# Bell P-63 Kingcobra



## Snautzer01 (Dec 13, 2014)

In French service


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## Snautzer01 (Dec 13, 2014)




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## Wurger (Dec 13, 2014)




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## Gnomey (Dec 14, 2014)

Good shots! Thanks for sharing.


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## Snautzer01 (Jan 9, 2015)

Canadian Falls, on there way to the USSR under lend-lease.

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## Wurger (Jan 9, 2015)




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## johnbr (Sep 25, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Sep 25, 2016)




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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2016)




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## Snautzer01 (Sep 26, 2016)

1967 Kodachrome Slide Bell P-63 Kingcobra Wright Patterson AFB


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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2016)




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## Thorlifter (Sep 26, 2016)

To me the P39 / P63 always seem like they are trying to fall back on their tail when on the ground. Much prettier in the air.


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## Snautzer01 (Sep 26, 2016)

Thorlifter said:


> To me the P39 / P63 always seem like they are trying to fall back on their tail when on the ground. Much prettier in the air.



It is a nicely balanced airplane. Even the the engine ripped out it will stay on its wheels

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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Sep 26, 2016)




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## Crimea_River (Sep 27, 2016)

Good collection.


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## Snautzer01 (Oct 22, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Oct 23, 2016)




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## Wurger (Oct 23, 2016)




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## Gnomey (Oct 30, 2016)

Nice shots!


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## johnbr (Nov 10, 2016)




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## johnbr (Nov 10, 2016)




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## Wurger (Nov 11, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Nov 11, 2016)




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## johnbr (Aug 31, 2017)

*two-seater was produced by the Bell company for internal use. Two P-63E-1s were modified by Bell with a separate observer seat in the rear fuselage, located behind the engine and mounted under a separate canopy. A probe was mounted which extended through the spinner, and to make space for the observer the radio equipment had to be moved forward into the armament bay. The aircraft carried the civilian registrations NX41963 and NX41964.



*

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## Wurger (Aug 31, 2017)




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## Robert Porter (Aug 31, 2017)

Neat!


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## Old Wizard (Aug 31, 2017)




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## fubar57 (Aug 31, 2017)

Very nice John, never seen that one before


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## johnbr (Aug 31, 2017)



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## Old Wizard (Sep 1, 2017)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 1, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 25, 2018)

The next Navy research aircraft program resulted in two Bell P-63s modified with swept wings in early 1946. These were designated L-39-1 and L-39-2, with L being the Navy’s letter for Bell and 39 in this case being the Bell design number for the proposal. (Design numbers were assigned by Bell engineering independently of model numbers, which were assigned by management). As it happened, Bell never assigned a model number to the Navy’s L-39. However, at least one of Bell’s L-39 flight test reports began with 33, which was the model number of the early P-63s.

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## Wurger (Aug 26, 2018)




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## johnbr (May 31, 2019)



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## johnbr (May 31, 2019)

Bell P-63D 
Model with many improvements model compared to the to previous models. It was equipped with a sliding "water teardrop" or "bubble" canopy as on the P-51D Mustang, increased wingspan (11.94 m), and a new engine Allison V-1710-109, developing 1425 hp. The gain in top speed was 50 km/h compared to the to the P-63A. The North American P-51D Mustang was already in mass production and remained higher than the Kingcobra, the P-63D thus remained at the prototype stage (the latter made its first flight in early 1945).
The P-63D was the next progressive development of the Kingcobra series. It featured an Allison V-1710-109 (E22) engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. The wing (later adopted for the P-63E) had a ten-inch increase in span to 39 feet 2 inches, gross area being increased to 255 square feet. The P-63D also differed from the late production blocks of the P-63C in not having the rear ventral fin extension. However, the most noticeable new feature of the P-63D was the use of a rearward-sliding bubble canopy in place of the familiar framed canopy with the two car-like side doors. The air scoop was revised and moved aft. The basic armament of the P-63D was essentially the same as that of earlier Kingcobras, but the cannon in the P-63D was the M9E1 with 48 rounds.
The first P-63D (serial number 43-11718) flew early in 1945. The P-63D was the "hottest" Cobra yet to appear, with a maximum speed of 437 mph at 30,000 feet. Although the P-63D had a good performance, it was no better than the North American P-51D Mustang which was already in service. Consequently, no thought was given to any production, and only one P-63D was built. The sole P-63D was lost in a flight test accident, killing Bell test pilot Robert Borcherdt.
Specification of Bell P-63D Kingcobra:
Powerplant: One Allison V-1710-109 (E22) liquid-cooled engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. Performance: Maximum speed was 437 mph at 30,000 feet, service ceiling was 39,000 feet, and an altitude of 28,000 feet could be reached in 11.2 minutes. Normal range was 950 miles, and maximum ferry range was 2000 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 2 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 2 inches, and wing area 255 square feet. Weights: 7076 pounds empty, 8740 pounds gross, and 11,100 pounds maximum loaded. Armament: One 37-mm M9E1 cannon in the propeller hub with 48 rounds, a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns in the forward fuselage synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, plus a single 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas

