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the cobra can almost out turn a zero at sea level but in png it was hot humid and high, very high mountains and the japs loved to come in over 20,000ft, the cobra power dropped off badly after 13k feetJust got a review copy of Osprey's P39 v A6M in the Duel series by Mike Claringbold. 39s claimed c. 90 Zeros for 44 combat losses when MC computes 15 Zeros lost. Not unusual of course. I knew some of the SWP Airacobra guys—they were more interested in survival than claims.
Wow. Any idea how much that piece weighed? Looks like about a half inch thick.A while ago someone was talking about P-39 armor and i said i would get photos of the belly armor of one of my cobras, i forgot but ended up going to the hangar today, so here is the P-39 factory made belly armor for anyone interested.
View attachment 500357
View attachment 500358
in addition there was armor around the gearbox, front and rear windscreens, rear oil tank and occasionally behind the pilots seat.
i can lift it, maybe 50 kg. i think its made to stop anything up to .308 on a deflection shot, not straight on.Wow. Any idea how much that piece weighed? Looks like about a half inch thick.
So, 50 kilos is about 110 pounds? Pretty substantial.i can lift it, maybe 50 kg. i think its made to stop anything up to .308 on a deflection shot, not straight on.
the gearbox armor is steel, this is aluminum
this is factory made armor for a P-39F-2. only 27 were made, the holes in it are for cameras because they took all of the guns out and fitted cameras and armor
3 wrecks left, the rest were sold or parted out. only looking at completing one now, i was going to rebuild several but there is no market to justify the costSo, 50 kilos is about 110 pounds? Pretty substantial.
By the way, how many Cobras are in your hangar?
Hello FiftyCal,
That makes this a very very rare piece. Wow!
.......
This next question may be a bit off topic, but perhaps someone here might know:
I see that the Length of every production model of the P-39 / P-400 / Airacobra was 30 feet 2 inches.
Where was this a measurement from?
With the Aft end, it is pretty obvious it would be at the extreme end of the Rudder with the aircraft level, but in the Nose, is it at the end of the Spinner (my current guess) or to the Datum Line at Station Zero?
Thanks in advance.
- Ivan.
One P-400 had the squared rudder. A couple of prototype P-39Es also had a squared fin/rudder.i have seen different measurements between the P-39D1 with 20mm cannon and the D-2 with 37mm so i assume cannon tip to rudder? also i think some P-400's had a squared off rudder
I get to see the P-39N in San Marcos fairly often. It still flies in airshows.3 wrecks left, the rest were sold or parted out. only looking at completing one now, i was going to rebuild several but there is no market to justify the cost
mine will fly.........in about 30 years lol, its missing something fairly important to allow it to fly....a dump truck full of cashI get to see the P-39N in San Marcos fairly often. It still flies in airshows.
i have seen different measurements between the P-39D1 with 20mm cannon and the D-2 with 37mm so i assume cannon tip to rudder? also i think some P-400's had a squared off rudder
Hello FiftyCal,
My understanding was that the measurement did not include the cannon at all.
The Airacobra Mk.I seems in some photographs to have a slightly narrower chord rudder but perhaps it is just the shape and not the chord. It is hard to confirm in a photograph.
My question is really whether the length was measured to the Spinner Tip or "Station 0" that is about 3 inches in front of the Spinner Tip and about 1.4 inches from the tip of the 37 mm cannon barrel.
By the way, are you certain that the P-39D-2 had a 37 mm cannon?
The Detail & Scale book, America's Hundred Thousand, and Warbird Tech all state that it had a 20 mm just like the D-1.
The Bell Model number 14A-1 would also suggest greater similarity to the D-1 than the Model 15 P-39D and P-39F.
Aircraft Profile book and Airacobra Advantage both state the cannon on D-2 was a 37 mm, but I have less faith in those books.
The D-2 was also built on a contract for Lend-Lease aircraft which I believe at the time would have meant for the British who preferred a 20 mm cannon.
Would you happen to know offhand the Tire sizes used by the Airacobra?
From photographs and drawings, I am estimating that the mains were 26 x 6.5 inch and the nose was 19 x 6 inch.
- Ivan.
Hi, the cobras were not all uniform. i have a early P-39D that had i think a 20mm judging by the ejection port size in the lower keel but it also had P-400 exhaust stacks, i also had a D-2 that did have a 37mm, i still have the mounts for it. they might have swapped and changed in theater as the 20mm was more accurate and in new guinea they used a ton of P-400's for parts. for example on woodlark island they left a lot of them in crates and only used a few parts.
26x6.5 mains is right, the nose wheels vary, im not sure of the early cobra sizes but the later Qs were 19 x 6 i think. i only have the later wheels
Thanks for confirming the Tire sizes. I have never been able to find a reference for that which is why I was working from photographs and drawings.
The D-2 with a 37 mm cannon really has me wondering though.
The 20 mm wasn't as highly regarded as the 37 mm for some reason and I find it strange that a substitution would be made in the field.
As I mentioned before, written sources don't tend to agree on whether the D-2 carried a 20 mm or a 37 mm.
America's Hundred Thousand even gives a weight breakdown of a D-2 armed with a 20 mm cannon.
There were only 180 aircraft produced for a single contract, so I would expect them to be uniform for armament.
Can you PM me the serial number for your D-2 for my notes?
Thanks.
- Ivan.
Some substitutions were made in the field. The early 37mm cannon was not as reliable as the 20mm and pilots would pull the 20mm from wrecks to substitute for the 37mm. The 37mm reliability went way up with the K (and subsequent) models which ducted more heated cockpit air to the gun bay which kept the open breech from freezing at altitude. The Russians considered the 37mm much more reliable than the (early) 20mm.Thanks for confirming the Tire sizes. I have never been able to find a reference for that which is why I was working from photographs and drawings.
The D-2 with a 37 mm cannon really has me wondering though.
The 20 mm wasn't as highly regarded as the 37 mm for some reason and I find it strange that a substitution would be made in the field.
As I mentioned before, written sources don't tend to agree on whether the D-2 carried a 20 mm or a 37 mm.
America's Hundred Thousand even gives a weight breakdown of a D-2 armed with a 20 mm cannon.
There were only 180 aircraft produced for a single contract, so I would expect them to be uniform for armament.
Can you PM me the serial number for your D-2 for my notes?
Thanks.
- Ivan.