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Source: U.S. Airforce |
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Bell P-39 "Airacobra" |
The Bell P-39 Airacobra was one of the principal fighter aircraft in service with American forces at the start of World War II. (The P-39 was at first for a short time designated XP-45.) The aircraft's unusual design featured its Allison engine mounted in the middle of the fuselage, just behind the pilot, driving the propeller through a driveshaft passing between the pilot's feet. Entry to the cockpit was through a side door rather than a moving canopy. The weight distribution of the P-39 supposedly is the reason for its tendency to enter a dangerous flat spin.
Source: wikipedia.org |
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Type: Fighter
Mfr: Bell Aircraft Corp
Maiden Flight: 4-1939
Introduced: 1941
Primary User: USAAF
Number Built: 9,584
Crew: One
Length: 30 ft 2 in
Wingspan: 34 ft 0 in
Height: 12 ft 5 in
Wing area: 213 ft²
Empty weight: 5,347 lb
Loaded weight: 7,379 lb
Powerplant: Allison V-1710-85
liquid-cooled V-12, 1,200 hp
Maximum speed: 376 mph
Range: 1,098 miles
Service ceiling: 35,000 ft
Rate of climb: 3,750 ft/min
Wing loading: 34.6 lb/ft²
Power/mass: 6 lb/hp
Source: wikipedia.org
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