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## johnbr (May 31, 2019)

Bell Aircraft P-39 Airacobra and P-63 King Cobra Appreciation Group

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## Wurger (May 31, 2019)




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## Gnomey (Jun 5, 2019)

Nice shots!


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## johnbr (Jun 14, 2019)

The Bell P-63A Kingcobra was an attempt to correct issues with the P-39 Airacobra. Although not adopted by the US military, it was used by the Soviet Air Force.
Before the prototype ever flew in 1942, the US Air Force ordered production models of the P-63A, with deliveries on October 1943. The first prototype flew for the first time on 7 December 1942. It was destroyed on 28 January 1943 when its landing gear failed to extend. The second prototype followed on 5 February 1943. It too was destroyed, this time due to an engine failure.







Project #*173* of the P-63A-1-BE with "V" tail in May 1943.


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## Wurger (Jun 14, 2019)




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## johnbr (Jun 30, 2019)

Bell L-39

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## Wurger (Jun 30, 2019)




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## Snautzer01 (Jul 4, 2019)

Org WWII Photo: American P-63 Kingcobra Fighter Plane | eBay

The Pinball target plane

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## Snautzer01 (Jul 4, 2019)

Org WWII Photo: American P-63 Kingcobra Fighter Plane | eBay

The Pinball target plane

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## fubar57 (Jul 4, 2019)

You don't see a lot of photos of the "Pinballs"


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## Wurger (Jul 4, 2019)




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## Snautzer01 (Aug 3, 2019)

Original B&W 8x10 Aircraft Photo - P-63C KingCobra 43-11375 USSR @ GTF, MT 1945 | eBay

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## Wurger (Aug 3, 2019)




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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)



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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)

Tailhook Topics: Sweeping Change - The Bell L-39

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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)

Tailhook Topics: Sweeping Change - The Bell L-39

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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)



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## Wurger (Sep 11, 2019)




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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)

P-63D


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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)




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## johnbr (Sep 11, 2019)

same site

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## Snautzer01 (Sep 11, 2019)

WW2 Photo Plane P 63 E Top !!! | eBay

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## Dash119 (Sep 13, 2019)

Great pictures. Some very unique variations I have never seen.


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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2019)




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## Snautzer01 (Sep 13, 2019)

DQ814 Photographie photo vintage snapshot avion aviation King cobra | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Sep 14, 2019)

DQ888 Photographie photo vintage snapshot avion aviation militaire | eBay

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## nuuumannn (Sep 14, 2019)

#61 is a P-39 Airacobra.


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## Snautzer01 (Nov 29, 2019)

FOTO FLUGZEUG BELL P-63 KINGCOBRA | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Dec 2, 2019)

AVIATION PHOTO AVION CHASSEUR BELL P-63 EN VOL | eBay

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## Wurger (Dec 2, 2019)




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## Snautzer01 (Jan 16, 2020)

Snautzer01 said:


> Org WWII Photo: American P-63 Kingcobra Fighter Plane | eBay
> 
> The Pinball target plane
> 
> View attachment 543563


1945 Military US Army Aviation Bell Aviation RP-63 Armor Plate Frangible Bullets | eBay

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## fubar57 (Jan 16, 2020)




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## Gnomey (Jan 18, 2020)

Good shots!


