At least one poster called FDRs fighter plane (P-39)a POS

Robert · Oct 8, 2021

I was surprised by the insult but want to clear up more about the P-39 fighter plane.

America had the F designation for fighters and the P designation for pursuit.
Also when FDR supplied a number of countries with his P-39 Pursuit plane, he fancied it as a good war plane.
Now looking at the results the Russians got vs our guys results, the Russians had a huge number of kills and liked the airplane a lot.

When WW2 began for the United States in Dec 1941, the first operational squadron equipped with P-39 Airacobra fighters was 39th Pursuit Squadron of 31st Pursuit Group, based at Selfridge Field in Michigan, United States. Many of the American pilots had similar negative opinions as their British counterparts in regards to the P-39 design, and as a result several US P-39 squadrons based in Britain were re-equipped with Spitfire V fighters instead. 200 P-39 Airacobra fighters, re-designated P-400, were sent to the South Pacific. P-39 Airacobra fighters (specifically, P-39D variant) saw their first combat against the Japanese over New Guinea island, with pilots of 8th Fighter Group in the cockpits. Later in the war, in Feb 1944, the Tuskegee African-American pilots were assigned P-39 aircraft during the Italian campaign; after supporting the landing operations at Anzio and raiding German and Italian shipping, they were replaced by P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang fighters in Jun and Jul 1944, respectively. USAAF Lieutenant Bill Fiedler became the only American to become an ace with the P-39 Airacobra fighter.

ww2dbaseA total of 4,924 P-39 fighters were allocated to the Soviet Union, of which 4,758 safely made it to their destinations. Soviet Air Force pilots discovered a problem with P-39 Airacobra fighters in which the aircraft could enter dangerous flat spins when the aircraft was improperly loaded, i.e. not enough weight in the front of the aircraft. Bell did not have a solution for this problem other than stressing the importance of proper weight distribution. Despite of this issue, Soviet pilots appreciated these fighters for their air-to-air combat capabilities, particularly regarding the 37-millimeter T9 cannons that could inflict heavy damage to enemy aircraft with only a few shots. While British and American pilots complained of the inadequacies in high altitudes, Soviet pilots found this characteristic to be of little concern, as the war in Eastern Europe required fewer high altitude operations. Soviet pilot Nikolai G. Golodnikov noted:

I liked the Cobra, especially the Q-5 version. It was the lightest version of all Cobras and was the best fighter I ever flew. The cockpit was very comfortable, and visibility was outstanding. The instrument panel was very ergonomic, with the entire complement of instruments right up to an artificial horizon and radio compass. It even had a relief tube in the shape of a funnel. The armored glass was very strong, extremely thick. The armor on the back was also thick. The oxygen equipment was reliable, although the mask was quite small, only covering the nose and mouth. We wore that mask only at high altitude. The HF radio set was powerful, reliable and clear.
ww2dbaseMany Soviet pilots, including Aleksandr Pokryshkin and Grigori Rechkalov, reached ace status while flying P-39 Airacobra fighters.

ww2dbaseThe Royal Australian Air Force received used American P-39 Airacobra fighters in Jul 1942 as a measure to quickly bolster the Australian air defense capability. None of them saw combat before the P-39 fighters were replaced by better performing aircraft.

ww2dbaseBetween mid-1943 and late-1944, Free French forces operated some P-39N and P-39Q fighters, based in North Africa. They were replaced by P-47 Thunderbolt fighters in the latter part of the war.

ww2dbaseIn Jun 1944, as a part of the Allies after the fall of Benito Mussolini's government in 1943, Italy received 170 P-39 fighters. 149 of them were used by the Italian Air Force, some for front line service while others were retained for training missions only. After the war, Italy purchased 46 surviving aircraft from the US at an inexpensive price and kept them in service until 1951.
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At least one poster called FDRs fighter plane (P-39)a POS

Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

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At least one poster called FDRs fighter plane (P-39)a POS

Robert Well-Known Member Past Donor

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