World of Warbirds on MSN

Bell P-39 Airacobra, the radical cannon fighter rejected by the West but perfect for Russia

Built around a powerful nose-mounted cannon and an unconventional mid-engine layout, the Bell P-39 Airacobra promised a new kind of fighter but stumbled at altitude. Follow its troubled development, ...
autoevolution

Bell P-39 Airacobra: Mid Engined, But No C8 Corvette With Wings

Do you want to know why people don't build mid-engined airplanes anymore? It's because it took until after the Second World War for folks to realize mid-engined vehicles don't make practical sense ...
The National Interest

American Pilots Hated the P-39 Airacobra – But Russia Loved It

Here’s What You Need To Remember: The anecdote shows that fighter planes must be relevant to the purpose they are employed for. In the case of the P-39, a plane that didn’t work for the United States ...
insider.si.edu

Airacobra Advantage : the flying cannon : the complete story of Bell Aircraft Corporation's P-39 pursuit fighter plane / by Rick Mitchell

https://siris-libraries.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=liball&source=~!silibraries&uri=full=3100001~!472724~!0#focus ...
The National Interest

Russia Loved America’s Worst World War II Fighter

Here’s What You Need To Remember: Ironically, the designers at Bell created a fighter that poorly fit the operational needs of the U.S. military, but that worked just fine for the low-level tactical ...
insider.si.edu

Bell "Airacobra" P-39 Pursuit ∙ U.S. Army Air Force

IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. Colored offset lithograph of a Bell ...