p-39 uses

[Turbo76]

I know the USA lend-leased many -p39's to the Russians. How where they used ( for what types of operations) and how did the Americans use them? What did the plane excell best in?
Finally,what airplanes replaced it ( if any ) in these roles? TIA

Turbo

[Noir]

The P39Q served as a low alt fighter to cover the ground attack planes like the IL2 and hunt the german attack planes (its good for nothing over 15K), I remind you the russian front was about ground control and low alt caping. 9GIAP used P39Q during kursk battle in July 1944, and traded them with La7's afterwards. Talk about an upgrade More details here : http://www.9giap.com/history.php?PHPSESSID=b7cb7c27cb804df50d6bf2a0ff94734e

I don't know how the US used them.

[angelsandair]

U.S. used them in Guadalcanal for low alt dogfighting, close air support, and ship hunting if I recall. It's been a while since I've read the book though. 

[Saxman]

Angel pretty much has it.

This is more or less where the P-39 will fit in the Mains.

She'll be most competitive in the Early and Midwar arenas as a low-altitude fighter. She's wasted as a high-altitude interceptor so will be lunchmeat above 15k. She should be effective as a ground-attack aircraft in Early and Mid, where none of the fighters or single-engine bombers (Val, SBD, etc) have a real appreciable bomb load. In LW she'll be overall outmatched by the Late War iron. The P-51s, later P-47s, P-38s, F6F and F4Us all give a much larger ordinance package, and offer SIGNIFICANTLY better performance air-to-air once their ordinance is away. She'll probably continue seeing some utility as a low or medium-altitude furballer. However it'll be the Mid and Early arenas where she'll see the most use.

[Krusty]

The Q will have a definite following in the MA is my guess. The D will be a hangar queen.

The funny part is I'm much happier we have the D than the Q!! It's been lacking from scenarios/events for a long time!

[Oldman731]

The Q will have a definite following in the MA is my guess. The D will be a hangar queen.

The funny part is I'm much happier we have the D than the Q!! It's been lacking from scenarios/events for a long time!

Don't worry, we'll put them both to good use in AvA.

- oldman

[MachNum]

It's interesting that the P-39 was originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor. Between design and production, however, it lost the turbosupercharger and the high-altitude engine, which limited its performance. As a result, it really only did well in low altitude roles such as ground attack. In the fun fact department, the original M4 gun in the P-39 was built by Oldsmobile. Also, the P-39 holds the honor as the highest scoring US aircraft of WW2 - a Russian pilot, Grigori Rechkalov, scored 57 victories with the P-39.

[angelsandair]

It's interesting that the P-39 was originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor. Between design and production, however, it lost the turbosupercharger and the high-altitude engine, which limited its performance. As a result, it really only did well in low altitude roles such as ground attack. In the fun fact department, the original M4 gun in the P-39 was built by Oldsmobile. Also, the P-39 holds the honor as the highest scoring US aircraft of WW2 - a Russian pilot, Grigori Rechkalov, scored 57 victories with the P-39.

Yep, they didnt give it the wanted Turbo charger.

[LEDPIG]

Check this out ...

http://home.att.net/~C.C.Jordan/XP-39.html

[snowey]

It's interesting that the P-39 was originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor. Between design and production, however, it lost the turbosupercharger and the high-altitude engine, which limited its performance. As a result, it really only did well in low altitude roles such as ground attack. In the fun fact department, the original M4 gun in the P-39 was built by Oldsmobile. Also, the P-39 holds the honor as the highest scoring US aircraft of WW2 - a Russian pilot, Grigori Rechkalov, scored 57 victories with the P-39.

no the advisory comision thought the only threat we would have would be ground problems not bombers so they said take off the turbosupercharger

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

Ledpig, every time i read about the 39 having a turbo charger, i  a little inside.
Then i wish i could go back in time, and kick the person who made that choice to have it deleted RIGHT in his man package.


 

[SgtPappy]

Same to whoever decided to kick the P-38K out of production or lowered the power ratings of the P-38L.