P-39: N or Q? VVS?

[leonid]

Pyro,
If, by chance, the situation ever arises for the entry of the Airacobra into AH, would you consider the following?  The VVS P-39 w/o wing guns and Pokryshkin's markings.

I figure since it was only the Russians who turned it into an ace machine that their version of the Kobra be represented.  Besides, the USAAF and RAF thought it was a dog.


[This message has been edited by leonid (edited 10-21-1999).]

[Westy]

Pass the P-39 right on by. Go for the P-63.

  --Westy

[leonid]

Sorry Westy, but it was quite the aircraft among certain fighter air regiments.  You almost never hear anything about the P-63 when reading literature about the VVS.

The battle of the Kuban Bridgehead might have something to do the Kobra's stature in the VVS.  It was an air campaign fought from April to May of 1943, mostly in support of limited offensives around Novorissisk and Krymskaya.  It was the first instance of the VVS going on a major offensive footing.  The VVS air commander of the sector, Vershinin, said that at the height of the battle an aircraft was falling from the sky every ten minutes.  On many days there was as much as 100 engagements.  The Russians considered this campaign as the 'coming of age' of the VVS.  And this is where the P-39 made its mark as a formidable fighter.  With units like the 16 GvIAP and 45 IAP.  The battle of the Kuban Bridgehead was as important to the Soviet Union as the battle of Midway was to the USA.

Just a little history from around the world ...

[This message has been edited by leonid (edited 11-02-1999).]

[Vermillion]

Hmmmm.... a P-63 KingCobra in VVS markings?

I'm all for it !  

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Vermillion
WB's: (verm--), **MOL**, Men of Leisure,
 

[This message has been edited by Vermillion (edited 10-21-1999).]

[SixGun]

I am all for the russian markings but look in your magazine shop, one of the new aircraft mags(air combat?) has a reassessment of the success of the P39 in the pacific.

[aircat]

I dont CARE what markings it has.. I would love that HUGE cannon   I loved it in WB and now my flying style now matches it better   .... I know a lot of people hated it when I HOed them in it <G>

[Westy]

Actually Leonid I am all for the P39 and in
Soviet markings.
I figured Aces High seemd to be talkin about
modeling the exotic a bit and figured I'd holler out for the btter performing Cobra  

I'm not an expert on Kuban but I've read about it. That would make an awesome scenario.

  -Westy

[leonid]

aircat:
Well, if you like the P-39 you might like the Yak-9T even better.  This aircraft also  came out about the time of Kursk.  It was a Yak-9 with the cockpit pushed astern a tad  to make room for the NS-37, a 37mm cannon that was quite a bit better than the P-39's M-3.  Due to the cockpit reconfiguration, the Yak-9T had a little faster response when pitched up too.  Combine the firepower of the NS-37 with the 12.7mm UBS on the left nose and you have in the Yak-9T an aircraft that punched out more armament mass per sec than the 5-gun configuration of the Bf 109G-10 (two 13mm mg, three 20mm cannon)!

westy:
The Kingcobra would be cool too, actually  


[This message has been edited by leonid (edited 10-22-1999).]

[funked]

Leonid - I think P-63 would be a much better competitor than the P-39 when you look at the current planes in AH.

With the laminar flow wings, two-stage supercharger, and water injection, this plane could do 425 mph at 25,000 feet and climb in excess of 4500 fpm.  Ailerons were reported to be excellent even at high speeds, and the turn performance was significantly better than anything in the US arsenal.  This plane would be a monster in a dogfight.

Armament was 2 x .50 cal in the nose (200 rounds each), 2 .50 cal in the wings (900 rounds each) plus an improved 37mm cannon (M10) with 58 rounds.  More lethal armament than the P-39, and a much longer firing time.

2400 of these were supplied to the USSR, which is a very large number compared to N1K or Fw 190A-8 production.

[Vermillion]

Agreed Funk.

Another plus for the P-63 is that it is the 2nd fastest accelerator in the US Arsenal, behind the P-39 (1st), and ahead of the P-51(3rd).

Would really be a terror in the arena   I would love to see it modeled.

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Vermillion
WB's: (verm--), **MOL**, Men of Leisure,

[leonid]

Oh, I didn't mean to model it now.  No, no, no!  With all this late war hardware?  That would be suicide    No, I meant when the time arrives to put in mid-war aircraft that it be included.  Along with the Bf 109G-6, Yak-9D, Fw 190A-4, P-38, P-47, etc. etc. etc.


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129 IAP VVS RKKA

[Laika]

cc ... I'm all for the "Iron Dog" in Ruskie markings.. P39 or 63


 

[Jochen]

 

Combine the firepower of the NS-37 with the 12.7mm UBS on the left nose and you have in the Yak-9T an aircraft that punched out more armament mass per sec than the 5-gun configuration of the Bf 109G-10 (two 13mm mg, three 20mm cannon)!

Left nose? It had two noses?

 

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jochen
Geschwaderkommodore
Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' (Warbirds)

If you ever get across the sea to England,
Then maybe at the closing of the day
The bars will all be serving German lager
Which means we won the war - hip hip hooray!

[SnakeEyes]

Verm... isn't it amazing how slow the US aircraft accelerate.  

PS - Where did you get that acceleration info??

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SnakeEyes
o-o-o-
=4th Fighter Group=

[Vermillion]

SnakeEyes

Acceleration information is in Chapter 5 of:

Title: America's Hundred Thousand
Author: Francis Dean
ISBN: 0-7643-0072-5

I figure you already have a copy, but I thought I would list it out for some of the guys that haven't seen it yet.

Easily the best US Fighter Book available,with detailed technical data and information.

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Vermillion
WB's: (verm--), **MOL**, Men of Leisure,
"Real men fly Radials, Nancy Boys fly Spitfires "