408 (S-93) 42-18811 (S-93) 42-18814 (R-01) 42-19027 (D-02) 42-19034 (S-93) 42-19039 (D-02) 42-19597 (A-03) 42-19943 (P-02) 42-19991 (S-93) |
42-19993 (A-04) 42-19995 (R-01) 42-20000 (D-02) 42-20007 (D-02) 42-20339 (S-93) 42-20869 (W-68) 44-2433 (S-01) 44-2438 (S-93) 44-2485 (R-91) |
44-2664 (D-02) 44-3291 (?-85) 44-3887 (D-02) 44-3908 (D-03) 44-71500 (?-02) Snooks 2nd (D-02) |
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AP335 (R-95) |
AP347 (S-02) |
BW157 (D-02) |
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