Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: Octavius on February 11, 2004, 11:35:08 PM
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... after the groundwork has been laid for AHII and the a/c start rolling off Nate and Supah's production line, the aircraft I would LOVE to eventually see is this magnificant beauty:
(http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/photogallery/p-39_c/p-39_c_08.jpg)
Bell P39D/N/Q Airacobra
[list=1]Armament: P39D/N - One 37mm hub cannon (T-9), Two .50in MGs in nose; optional underwing (two or four) .30in MGs. P39Q - two optional underwing .50in MGs replaced .30in MGs. All models able to carry one 500lb bomb.
Powerplant - P39D - 1150hp Allison V-1710-35 V12. P39N/Q - 1200hp Allison V-1710-85; three bladed propeller.
Dimensions: Wingspan - 34ft 0in; length 30ft 2in; height 11ft 10in.
Weight: Empty 5645lb; Max - 8300lb[/b]
Performance: P-39D - max speed 368mph at 13,800ft; time to 15,000ft - 5.7min; ceiling 32,100ft; range 800 miles.
P-39Q - max speed 385mph at 11,000ft; time to 15,000t 4.5min; ceiling 35,000ft; range 650 miles.
Saw service in: Australia, Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, UK, USA, USSR.[/list][/color]
Why the P39 you ask?
1) The versatility. The P39 was used by almost every Allied airforce. It can be used as a gigantic filler in scenerios:
Eastern front, Mediterranean, over the UK/France, all over the Pacific Theatre, and even in Portugal! The Portuguese will be happy!
The VVS planeset is in dire need of fattening. The addition of this aircraft covers a large mid-war gap. 1942-1943. One 3D model = three variants! P39D/N/Q!!
2) It has a huge gun. Can you say 37mm? Feels good doesn't it? Kinda rolls of the tongue.
3) It's production numbers are up there. Almost 10,000 produced!
4) I love it, and you love it too. If this was added, I would drool uncontrollably. P39 and P40 . These would be my planes and my planes would be these. Wouldn't touch anything else... (well maybe a 109 here and there).
While the P39 has been "deemed a failure" by some, others feel it did not get the credit it deserved. Its overall performance allowed it to provide worthy competition under 15,000ft. This was stolen from another thread and posted by Widewing:
[list=1]All in all, the P-39D easily out-performed the A6M2 in every category but low-speed maneuverability and range. Yet, today you would think the P-39D was an absolute pig. It wasn't. It also proved very formidable against the Luftwaffe at altitudes below 15,000 feet. It's turn rate was very similar to the later P-63A King Cobra, meaning it was far more maneuverable than the P-51, even slightly better than the F6F. Within the American inventory of WW2 fighters, only the F4F/FM series was more agile than the Airacobra. What hurt the P-39 was its single-speed, single-stage supercharger that limited adequate performance to below 15k. Above that, performance fell off sharply as you went up. Both the Japanese and Germans were aware of the P-39's performance woes up high and they used tactics to take advantage of that. However, down on the deck, the Airacobra was a very dangerous foe. Especially the later models with more power and better guns.
For example, the P-39N was rated for 399 mph at 9,700 feet. How does that compare to late war fighters? Pretty good. It's faster than the La-7 (391 mph) at that altitude! Speed on the deck was very good as well. Where the P-39D could pull only 305 mph (and 368 mph at 12k), the P-39N could exceed 339 mph, 348 mph in WEP. Climb rate was good, if not spectacular. The P-39D needed 5.7 minutes to get to 15k, but the P-39N/Q could get there in 3.8 minutes, which is slightly better than the P-51D. Acceleration was also very good. In fact, it was better than the F4U-4, P-47D-30, and markedly better than the F6F-5. Just so you know, the later P-39s were powered by 1,420 hp Allisons, not the 1,100 hp engines fitted to the P-39D. The later models were also about 200 lbs lighter as well.[/i][/list]Links with other info:
Huge PDF with performance charts and stuff (http://members.tripod.de/luftwaffe1/aircraft/usaaf/P39D_flying.pdf)
A Russian site with Lend Lease aircraft (and kick bellybutton pictures) (http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/english/articles/romanenko/index.htm)
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you got my vote
Bozon
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Still need the p40n. If both were in, it would be excellent.
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i think p39 will be a pork plane against late model ac. but like you, i love it.
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Nice picture!! Thanks.
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My vote, and blessings.
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P-39, yes, the most beautiful prop fighter of all (getting it in first before all the rival beauty advocates jam the thread)....
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Got my vote Octavius
and if no D/N how bout a Q-10 or 12 :)
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Used to fly a P39 in FA3 in the high level arena's damn thing killed Zero's 109's and 190's with ease - under 12k it was the best thing with wings prior to 1943 ish......
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Been wanting one of these ingame for a long time. Great scenario plane, should be fun and a challenge to fly in the MA too.
