P-39Q ever have a 20mm as a Field Mod?

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

You have to remember we have the D-1
Not the P39D-2 .


I wish we did have the p39D-2 as it had a bit more horse power.

[Squire]

Actually Captain Boyd Wagner was a USAAC P-40 ace from the Phillipines and said the P-39 was the better fighter, he scored kills in both types.  

First P-39 vs A6M2 Zero encounter was a dogfight over Lae, New Guinea, P-39: 4 kills, Zero: 3 kills.  

It was much more the tactics employed than the a/c. Neither the P-40 or the P-39 were veiwed as a match in a turning fight vs IJ fighters, and the crews wanted a fighter that possessed better speed and survivability, which is why the P-38 and P-47 replaced both as the front line USAAF fighter in the Pacific in 1943.

...and Russian air force units did not count ground kills. The Russians flew some of the later models of the P-39 like the N/Q version, and their main job was shooting down bombers and recon a/c, not just enemy fighters. On the Eastern front, the P-39s short range was not a hindrance, as most VVS units flew close to the front, and most combats took place below 15,000 ft, so they were able to get the most out of it. It was never an uber fighter like the LA-7, or Yak-9U, but it served well. The Russians genuinely liked it, despite it being a "foreign" type.

There is a lot of "bumper sticker" crap said and written about the P-39, some of it deserving, some not as much.

[Serenity]

P-63 could climb a heck of a lot faster than any U.S. made plane.

So... who do you suppose built the P-63? 

[MiloMorai]

P-63 could climb a heck of a lot faster than any U.S. made plane.

Got the numbers to back up that statement?

[angelsandair]

Got the quote from WideWing

If one considers 420 mph at 21,000 feet poor performance. Let's face it, 95% of all engagements in AH2 are below 20,000 feet.

The answer to the La-7 is the P-63A Kingcobra. Similar climb and low-level speed, but the P-63 is nearly as maneuverable as the FM-2. Add four .50 cal MGs and a 37mm cannon.

These two fighters would be very equal except that the La-7 could not afford to turn-fight with the P-63, and the P-63 has a big range advantage, plus the ability to haul a 500 pound bomb (or a drop tank).

So, how fast does the P-63A climb? Well, for comparison, let's look at the F6F-5. It requires 7.7 minutes to climb to 15,000 feet. In contrast, the P-63A can get to 25,000 feet in 7.3 minutes! The P-51D requires near twice as long (13 minutes) to reach 30,000 feet.

When the Soviets first began flying the P-63, they found the tail to be weaker than that of the P-39. Bell developed a kit for strengthening the tail and Bell technicians made field modifications to those planes in service. That change was immediately incorporated into the production line as well.

Pilots who flew the P-63, and had time in the other major U.S. types, generally agreed that the P-63 was far and away the best performer at low to medium altitudes. Not surprising, the pilots flying it at the Joint Fighter Conference differed from rave reviews to outright dislike (the only thing the JFC ever proved was that every monkey prefers his own banana).

Since more than 3,300 P-63s were built, and it saw combat (with the Free French and Soviets) in far greater numbers than the F4U-1C or Ta 152H, I think it would be an excellent candidate for inclusion in the AH2 plane-set someday.

My regards,

Widewing

[Warspawn]

I wish we had the P-63 here; it would get so much more use in LW arenas than the '39.  Weren't alot of pilots flying the P-63 not allowed to talk about it or have scores recorded?  I believe they were supposed to be used against the Japanese, but were actually fielded in large numbers vs. the Germans...

[angelsandair]

Yea, exactly that. Pokryshkin's Fighter Squadron had supposedly been fielded them. The Americans gave it to the Russians in 1944 for the attack against Japan (which probably wouldn't happen till a whole lot later), the Russians would obviously use them no doubt.

It would be like giving a child a new toy on December 26, but then telling him he cant play with it till Next Christmas, but then, leaving it in his room opened....