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Bell P-63 Kingcobra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_P-63_Kingcobra
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft in World War II from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies. Although the P-63 was not accepted for combat use by the United States Army Air Forces, it was adopted by the Soviet Air Force. While the P-39 had originally been introduced as an interceptor, later in its development it was decided to reduce the cost and complexity of the engine by removing the turbocharger. High-altitude performance suffered dramatically as a result, and Bell proposed an experimental series to test out a variety of solutions. The resulting XP-39E featured two primary changes from the earlier P-39D from which it was developed. One was a redesigned wing. The root airfoil, a NACA 0015 on other models of the P-39, was changed to a NACA 0018, to gain internal volume. The other was a switch to the Continental I-1430 engine, which featured an improved overall design developed from the hyper engine efforts, as well as an improved supercharger. Although the XP-39E proved disappointing, the USAAF was nevertheless interested in an even larger aircraft based on the same basic layout. Even before its first flight, the USAAF placed an order on 27 June 1941 for two prototypes of an enlarged version powered by the same V-1710-47. The new design was given the designation XP-63 and serials were 41-19511 and 41-19512. A third prototype was also ordered, 42-78015, using the Packard V-1650, the U.S.-built version of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. In September 1942, even before the prototype flew, the USAAF ordered it into production as the P-63A (Model 33). The P-63A's armament was to be the same as the current P-39Q, a single 37 mm (1.46 in) M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub, two synchronized 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the cowl, and two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in underwing gondolas. Role Fighter aircraft National origin United States Manufacturer Bell Aircraft First flight 7 December 1942 Introduction October 1943 Status Retired Primary users United States Army Air Forces Soviet Air Force French Air Force Produced 1943–1945 Number built 3,303 Unit cost US$65,914 (1945) Developed from Bell P-39 Airacobra Deliveries of production P-63As began in October 1943. The USAAF concluded the Kingcobra was inferior to the Mustang, and declined to order larger quantities. American allies, particularly the Soviet Union, had a great need for fighter aircraft, however, and the Soviets were already the largest users of the Airacobra. Therefore, the Kingcobra was ordered into production to be delivered under Lend-Lease. In February 1944, the Soviet government sent a highly experienced test pilot, Andrey G. Kochetkov, and an aviation engineer, Fyodor P. Suprun, to the Bell factories to participate in the development of the first production variant, the P-63A. Initially ignored by Bell engineers, Kochetkov's expert testing of the machine's spin characteristics (which led to airframe buckling) eventually led to a significant Soviet role in the development. After flat spin recovery proved impossible, and upon Kochetkov's making a final recommendation that pilots should bail out upon entering such a spin, he received a commendation from the Irving Parachute Company. The Kingcobra’s maximum aft CG was moved forward to facilitate recovery from spins. Swept-wing L-39 Two war surplus P-63Cs were modified by Bell under Navy contract for flight testing of low-speed and stall characteristics of high-speed wing designs. The aircraft received new wings with adjustable leading edge slats, trailing edge flaps and a pronounced sweep of 35 degrees. The wings had no wheel wells; only the nose gear was retractable. L-39-1 first flew 23 April 1946, demonstrating a need for extra tail surface and rear fuselage length to balance the aircraft in flight—the wing repositioning reduced empennage effectiveness and moved the center of lift aft. A lighter three-bladed propeller from a P-39Q-10 was mounted and the necessary changes to the empennage were made. L-39-2 incorporated these adjustments from the start. L-39-1 later went to NACA at Langley for wind tunnel testing, where much valuable data were gathered. L-39-2 also served as a testbed for the Bell X-2 40-degree wing design. Specifications (P-63A) General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 32 ft 8 in (10.0 m) Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.7 m) Height: 12 ft 7 in (3.8 m) Wing area: 248 sq?ft (23 m²) Empty weight: 6,800 lb (3,100 kg) Loaded weight: 8,800 lb (4,000 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 10,700 lb (4,900 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Allison V-1710-117 liquid-cooled V-12, 1,800 hp (1,340 kW) Performance Maximum speed: 410 mph (660 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m) Range: 450 mi (725 km) Ferry range: 2,200 mi (3,540 km) Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m) Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (12.7 m/s) Wing loading: 35.48 lb/sq?ft (173.91 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.34 kW/kg) Armament Guns: 1× 37 mm M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub. From the A-9 version of the aircraft onward, the M4 gun was replaced with the slightly improved M10 37 mm cannon, which used a disintegrating link ammunition belt, increasing the ammo capacity to 58 rounds; the M10 also had a slightly higher rate of fire. 4× 0.50 in (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns (two synchronized in the nose, two in the wings) Bombs: 1,500 lb (680 kg) bomb load on wing and fuselage * |
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