Warbird Information Exchange

USAAF PHOTO
DESCRIPTION; A Bell P-39L-1-BE Airacobra (USAAF s/n 42-4673?) at Nome, Alaska (USA), in 1943-44. The red Soviet stars under the wings identify this as a lend-lease aircraft ferried to the USSR via Alaska. Date 1943-44.

USAAF PHOTO
DESCRIPTION; A blanketed Bell P-39N Airacobra (USAAF s/n 42-2961?) at Nome, Alaska (USA), in 1943-44. The red Soviet stars under the wings identify this as a lend-lease aircraft ferried to the USSR via Alaska. Note the belly tank.

USAAF PHOTO
DESCRIPTION; A crashed Bell P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra (USAAF s/n 42-2????) at Nome, Alaska (USA), in 1943-44. The red Soviet stars under the wings identify this as a lend-lease aircraft ferried to the USSR via Alaska. Note the ruptured belly tank. Date 1943-44.

I guess Gary would have said something like"Good Thing That Belly Tank Full Of Fuel Took Some Of The A$$ Ache Out Of That Bad Landing"
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Fly Fast Make Noise!

The approximate date for the top photo of the P-39 at Nome is November 1942 according to flight orders supplied by former ferry pilots. The first P-39L model went through to Fairbanks in the last few days of October 1942 (these were the first of the P-39s to go North) and the majority went through by mid-December 1942...then it was the M-model. I did see a few L-models going through as late as March 1943. I couldn't determine what 7th Ferrying Group pilot delivered 42-4673 north & when but 42-4672 was delivered from Great Falls Nov 23, 1942.

Thanks for posting the pics.
Blake Smith

In the first photo, is the crew chief kissing the pilot goodbye?

"pull this back, houses get smaller, push forward, houses get bigger fast!!. Push that noises get louder, pull back and you start to sweat, don't ever touch THAT. And why didn't you tie your shoes BEFORE you got in?"

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

My grandfather was there during the winter of 1944, doing cold weather testing on the YP-59 and P-61.

He said they just to joke that the P-39s cried tears of blood when they had to be handed over to the Russians, as the hydraulic fluid would leak out of the nose strut each night due to the cold, leaving a red puddle in front of each aircraft.

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

I sure wish we had that belly tank off the "Q", ruptured or not! Anyone know where we might find a 75 gallon drop tank for the center line of the P-39? As a matter of fact, we can use one for the P-63F as well. OK, everybody check your pockets!

I wonder what happened with that "Q"? Perhaps the pilot pulled the gear switch up instead of the flap switch? We had that happen once, but the gear didn't come up fast, they strained against the tarmac as it was rolling. Lucky enough we got the pilot stopped before the prop bit the hard stuff.

Maybe the drive chain broke before the gear got all the way down and the pilot either had no choice but to land, or didn't trust the gear lights, which don't always work on our P-39 (or didn't, at least). There is only one red and one green gear light, but sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Good excuse for a low pass!

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Mike