A Russian's view of the P-39 Airacobra!

[Invader26]

Despite all the hysteria that has been written, the P-39 was very much loved by our comrades on the Eastern Front...

It was a good workhorse in the SWPA early days too....


http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/a ... /part3.htm

[JohnTerrell]

Thank you for the link! I've scanned through some of the interview and I look forward to reading this in its entirety as soon as I get a chance.

Of all of the Theatres that the P-39 flew in with the USAAF (North African, Mediterranean, and Pacific), there was only one USAAF P-39 ace, that being 1st LT. William F. Fielder Jr.
However, among the highest-"scoring" Allied pilots of WWII were the Russian pilots that flew P-39's - these included Aleksandr Pokryshkin with 59-victories, Nikolai Gulayev with 57-victories (32 in the P-39), Grigoriy Rechkalov with 56-victories, and Dmitri Glinka with 50-victories. Less than 5,000 Airacobras were sent to Russia, but they equipped something like 44 different fighter regiments within the Soviet Air Force - a good indication of just how respected/utilized they were.

[Kyleb]

Thanks for the post. I've always thought the P-39 was under rated and got a bad wrap in the Pacific Theater because it wasn't used properly. On paper, it had slightly better performance than the P-40 and markedly better performance than the F4F, both of which enjoyed better reputations.

[Mark Sampson]

The book "Flying American Combat Aircraft of WWII: 1939-1945" has two chapters written by P-39 pilots, one from the Mediterranean front and one from the SW Pacific Theater. Apparently the P-39's biggest problem to them was its short range.
But everyone who frequents this forum should have a copy of this book... firsthand stories from the pilots of many aircraft types, both famous and obscure.

Flying American Combat Aircraft of WWII: 1939-1945
Edited by Robin Higham
Published by Stackpole Press, 2004
ISBN 978-0-8117-3124-9

[gemmer]

Thanks for the post. I've always thought the P-39 was under rated and got a bad wrap in the Pacific Theater because it wasn't used properly. On paper, it had slightly better performance than the P-40 and markedly better performance than the F4F, both of which enjoyed better reputations.

The F4F, with its two speed, two stage Pratt and Whitney radial had a much better service ceiling than the P-39. The P-39 had a better low altitude performance than the F4F but in the role of taking on Japanese bombers that was of little value.

[ignomini]

Obviously, the Soviets had some success with the Cobra, but if you've got a copy of Bud Anderson's book, have a gander at what Gunther Rall told him about the P-39. It was not flattering.

[Invader26]

have a gander at what Gunther Rall told him about the P-39. It was not flattering.

...probably says more about the quality of the pilot training than the aircraft..

[fiftycal]

Chuck Yeager has been quoted as saying that the Airacobra was one of his favorite airplanes to fly

and bob hoover:

he would fly both the P-40
and the P-39 “widow maker.”
With a reputation for getting into
tumbles during dogfights, the P-39
had a bad reputation among pilots.
Bob fell in love with it. Of course, he
had to discover whether the rumors
were true, so he took the airplane to
altitude and got it to tumble. It took
deployment of the gear and flaps
to bring it back into a normal spin,
but Bob was able to replicate the
maneuver. It wasn’t until later the
maneuver was named the lomcevak,
which is Czech for headache

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwI6gZw67g

[AG pilot]

That was a very interesting video of spins. Thanks for posting the link.

[ignomini]

have a gander at what Gunther Rall told him about the P-39. It was not flattering.

...probably says more about the quality of the pilot training than the aircraft..

Actually, what he said was if you hit them anywhere they would tumble out of the sky (paraphrasing, don't have the book in front of me). Gave the distinct impression he considered it a death trap.

[Invader26]

Not the aircraft but lack of pilot training and experience I'd say...