The P-39 was used by the Soviet Air Force, and enabled individual Soviet pilots to collect the highest number of kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type flown by any air force in any conflict. Other major users of the type included the Free French, the Royal Air Force, and the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force.

Why is P-39 hated?

The P-39 centrally-mounted engine also pushed the center of gravity to the rear, making it prone to vicious spins once cannon ammunition was expended from the nose. But Royal Air Force pilots had fought many high-altitude battles with the Luftwaffe, and hated the Airacobra.

Why was the p39 disliked?

How good is P-39?

The P-39 Airacobra may be the least loved American fighter plane of World War II, deemed inadequate by military planners at the outset of hostilities and written off as nearly useless by many historians. It would only take a single direct hit to down an enemy airplane, and the P-39 also carried two additional .

Where is the engine on a P-39 Airacobra?

Image copyright No Reproduction Permitted. The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the more unique piston-engine American fighters of World War 2 – seating its engine aft of the pilot while driving the propeller unit at the nose.

What type of aircraft was the Bell P-39?

Bell P-39 Airacobra. Jump to navigation Jump to search. 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 by the Soviet Air Force, and scored the highest number of individual kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type in the Eastern European theatre.

What is the primary purpose of the P-39?

The primary purpose of a P-39 is that of a low-level interceptor against low energy aircraft. It lacks the high-altitude performance needed to engage strategic bombers. The 37 mm M4’s dropping trajectory and slow rate of fire make it useless in head-on passes.

How high does a P-39 supercharger fly?

The production P-39 retained a single-stage, single-speed supercharger with a critical altitude (above which performance declined) of about 12,000 feet (3,660 m). As a result, the aircraft was simpler to produce and maintain.