SPECIAL HOBBY Airacobra Mk. I/P-39F Instruction

CZ - Historie
NA VOD / INSTRUCTION - SH32025
Airacobra Mk. I/P-39F
"in RAF & RAAF service" 1/32
V unoru a breznu 1937 vydalo veleni USAAC specifikace na projekty novych vyskovych jedno a dvoumotorovych pfepadovych stihacek. V
ramci souteze o jednomotorovou stihacku pfedlozila mlada firma Bell dva projekty, oznacene cisly 3 a 4. Projekt 4 se stal vitezem a USAAC
objednalo stavbu prototypu. Letoun dostal oznaceni XP-39 a vzletl S.dubna 1939. Slo o velmi neortodoxni konstrukci, celokovovy letoun mel
zatahovaci pfid'ovy podvozek, motor s turbokompresorem umisteny za kabinou. Kabina sama byla kapkoviteho tvaru s dvefmi
automobiloveho typu. Protoze se pri prvnich testech ukazalo, ze letoun nedosahuje vypoctenych vykonu, byl testovan v aerodynamickem
tunelu. V ramci uprav byl odstranen turbokompresor, ktery byl zdrojem aerodynamickeho odporu. Stroj dostal po upravach oznaceni XP-39B.
Odstraneni turbokompresoru melo pozdeji vliv na vykony P-39 ve vetsich vyskach. Tim se stihacka konstruovana jako vyskova stala stihackou
pro stfedni a nizsi vysky. Dalsi P-39 byly vybaveny jiz motory bez turbokompresoru (u dvou kusu se pozdeji zkousely turbokompresory
podvesene). Po trinacti kusech pfedseriovych YP-39 byla vyrabena prvni seriova verze P-39C Airacobra. Ta slouzila Jen k vycviku na uzemi
USA. To jiz skoro rok trvala druha svetova valka. Proto P-39 objednala jak francouzska, tak britska nakupni komise. Francie padla drive nez
mohla P-39 dostat. Stroje dodane do Velke Britanie dostaly exportni oznaceni P-400 a jmeno Caribou Mk.l. To bylo brzy zmeneno na Airacobra
Mk.l. Stroje byly zklamanim, nedosahovaly vykonu udavanych vyrobcem a jejich vyskove vlastnosti byly spatne. Do vyzbroje je dostala jedina
601. squadrona. Ve vyzbroji RAF nezustaiy dlouho a vetsina byla poslana do SSSR. Cast stroju byla zabavena jeste pred dodanim do Velke
Britanie pro USAAF po napadeni Pearl Harboru a nasazena do boju v Pacifiku pod oznacenim P-400. Exportni verzi odpovidala pro USAAF
stavena P-39D, ktera je take spojena se zacatkem boju proti Japoncum. V techto bojich ziskala Airacobra nepfilis dobrou povest. Na vine jsou
ale spise nez spatne vlastnosti Airacober hiavne podminky vzdusnych boju, kdy byly americti piloti jako obranci vetsinou v nevyhode.
Airacobra byla dale produkovana v dalsich verzich P-39F, J, K, L, M, N a Q. Jednotlive verze se odlisovaly vybavenim, verzemi motoru a typy
vrtuli. Posledni verze P-39Q mela zesilenou vyzbroj. Kridelni kulomety raze 7,7mm byly odstraneny a misto nich zaveseny do schranek pod
kfidlo dva kulomety raze 12,7 mm. Krome USAAF, ktere nasadilo Airacobry do boju proti Japoncum a v Africe (P-39 USAAF byly sice umisteny i
na Britske ostrovy, ale nezasahly do boju a byly presunuty do Afriky) a RAF se Airacobry za valky nebo po valce dostaly do vyzbroje RAAF,
francouzskeho, italskeho a portugalskeho letectva. Nejvetsim uzivatelem se mimo USAAF stalo letectvo Rude Armady. V podminkach
Vychodni fronty, kde boje probihaly v nizsich vyskach se Airacobry nesporne osvedcily. Patrily mezi nejoblibenejsi stihacky Rude armady a
letalo na nich velke mnozstvi es.
