New Guinea Cobras

[Jack Cook]

P-39s on the 35th FG at Dobodura & Tsili Tsili, New Guinea in 1943.

Lt Gene DeBoer 40th FS

Lt Duncan Woodring 41st FS

Lt Ed Schneider 41st FS

Lt Lew Raines 40th FS

Lt Lee Taylor 40th FS

Lt Shick 41st FS

Lt Fred Thompson 41st FS

P-39 41st FS

P-400 Lt Bob Farout 39th FS

[John Dupre]

Great photos. Whenever I see P-400s and P-39s I am reminded that the pilots used to discuss the relative merits of the feel of firing the 20mm or 37mm between thier legs.

[Jack Cook]

Actually the drive shaft for the Allison ran between their legs.
The cannon was in the nose with 2 .50s. BTW Rex Barber's 1st kill
was in a 70th FS P-39 when he downed a Nell bomber over New Georgia in Dec 1942.
He hit it's wing with 1 37mm shell and took it off. Many folks believe he's a P-38 ace
but he isn't and was very proud of his P-39 kill.

[tom d. friedman]

did the door windows roll down, or were they removable?? in every pic the glass or plexi is missing.

[Jack Cook]

They roll down.

[muddyboots]

are those things as small as they look? They don't seem to have the size of P51's and other aircraft of the time.

[Dan K]

Superb pics, Jack. I'm so glad your mom taught you how to share.

The door question reminded me of some comments Norb Ruff made a couple of years ago at OSH about his combat time in Cobras. Standard bailout procedure included releasing the door hinges and letting the slipstream pull the door off. Apparently a few fellows (while in the process of bailing out) felt the urge to give the door handle an extra push after releasing the hinges, only to have the resulting force tear part or all of the fellow's limb off.

Also, somebody's got to help me again with my P-400 identification. I thought they all had 12 exhaust stacks per side (vs. the P-39's 6 per side). The bird in Jack's last pic appears to have 6 (but then I stopped trusting my eyesight years ago ).

[Obergrafeter]

Muddy Boots look at the pictures of the P-39 in the Dec 7 At Fredericksburg blog to see a comparative size. It is parked next to a P-51 and P-40 so you can see the difference.

[Mgawa]

Excellent collection Jack! Now I am dream about to receive orders from my boss to deliver some Airacobra profiles- be sure this images will be source for work!

Inspirative and informative as always

[muddyboots]

Muddy Boots look at the pictures of the P-39 in the Dec 7 At Fredericksburg blog to see a comparative size. It is parked next to a P-51 and P-40 so you can see the difference.

Thanks! They actually look pretty close. I guess it's camera angle or something making me imagine taht it's smaller. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for it

[Dan Johnson II]

Any pictures of Edwards Park's number 74 around anywhere Jack?

I'd love to see "Nanette"

[Rogue]

Also, somebody's got to help me again with my P-400 identification. I thought they all had 12 exhaust stacks per side (vs. the P-39's 6 per side). The bird in Jack's last pic appears to have 6 (but then I stopped trusting my eyesight years ago ).

It also has the filet. :dunno:

[Nathan]

Thanks Jack! Always liked the P-39.

[gemmer]

Superb pics, Jack. I'm so glad your mom taught you how to share.

The door question reminded me of some comments Norb Ruff made a couple of years ago at OSH about his combat time in Cobras. Standard bailout procedure included releasing the door hinges and letting the slipstream pull the door off. Apparently a few fellows (while in the process of bailing out) felt the urge to give the door handle an extra push after releasing the hinges, only to have the resulting force tear part or all of the fellow's limb off.

Also, somebody's got to help me again with my P-400 identification. I thought they all had 12 exhaust stacks per side (vs. the P-39's 6 per side). The bird in Jack's last pic appears to have 6 (but then I stopped trusting my eyesight years ago ).

As a general rule, the P-400 was identified by 12 exhaust stacks, a 20mm
gun(longer barrel than the 37) no flash suppressors on the nose guns, two tone upper camoflage and no serial no. on the tail. The last photo appears to be a '400 except for the exausts. I've read several times that some '400s were reengined with salvaged '39 engines. Perhaps that is one. I do know that Farout did fly a '400. The ship with the number 67 on the wing leading edge is a '400. The one attributed to Farout may be a depot rebuild.

Just to make things more interesting, the P-39F had 12 exausts and the 37mm gun. The P-39D-1 had the 20mm, 6 stacks and usually had flash suppressors.

Duane

[John Dupre]

Actually the drive shaft for the Allison ran between their legs.
The cannon was in the nose with 2 .50s. BTW Rex Barber's 1st kill
was in a 70th FS P-39 when he downed a Nell bomber over New Georgia in Dec 1942.
He hit it's wing with 1 37mm shell and took it off. Many folks believe he's a P-38 ace
but he isn't and was very proud of his P-39 kill.

I know but according to Edwards Park there was a distinct difference in the vibrations of firing the 20 or 37 mm and it was felt between the legs having been transmitted down the driveshaft. Some were 20mm men (fast and light) and some were 37mm. (Slow and hard)