Help flying the P39

[Widewing]

We have a early P-39Q, which is as fast as a P-38J/L at 10k... Not bad.

The P-39Q-30 was very capable, good enough to be a serious contender with many late war types.




When we look at the P-63A, we find a fighter that offers low level performance that exceeds that of the La-7.

[Oldman731]

We have a early P-39Q, which is as fast as a P-38J/L at 10k... Not bad.

Thanks, Widewing.

- oldman

[caldera]

The P-39D is crap and best left in the hangar. 

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

I understand and respect any and every 39 and A20 i see. I know what i can do with them..and i will never underestimate my enemy or myself in one. 

[bozon]

We have a early P-39Q, which is as fast as a P-38J/L at 10k... Not bad.

The P-39Q-30 was very capable, good enough to be a serious contender with many late war types.

(Image removed from quote.)


When we look at the P-63A, we find a fighter that offers low level performance that exceeds that of the La-7.

(Image removed from quote.)

Holy cowling! is that 380 mph at sea level?! and somewhere between 4500-5000 fpm climb rate ?!

[Widewing]

Holy cowling! is that 380 mph at sea level?! and somewhere between 4500-5000 fpm climb rate ?!

384 mph at sea level for the P-63A-10 and 5,020 fpm climb rate at same height. The P-63 was the fastest climbing, best accelerating and fastest rolling WWII USAAF fighter from an american manufacturer. It's lack of range and only so-so performance above 20k was its undoing...

[TOMCAT21]

Wonder if we will see the P63 in Aces High. So is the 39q prefered over the 39d ?

[Karnak]

Wonder if we will see the P63 in Aces High. So is the 39q prefered over the 39d ?

I am going to laugh at the people who complain that they don't want to fly the P-63 in a Commie skin and to get a USAAF skin for it, all in vain.

[Soulyss]

Wonder if we will see the P63 in Aces High. So is the 39q prefered over the 39d ?

39Q is a much better performer than the D, although I enjoy the challenge of flying the D and I like that you have the 20mm option as well.

[bozon]

384 mph at sea level for the P-63A-10 and 5,020 fpm climb rate at same height. The P-63 was the fastest climbing, best accelerating and fastest rolling WWII USAAF fighter from an american manufacturer. It's lack of range and only so-so performance above 20k was its undoing...

This really makes me wonder about the Russian P-39 aces. I mean, why did they stick with the P-39 dog, assuming AH models are representative in performance to what they actually used? They had Yaks and La5/7 that outclass completely. That is unless their P-39 by 1945 were better than the models we have in the game, or starting end of 44 they were actually flying the P-63.

Also, what the heck took Bell so long to turn the 39 into the 63? The 39 was old enough and the 63 does not seem to have any special 1945 technology that was not available at least a year earlier. Also, at some point they must have realized that dropping the two-stage charger was a mistake, yet they continued to bring out new P-39 versions with only the one stage charger. The Russians perhaps did not need the higher alt performance, but allied air forces used the P-39 too and they seemed to be interested.

[Squire]

Air Forces in wartime can't just magically click their fingers and get as many as model X as they want. The Soviets took massive losses in 1941-43 and they needed to increase industrial output by a orders of magnitude, while at the same time moving many of their factories east and all the time fighting the Germans. They desperately needed anything that the West could give them in terms of airplanes, and any other war supplies we could get to them. The P-39s held the line at first but even afterwards were not about to be retired even after better types came online. They needed fresh fighter regiments, not just resupplying the exisiting ones...and all the planes they could fly and every plane from every factory and every plane from every offloaded western ship.

Turning their nose up at the P-39 because it wasn't the very best fighter was just not a realistic option. In the latter part of the war, fighters that were not being used in air combat still flew and strafed right up untill wars end. Like the Japanese, the Russians flew what they were given and did their best with what they had. The pilots could not just say "well gee lets just wind things down here cuz we don't have LA-7s to fly"...the NKVD would not be far behind had they done so. 

Re the P-63 I can't speak to that re the delay in production. It did take too long I agree.

[bozon]

I agree with you Squire that they flew what they could. What I was aiming at was how successful the P-39 was in their hands and the main ride for quite a few of their top aces. Was it all before 1944, or did the P-39 continue to be a top fighter into 1944-45 and against the later 109/190 models? I apologize for my ignorance but I know very little of the breakdown of kills into years and models in the VVS.

Usually, when more advanced fighter are available, they tend to take the leading role and inferior models are still being used but moved to secondary roles, or less "busy" regions. This is in particular true in the pure fighters roles where there is much less compromise than in attack, recon and training. The top pilots normally transition into the more advanced fighters, though not all of them of course. Yet in the Russian case, many stayed with the P-39 (again no hard data, just anecdotes and impression). Don't be afraid to tell me I am wrong - I really want to know.

How did it look from the LW perspective? Did German pilots in the eastern front respect the P-39? Perhaps someone that read more LW memoirs than I did can tell.
 

[Megalodon]

So is the 39q prefered over the 39d ?

No

[EagleDNY]

This really makes me wonder about the Russian P-39 aces. I mean, why did they stick with the P-39 dog, assuming AH models are representative in performance to what they actually used? They had Yaks and La5/7 that outclass completely. That is unless their P-39 by 1945 were better than the models we have in the game, or starting end of 44 they were actually flying the P-63.

Also, what the heck took Bell so long to turn the 39 into the 63? The 39 was old enough and the 63 does not seem to have any special 1945 technology that was not available at least a year earlier. Also, at some point they must have realized that dropping the two-stage charger was a mistake, yet they continued to bring out new P-39 versions with only the one stage charger. The Russians perhaps did not need the higher alt performance, but allied air forces used the P-39 too and they seemed to be interested.

The majority of the P-39s that the Russians got WERE the N and Q-Models.   I've got a copy of Attack of the Airacobras by Dmitriy Loza - the reason that Russian aces like it so much is 1 hit from a 37mm is death to a German fighter, and that most of their action is at relatively low altitude vs German bombers and fighters.   Funny thing was that the P-39s often made up the high-cover for the Russian group!

Quote:
A combat formation was echeloned  by altitude and depth in groups and between pairs.  The lower tier group (from one half to two thirds of the available strength) would patrol at altitudes slightly above the altitude at which enemy bombers were operating.  The second tier group (from one-half down to one-third of available strength) was held at an altitude 1,650 to 6,550 feet above the lower group.  The upper (third) group was normally a pair of Airacobras operating at altitudes from 16,400 to 23,000 feet and had the mission of free hunting the assigned area, pinning down superior enemy forces should the appear, or destroying individual aircraft attempting to flee.
Mixed groups of aircraft by type (Yak-1, P-40 Kittyhawk, Airacobra) were frequently assembled in the division and regiments - the Yak-1 and P-40 worked the lower altitudes and the Airacobras at the higher.

[EagleDNY]

Also - just an another FYI - the Russians LOVED doing head-on attacks vs German bombers with that 37mm.