TechnickadataP-39D-1:
Rozpeti: 10,37 m, delka: 9,21 m, max. rychlost: 539 km/h ve vysce 1524m a 579 km/h ve vysce 4572m, dole* na vnitfni nadrze: 724 km, vystup
do 3050 m: 5 min 6 s, dostup: 8 840 m,
Vyzbroj: 1 x kanon Hispano Suiza Mk.l raze 20 mm (Verze P-39D mela 1x kanon M4 raze 37 mm), 2x kulomet 12,7 mm, 4x kulomet 7,7 mm.
EN -History
In February and March, 1937, the USAAC issued specifications calling for high altitude, single and twin engined interceptors. The Young Bell
Company, in the course of the single engined interceptor competition, proposed two projects, designated No.3 and 4. The No.4 project won the
contest, and the USAAC ordered the manufacture of a prototype. The aircraft was designated the XP-39, and it first took to the air on April 6.
1939. The aircraft featured a very unorthodox design consisting of a tricycle landing gear, and with the engine supercharger located behind the
cockpit. The canopy itself was of a tear drop shape, with car-like boarding doors. The first flight test revealed low performance, and the
prototype testing was moved to a wind tunnel. Subsequent modification comprised the deletion of the supercharger, which was a source of
excessive drag. The modified aircraft was re-designated as the XP-39B. The deletion of the supercharger later led to low performance at higher
altitudes, and what was originally intended as a high altitude fighter, became a low and medium altitude fighter. Subsequent P-39s were
powered by engines without superchargers (two aircraft were tested with externally mounted superchargers above or below the fuselage). The
pre-production batch of 13 YP-39s was followed by the first production version, the P-39C. This version served for flight training in the USA only.
At that time, the Second World War had been going on for over a year, and as a result, the P-39 were ordered by French and British purchasing
groups, France had surrendered before the P-39s could be delivered. The aircraft delivered to Great Britain received the export designation
P-400, and were named Caribou Mk.l. This name was soon changed to Airacobra Mk.l. The aircraft were a big disappointment. They not only
did not perform as advertised, but high altitude performance was bad. They were assigned to the 601st Squadron, but RAF service didnst last
long, and most of the aircraft were delivered to the USSR. A part of the delivery for Great Britain was confiscated for the USAAF. When Pearl
Harbor was attacked, these aircraft were deployed to the Pacific area under the designation P-400. The P-39D produced for the USAAF. an
equivalent of the export version, is associated with initial combat against Japan. At that time, the Airacobras began to earn their bad reputation
The blame can however be attributed to the combat conditions rather than to the type itself. American pilots found themselves in defensive
fights, and so were at a disadvantage. Airacobras were further developed and produced as the P-39F, J, K, L, M, N and Q. Specific versions
differed in equipment, engine variants, and propeller types. The last version, the P-39Q received heavy armament. The wing mounted 7.7mm
machine guns were deleted and 12.7 mm machine guns in pods were mounted below the wing. USAAF deployed Airacobras against Japan in
the Pacific theatre, and in Africa (USAAF P-39s were stationed on British Islands but were later relocated to Africa). The post war era saw the
Airacobra in RAAF service and also with the French, Italian and Portuguese air forces. The biggest user besides the USAAF was the Red Army
Air Force. Airacobras proved to be very effective under Eastern Front conditions where combat took place at low altitudes. They were one of the
most popular fighter aircraft among the Red Army Air Force pilots, and many Aces usedthem as personal mounts.
Technical data P-39D-1:
Wingspan: 10.37m, Length: 9.21m, Max. Speed: 539 kmh at 1524m and 579 kmh at 4,572m, Range without external fuel tanks: 724 km.
Climb to 3.050m: 5 min 6 s, Ceiling: 8,840m, Armament: 1x 20 mm Hispano Suiza Mk.l cannon (P-39D equipped with 37mm M4 cannon-
2x 12.7 mm machine guns, 4x 7.7 mm machine guns.