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## Snautzer01 (Jan 21, 2020)

ORIGINAL FOTO FLUGZEUG BELL P-39 AIRCOBRA | eBay

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## Wurger (Jan 21, 2020)




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## Snautzer01 (Feb 2, 2020)

1944 Press Photo US Army Air Force's new P-63 KINGCOBRA fighter plane in flight | eBay

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## Gnomey (Feb 9, 2020)

Nice shots!


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## MIflyer (Feb 9, 2020)

The DQ18 picture is a P-39Q-21 or P-39Q-25, not a P-63.


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 27, 2020)

FOTO FLUGZEUG BELL P-63 KINGCOBRA 311599 | eBay

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## Wurger (Feb 27, 2020)




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## Snautzer01 (Jun 14, 2020)

1946 H.L. Pemberton P-63F Cleveland Thompson Race Original Photo 291 | eBay

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## Wurger (Jun 14, 2020)




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## Gnomey (Jun 16, 2020)

Good shots!


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 5 | eBay


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 3 | eBay


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 1 | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 2 | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 4 | eBay


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 6 | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Feb 13, 2021)

RAE ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT BELL P-63A-10-BE KINGACOBRA ORIGINAL PHOTO 7 | eBay

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## Wurger (Feb 13, 2021)




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## Gnomey (Feb 15, 2021)

Nice shots!


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## Snautzer01 (Feb 16, 2021)

BELL L-39 LARGE VINTAGE ORIGINAL PRESS PHOTO P-63 KINGACOBRA | eBay

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## Snautzer01 (Mar 9, 2021)

Original WWII photo-last P 63 to Russia name Alaska July 1945 | eBay

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## Wurger (Mar 9, 2021)




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## Gnomey (Mar 12, 2021)

Nice shots!


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## SaparotRob (May 22, 2021)

Great shots. Never those mods before either


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## Gnomey (May 25, 2021)

Good shots!


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## Snautzer01 (Jun 21, 2021)

Original WWII USAAF Bell P-63 King Cobra ~ 6" x 9" B & W Aircraft Photo | eBay


6" x 9" matte black and white photo. Light soiling on back.



www.ebay.com





Bell P-63A-7-BE Kingcobra 42-69135

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## Wurger (Jun 21, 2021)




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## Snautzer01 (Aug 3, 2021)

BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA FLYING RED HORSE 30 BENDIX TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA FLYING RED HORSE 30 BENDIX TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



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## Snautzer01 (Aug 3, 2021)

BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE LARGE VINTAGE PRESS PHOTO | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE LARGE VINTAGE PRESS PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



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## Snautzer01 (Aug 3, 2021)

BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA FLYING RED HORSE 28 THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BELL P-63F KINGACOBRA FLYING RED HORSE 28 THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



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## Snautzer01 (Aug 3, 2021)

BELL P-63 KINGACOBRA HOWARD LILLY THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BELL P-63 KINGACOBRA HOWARD LILLY THOMPSON TROPHY AIR RACE PRESS PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



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## SaparotRob (Aug 3, 2021)

It really is a good looking plane.


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## Wurger (Aug 3, 2021)




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## Snautzer01 (Jan 24, 2022)

Group of WW2 original P-63C KingCobra crash photos. Planes in Soviet markings | eBay


Group of WW2 original P-63C KingCobra crash photos. Planes in Soviet markings. Shown are 43-11589, 43-11498 (2 photos) and 42-69335. All 3 planes are in Soviet markings. #589 and #498 were crashed landed on Lesser Stave Lake in Alberta Canada on April 20th, 1945 after they ran out of fuel.



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P-63C-5-BE 43-11490 soviet









P-63C-5-BE 43-11589 (7th FRG) force landed and w/o at Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada Apr 20, 1945

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## Wurger (Jan 24, 2022)




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## fubar57 (Jan 24, 2022)

Gotta wonder how many lend-lease aircraft force landed on small frozen lakes totally intact but were un-recoverable. Come Spring time, ice melts and they sink slowly to the bottom. There has to be records somewhere.

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## Crimea_River (Jan 24, 2022)

True but try to identify WHICH lake now. Great Slave is easy but the other thousands not so much.


