#p 39

Today in 1938, the P-39 Airacobra prototype had its first test flight. The P-39 was a beautifully sleek but somewhat unconventional airplane whose final production version benefited from the NACA's Full Scale Tunnel Drag Cleanup program.

Flight commander of the 69th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, Guards Lieutenant Semyon Alekseevich Filatov (born 1916) stands on the wing of his American-made P-39N Airacobra fighter (Bell P-39N Aircobra). May-June 1944

From October 5, 1943, Lieutenant S. A. Filatov served on the front lines of the Great Patriotic War. On October 21, 1943, he was shot down in combat, suffering a severe shrapnel wound and burns to his face and hands.

He returned to duty. By May 1945, Guards Senior Lieutenant S. A. Filatov had flown approximately 150 combat sorties and fought in approximately 30 air battles, during which he personally shot down 13 enemy aircraft.

The Bell airacroba AH574 landing aboard the escort carrier HMS Pretoria Castle on 4 April 1945. This was the first time a British pilot landed an aircraft equipped with tricycle landing gear aboard an aircraft carrier.

AH574 was among the production aircobras sold to the Royal Air Force, ordered in 1940. Following dissatisfaction with the airacobra, they were transferred to the Soviet Union. The sole exception was AH574 that was retained for testing purposes by the Royal Navy.

AH574 was being flown by legendary British test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown for trials with HMS Pretoria Castle. The airacobra was only to conduct landing approaches, but was not meant to actually land. The landing gear was not thought strong-enough to handle a carrier landing.

Brown, who wanted to secure the honor of landing the first aircraft with tricycle landing gear on a carrier, decided differently. After confirming with aircrew that the airacobra should be able to withstand a carrier landing, he then approached the captain of HMS Pretoria Castle, Captain Caspar John. Brown asked that if he would have permission to land on HMS Pretoria Castle in the event of a mechanical issue. According to Brown's memoirs, Captain John immediately saw what the goal was. He suggested that it would be best for any mechanical issues to occur on the final landing approach.

On the day of the test, Eric Brown began a mock landing approach. As he neared the carrier, he then announced that he was suffering engine problems and asked to land. Almost as it were expected, Captain John answered on the radio with an affirmative. Brown then neatly landed aboard HMS Pretoria Castle without issue, becoming the first pilot to land an aircraft with a tricycle landing on a carrier!

Photos courtesy of the British Ministry of Defense

1941 Airacobra AH435 at Bell’s Buffalo, New York, factory airfield. RAF 601 Squadron re-armed with the Airacobra, but the performance was considered poor.

P-39 Airacobra, which crashed into a Tiger Moth while landing at Magenta airfield, New Caledonia, 1943

➤VIDEO: https://youtu.be/342xJDEbaTY

An American Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter that crashed at Nome Airfield in Alaska.

#USAF #F15 #USSR #BOTD: April 6, 1938: Bell P-39 Airacobra was an unconventional fighter with a mid-engine design, side opening "car doors" and a 37 mm cannon firing through the prop + 2 x or 4 x .50 cal MGs. Great visibility and balance marred by marginal high-level performance.

Servicing of a P-39Q fighter (Bell P-39Q Airacobra) of the 68th Fighter Squadron (68FS) of the 347th Fighter Group (347FG) of the 13th Air Force (13AF) of the US Air Force at the airfield on Mys Torokina before a combat sortie. April 1944.