Hi Palef,
>The "tumbling" issue reported about the P39 is apocryphal.
I used to think the same until recently I found a translation of a paragraph from the "Tsagi" book on WW2 aircraft, in this case on the P-63:
"In order to become acquainted with the new aircraft the VVS sent test pilot A, G Of kochetkova and testing engineer F. P. Suprun to the USA. Spin characteristics was the problem, which interested Soviet specialists the most. G. Kochstkov was interested in flight testing the aircraft under these conditions. And it turned out that the assurances Bell that the P-63 would not enter into flat spin, were unfounded. In a test flight A. G. Kochetkov proved that like its predecessor the P-63 had a tendency towards flat spins. After numerous, but futile attempts to pull the fighter out of the spin he was forced to bail out of the aircraft and parachute to the ground. This test forced the aircraft to go through a number of design in order to move the center of gravity forward. Additional flight limitations were also introduced. "
>"Earl" who flew P39s, P400s (export variant of P39) and P47s in WWII, and Skyraiders in Vietnam, and played AW denied that the handling characteristics of the the P39 were any more lethal than any other high-powered prop aircraft and put these comments down to pilot conservatism.
P-400 (and P-39) veteran M. F. Kirby mentioned that he never heard of a single instance of the P-39 doing the feared flat spin, but he also pointed out that the pilots did their best to avoid getting into any kind of spin anyway.
Regards,
Henning (HoHun)