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## MIflyer (Jan 27, 2022)

I recall reading where a P-39 pilot was flying a ferry mission to AK for delivery to the Soviets. He brought along a ham sandwich and after a while took a bite of it. It tasted spoiled so he rolled down the window and threw it out. The sandwich entered the carb air intake and the engine quit, resulting in an emergency landing.

If you look at the P-63 pilot's manual (available at Aviation Archives and be sure to click on the ad at the bottom of the page, even if you don't need a boat) you will see that airplane has more alternate air sources than you can shake a stick at.

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## NVSMITH (Jan 28, 2022)

-What did removing all of the military gear do to the weight and balance of the bird? How fast were the stripped down P-63s?


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## FLYBOYJ (Jan 28, 2022)

NVSMITH said:


> -What did removing all of the military gear do to the weight and balance of the bird? How fast were the stripped down P-63s?


Considering we're talking about a P-63C, from what I have seen beating to death the P-39's weight and balance, removing the cannon, guns and armor would put the aircraft just about on it's @ss, even if you removed armor aft of the C/G. IMO you would have to ballast the aircraft to the factory C/G envelope. Between guns, armor, and other military equipment, I'd guess you're saving about 300-500 pounds, the P-63C had 200 pounds of total armor. Now, with the radios, it gets a little complicated. If the weight reduction is done in the post war years and you want to maintain a radio in the aircraft, you're looking at upwards up to 150 pounds if you remove the receiver, transmitter and IFF, but you're probably replacing that with at least 30 to 40 pounds worth of civilian radios. In today's world radios can be about 10 pounds with wiring and antenna. So consider that.

In the post war years, several P-63s "stripped down" were used for air racing. The fastest P-63 that I can find was "Crazy Horse" which had a course speed about 360 mph, not all that fast when you consider the top P-63 speed was advertised at 410 mph, BUT air race speeds are based on flying around a course, you're probably looking at at about a 20% increase in speed if you were to fly the aircraft on a straight away. In air racing, you need an aircraft that can accelerate and have excess power available. Having an aircraft tail heavy is a plus as tail heavy aircraft tend to fly a bit faster but are less stable when maneuvered. I would guess on a straight away, you're looking at about 420 to 430 mph, especially with some of the engine mods done to the P-63 air racers.

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## Snautzer01 (Jul 2, 2022)

1940’s Photo Photograph Military Flying Airplane #2 | eBay


<br /><p>Estate find. Will have bends and wear from age. </p><br /><p>Look at pics for measurements.</p><p>Look at pics for condition. Any questions ask. International buyers, this item will be shipped through global shipping program so there may be other fees so take that into...



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## Snautzer01 (Jul 2, 2022)

Bell P-63A-9-BE 42-69562














1940’s Photo Photograph Military Flying Airplane #4 | eBay


<br /><p>Estate find. Will have bends and wear from age. </p><br /><p>Look at pics for measurements.</p><p>Look at pics for condition. Any questions ask. International buyers, this item will be shipped through global shipping program so there may be other fees so take that into...



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## Wurger (Jul 2, 2022)




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## Snautzer01 (Nov 30, 2022)

Bell L-39
























3 WWII Era Photos Of A Bell Aircraft "L-39-1" Fighter - LMAL. | eBay


The head-on view of the Bell Air Cobra has the Bell Aircraft Corporation stamp on the back, and a notation on the plane landing, reads, "L-39-1 Landing, JP. In his first year during WWII, "Jack" flew 19 new aircraft, nine of which were fighters.



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## Wurger (Nov 30, 2022)




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## Snautzer01 (Dec 7, 2022)

MAJOR TUCKER'S P-63 KINGCOBRA FIGHTER 1946 CLEVELAND AIR RACES














Original Photo MAJOR TUCKER'S P-63 KINGCOBRA FIGHTER 1946 CLEVELAND AIR RACES 78 | eBay


<p>ORIGINAL POST-WWII PHOTO - ORIGINAL TO THE TIME - NOT A COPY, SCAN, OR REPRO</p> <p>QUANTITY: 1 - See the other original WWI & WWII photos that I have listed. </p> <p>ITEM: Original Post-WWII Photo of MAJOR TUCKER'S P-63A KINGCOBRA FIGHTER at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, 1946...



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## Wurger (Dec 7, 2022)




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## Gnomey (Dec 9, 2022)

Good shots!


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