Bell P-39Q Airacobra

From The Air Combat Wiki

Contents 1 Fighter Ace Screenshots 2 Fighter Ace Ratings 3 Fighter Ace Performance 4 Historical Statistics 5 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 History 8 Sources 9 See Also

Fighter Ace Screenshots

Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ
Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ	Fighter Ace museum screenshot by Doug@HQ

Fighter Ace Ratings

Durability: 3

Speed: 7

Maneuverability: 6

Firepower: 7

Climb Rate: 6

Ground Attack: 3

Fighter Ace Performance

Top Speeds						Climb Rates
	Sea Level	4921' 1500m	9843' 3000m	19685' 6000m	Best Speed	Best IAS	to 1000m	to 3000m	to 6000m
mph	313	334	357	370	378@ 15092'	171 mph	1:24	3:46	7:22
mph WEP	323	345	366	n/a	385@ 15092'
kph	503	538	575	596	608@ 4600m	275 kph
kph WEP	520	555	589	n/a	620@ 4600m

Historical Statistics

Service Date: April 1943

Primary Guns: 2x Browning M2 0.5" (12.7mm) machine guns with 200 rpg in cowl and 2x Browning M2 0.5" (12.7mm) machine guns with 300 rpg in wings

Secondary Guns: 1x Oldsmobile M4 37mm cannon with 30 rpg firing through propeller hub

Ordnance: 1x 220 lb (100 kg) or 1x 550 lb (250 kg) bomb or 1x 450 lb (204 kg) drop tank, plus 4x 33 lb (15 kg) RS-82 rockets

Engine(s): 1x Allison V-1710-85 in-line rated for 1,200 hp at sea level (1,325 hp with WEP)

Int Fuel Capacity: 522 lbs (237 kg)

Ext Fuel Capacity: 450 lbs (204 kg)

Maximum Speeds: 376 mph (605 kph) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m)

Ceiling: 35,000 ft (10,668 m)

Loaded Weight: 7,600 lbs (3,447 kg)

Wing Area: 213 sq ft (19.8 sq m)

Wing Loading: 35.7 lbs/sq ft (174.1 kg/sq m)

Strengths

Guns: The 37mm cannon can take out any tank with only a couple of hits and the four.50 caliber machine guns give it a good anti-air capability.

Weaknesses

High Altitude Performance: While handling on the deck was good, the Airacobra lacked the supercharging necessary to give it good, high-altitude performance.

History

At the height of P-39 development the "dash number" method of indicating minor changes in a model series was not yet in use. As a result, the letter suffixes following "P-39D" were used up rapidly as minor improvements in engine power or changes in propeller manufacturer occurred. During this period of time the internal fuel capacity and weight of protective armor of the plane varied up and down as range versus performance varied with each engine installation and pilots always clamored for more survivability.

The P-39Q model was the first that had any really significant changes from the configuration of the P-39D. The internal fuel capacity was retained at 87 gallons, with 75- and 175-gallon drop-tanks being available to extend the plane's range and the amount of protective armor plating was increased to over 230 lbs. However, the most visible change was the removal of the four .30-caliber machine guns in the wings, each of which had 1,000 rounds of mostly useless ammunition, for a single .50-caliber machine gun with 300 rpg fitted in a pod beneath each wing.

Despite these improvements, the Airacobra was outclassed by newer designs and thus almost all P-39Qs were shipped to the Soviet Union. The last USAAF unit to use the P-39Q was the 332nd Fighter Group stationed in Italy. They were issued P-39Qs in February 1944 but were transitioned to Thunderbolts scarcely two months later.

As with most imported designs, the Soviets installed rails under the wings to allow the plane to carry RS-82 rockets, in this case four of them. The Airacobra could also carry a 500 lb. bomb, which combined with the 37mm Olds cannon to give it a good ground attack and anti-tank capability. Almost 5,000 P-39Qs were built, making it the most numerous of the P-39 variants.

Sources

McDowell, Ernie; P-39 Airacobra In Action; Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX; 1980.

Green, William; War Planes of the Second World War: Fighters Volume Four; MacDonald and Company, London; 1961.

See Also

Fighter Ace Planes Inventory

Bell Aircraft Corporation

Aircraft Manufacturers During World War II