The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat.

2021年6月15日 · Bell Aircraft, an aerospace manufacturer based in New York, presented its own design. Called the “XP-39,” the prototype reached 390 MPH in just five minutes, but it was unable to reach its top stated altitude.

Designed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, the unusual, mid-engined P-39 Airacobra holds the record for the highest number of enemy aircraft victories attributed to any US-built fighter in history. The lack of an efficient turbo-supercharger for its engine meant that the airplane did not perform well at high altitude.

The Soviets, desperate to delay and destroy the fast-moving invaders, quickly embraced the limited numbers of the early model P-39 with its smaller 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannon, four Browning .303-caliber machine guns, and two Browning .50-caliber machine guns.

From September to November 1942 pilots of the 57th Fighter Squadron flew P-39s and P-38s from an airfield built on land bulldozed into Kuluk Bay on the barren island of Adak in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. They attacked the Japanese forces which had invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the Aleutians in June 1942.

The Bell P-39 was referred to as the "Iron Dog" by its pilots because it was a tricky to fly with many quirks but was the only fighter aircraft available to most U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) pursuit squadrons and U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter squadrons prewar and in the early months of World War II.

Russians rated the P-39 as one of the best Lend-Lease aircraft of WWII. The P-39 had much more firepower against the A6M 21 “Zeke” as well as a serious strafing ability. As the specifications reflect (see table), the P-39 could out- perform the Zeke except in the all-important turning rate, something no early war Allied

The P-39 Airacobra was a unique fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft Corporation and used primarily by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. It was notable for its innovative design features, including a mid-mounted engine and tricycle landing gear, and was used in various combat roles, primarily as a ground ...

2013年1月11日 · One of the first interceptors to have a tricycle undercarriage, the Bell P-39 Airacobra was unique in having its 1,150 hp Allison V-1710-E4 engine mounted behind the pilot, the propeller being driven via a long extension shaft.

Seven P-39s were designated as the F2L and used as US Navy target drones. The Airacobra served successfully in the ground-attack role in North Africa, and in the Pacific theater, until more powerful fighters began replacing it in 1944.