P-39 Airacobra In Action
SS10234
Softcover

By David Doyle.
While the Bell P-39 is often thought of as a premier fighter in
the hands of Soviet pilots, it is also well-remembered as an
airplane that was almost a great fighter. So great was the Soviet

success with the P-39, some forget that the aircraft also served
well for the British, Free French, and the United States, on
whom this volume focuses. Created in response to the U.S. Army
Air Corps Circular Proposal X-609, issued in February 1937, Bell
Aircraft’s P-39 boasted an innovative layout. The engine was
positioned behind the pilot with a long shaft connecting it to
the propeller. Lack of a turbo-supercharger and limited room for
on-board fuel tanks made the aircraft ill-suited to high-altitude

combat, and as a result many of the P-39s were shipped off to
the Soviet Union, where relatively low speeds and low altitudes
were characteristic of air combat. Soviet pilots appreciated the
P-39’s armament, particularly its 37mm nose cannon. Despite its
high-altitude limitations, American combat forces made good use
of the P-39 in the Mediterranean and Pacific theaters, where in
lower-altitude engagements, the aircraft held its own against
Zeros and other enemy planes. Illustrated with 170 photos,
detailed line drawings, and more than a dozen color profiles.

80 pages. ISBN = 978-0-89747-769-7.