Why is airacobra hated?

Furthermore, the Airacobra’s slow climb rate made it terrible at its original role of intercepting high flying enemy bombers. 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.

Was the p39 any good?

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 .

How many planes did the P-39 shoot down?

Between 1 December 1942 and 1 August 1943 the regiment took part in 66 air battles, flew 1,176 sorties, claimed 63 victories and lost 19 aircraft in combat. Amongst the German aircraft claimed destroyed were 23 Bf 109s and 23 Fw 190s.

Was Red Tails a true story?

Red Tails portrays largely fictional events based on the exploits of the Tuskegee airmen, although many viewers were left with the impression that the film was entirely historically accurate.

What happened to the Airacobra in World War II?

Prior to the U.S. entry in World War II, the United Kingdom received more than 200 export-model Airacobras known as P-400s, which were downgraded to a 20-millimeter cannon in the propeller hub. But Royal Air Force pilots had fought many high-altitude battles with the Luftwaffe, and hated the Airacobra.

What is a P-39 Airacobra?

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal American fighter aircraft in service when the United States entered World War II. It was the first fighter in history with a tricycle undercarriage and the first to have the engine installed in the center fuselage, behind the pilot.

Did you know that Bell’s Airacobra had Red Stars on its wings?

That this fact is not better known maybe because those Airacobra pilots flew with red Soviet stars on their wings. Founded in 1935, the Bell Aircraft Corporation was known for unconventional designs such as the Airacuda bomber-destroyer which would have been at home on the cover of a science fiction magazine.

How many planes did the Soviet Airacobra shoot down?

In the Cobra’s first two months in Soviet service, the twenty Airacobras of the elite 153rd Guards Fighter Regiment operating out of Voronezh shot down eighteen bombers and forty-five fighters (mostly Junker 88s and Messerschmitt 109s), while only losing eight planes.