P-39Q Airacobra 4 Stormo, Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, Italy, 1945 (1:72)

The Bell P-39 Airacobra originally flew with excellent performance but by the time the aircraft reached the front lines the Army Air Corp had changed so many features that the plane was far from what Bell had originally designed. They added weight, removed the supercharger from the Allison engine that didn't have the power it claimed. What could have been and should have been one of the best aircraft of WWII turned out to be much less. Even with all its flaws they still produced 9,584 P-39s.

The Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force was formed in October 1943 after the Italian armistice a month earlier. The Italian pilots now flew for the Allies and in June and July 1944 received 75 former USAAF 332nd Fighter Group P-39Qs. These aircraft equipped the Gruppi 9 and 10 of 4 Stormo and the name J. Baracca was to honor an Italian Ace from WWI. The black prancing horse was used because it was Baracca's aircraft emblem. This horse emblem would go on to become the famous Ferrari emblem.

Specifications / P-39Q Airacobra

Manufacturer Bell Aircraft

Role Fighter

Crew (1) pilot

First flight April 6, 1938

Introduced into active duty 1941

Production time span 1940/May 1944

Number built 9,584

Dimensions
Length 30 ft 2 in (9.2 m)
Wingspan 34 ft (10.4 m)
Height 12 ft 5 in (3.8 m)
Wing Area 213 ft (19.8 m)

Weights
Empty 5,347 lb (2,425 kg)
Loaded 7,379 lb (3,347 kg)
Max takeoff 8,400 lb (3,800 kg)

Performance
Engine (1) Allison V-1710-85 liquid-cooled V-12, 1,200 hp (895 kw)
Maximum speed 376 mph (605 km/h)
Maximum dive speed 525 mph (845 km/h)
Range 1,098 miles (1,770 km)
Service ceiling 35,000 ft (10,700 m)
Rate of climb 3,750 ft/min (19 m/s)
Time to 15,000 ft 4.5 minutes at 160 mph (260 km/h)

Armament
(1) 37 mm M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub, ROF 140 rpm with 30 rounds of HE ammo.

(4) .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns ROF 750 rpm one gun in each wing and two guns in the cowl with a ROF of 300 rpm for each.

Ammo 200 rounds per nose cowl gun, 300 rounds in pods under the wings for each wing gun.

Up to 500 lb (230 kg) of external bombs.

P-39Q-21 used the 4-bladed propeller while the P-39Q-30 reverted to the 3-bladed propeller because the 4-bladed prop worsened directional stability.