Did the 37mm ammo load include AP, or was it just HE?
Gets my vote as the most beautiful prop plane of WWII.
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You forgot to mention the 2 50 cal's and 4 30 cal's that were fairly effective on there own.
But the 37mm is very sweat!
You have my vote.:aok
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Originally posted by mitchk
You forgot to mention the 2 50 cal's and 4 30 cal's that were fairly effective on there own.
But the 37mm is very sweat!
You have my vote.:aok
I thought the 37mm M4 was a dog of a gun?
I think I'd rather have the P-400 with a Hizooka in the nose. I wonder if the Reds ever tossed an NS-37 in there? That would make me happy :)
-Sik
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The P39 uses the T9, not the M4. Like the A10 Warthog, the P39 was designed around the gun :D
Oboe, not sure about the HE or AP rounds. I'll check it out.
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Originally posted by Octavius
The P39 uses the T9, not the M4. Like the A10 Warthog, the P39 was designed around the gun :D
Oboe, not sure about the HE or AP rounds. I'll check it out.
I'm thought that the T9 was the same gun as the T4, but made by a different manufacturer?
I could be wrong.
-Sik
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Oh, BTW, did I mention that you're the XO of "Warszawa" these days? After last week's losses we needed replacements lol.
Let me know if you want me to switch you over to "reserve"
We'll be up tonight after FSO.
-Sik
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oops! How many have I missed since the first run? :) I'll try to make it tonight.
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Originally posted by Octavius
oops! How many have I missed since the first run? :) I'll try to make it tonight.
Eh, you only missed two, and it's for the best that you weren't there last week lol. (we lost three)
-Sik
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Another cool pic for the hell of it:
(http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/photogallery/p-39_c/p-39_c_23.jpg)
Sikboy,
I'm finding mixed reports on the T9. Apparently the T9 was developed by Oldsmobile and was then adopted by the USAAF as the M4. At the same time, I'm reading that the T9 was separate than the M4. Either they're the same thing or they're not. Haven't found any links with sources yet.
One thing is for sure: that gun in the pic is a serious potato gun :D
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(http://airforce.users.ru/lend-lease/photogallery/p-39_tikkakoski/airacobra_26_12.jpg)
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Some reasions Not to add the P39(now):
http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=108694
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Don't mean to take away the wind from the sails, but I'm with Brady on this.
We need to add a few more Japanese or Italian planes from the 9 we have now. The current unbalanced plane sets hurts the SEA and CT arenas.
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(http://www.sq1aviation.com/p63i.jpg)
:aok :aok :aok
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Yes the P-39 would suffer as 80% of the planes available do in the MA enviroment.....but this will be TOUR OF DUTY TOO.....Bwahahahahahahaha
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got my vote
dont forget that around 90% of the players are MAIN players not combat theater players
so why should they make hanger qeens for 90 players in the CT when you have the MAIN with over like 900
i think we should get planes that saw alot of use in WW2 and can serve well in the MAIN
im not asking for uber planes just planes that can kill some thing or have a good chance to net a couple kills in the uber main
geting japan planes with only 2 12mms or some thing like that should be last on the list
and we dont need a other P40!
and the P39 gets my vote
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The P39 would not be a main Areana plane anyway sim, it would be outclased by all the 44/45 planes. This plane would be primarly for the SEA and the CT.
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Originally posted by simshell
i think we should get planes that saw alot of use in WW2 and can serve well in the MAIN
I see the Main Arena as a practice area for special events. Scenerios and historical setups are much more important than a cluster of 500 players running around in the hamster wheel. The MA is not that important to me.
I think others might agree.
Brady, I think the P39Q could be contender in the MA. Not an uber-ride, but it wouldn't be in the P40B realm of usage.
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it does have a good chance with the big boys of the main
if i can up a yak-t and score 3 kills of the super main aircraft i wonder what the P39 could do
i think most of the players in this game want the P39 over a yak-3 or KI84 for that matter
but i think if the P39 gets made
a mid to early japan bomber should me made at the same time
iv played some of the pacifc CT and the lack of a slow japan bomber hurts the pacifc runs much more then any other big setup i think
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P-39 definitely, in RUSSIAN livery!
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The MA is a joke, they already have all the planes (P38, P51, Spit, La7) they need right now. Add planes that will be used in the SEA and CT.
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Of course the other real danger that underused planes present is the UNKNOWN factor. Everyone knows what a P51 La7 or SpitXI can do.....but just how many are well versed in the nature of the C205....sure you may have a vauge idea like...its like a 109...but you really have very little idea what a great pilot can do in the plane.
I have a very fond memory fighting Frenchy at treetop level in my F6F....and my astonishment with how he flung his P47 around low and slow....it was amazing...cause Im no F6F novice and can often make it do things that annoy other pilots...but the things a great pilot can do....
Its the man, not the machine -- General Chuck Yeager USAF