My father flew the P-39 on Guadalcanal and other islands during the Solomon's Campaign. Some pilots called it a "flying coffin," but my father loved the P-39. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after shooting down 3 Japanese planes and assisting in downing a fourth. My father also enjoyed his R&R time in New Zealand. I still have his New Zealand driver's license, issued when he was in Auckland.
My understanding is that in WWII the US gifted almost 5000 of these to the Soviet Air Force (who also loved it) and (source: wiki) "enabled individual Soviet pilots to collect the highest number of kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type flown by any pilot in any conflict."
@@hlcepeda Yes its true, but the reason I read...was "Pilot Faith" in the Plane...as the Driveshaft from the Engine going to the Prop goes right by the Pilot, (so Ive read) and the Pilots had a bad time getting used to it after flight training...
@@Streamer687 Understood. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that more than a few Russian pilots had their concerns with the drive shaft shunted aside due to the P-39's ruggedness, reliability, and -- given the incredibly high Russian casualty rate (highest in the war) -- by a driving hatred of the Germans... and that punctuated by having that potent 37mm nose cannon to play with.
Stalin actually pressured the U.S to continue production when they decided to stop making them. It was a good fighter for the conditions on the eastern front.
A lot of American pilots loved it, people forget it served in Africa. One thing they all hated though, was how hard it was to bale out of it if hit. You had to open a car door against massive air pressure = impossible.
Xor rd Such a simple fix too. Yank out door hinge pins like they use in aerobatic planes. You’d play hell getting out of that door at speed otherwise. You could barely push the door 1/4;open at 90 in my Cessna and it steered it like a rudder too. I knew a skydiver type who had an issue and jumped out of his cessna 150. Almost got killed getting stuck in the door and headset leads😞. Getting fully out of that P39 would be hell in an out of control situation with those solid hinged doors.
Xor rd I did not close my door when I was flying a MD500 one day and had to go into a hover to get the dam thing shut. Can’t imagine at over 200 trying that.
The trait of the P-39 that scared pilots was the tumble. Many said it was unrecoverable. Bob Hoover toured the combat arenas where the P-39 was deployed. He demonstrated tumble recovery and taught pilots how. He said "If you get into trouble, put it into a tumble. No aircraft in the world can follow that."
@@brianseward9099, he was in the Red Army. He started in the infantry as a 18-19 year old, was wounded. After convalescence, he was sent to a mechanic's school. That's when the Soviet Union received Aircobras under the Lend Lease. He moved with the Red Army across the Eastern front, then Eastern Europe and then Germany. They didn't let him demobilize after the war because the USSR didn't have manpower. He left the army in late 1940's. His commander was sent to the Gulag when one of the pilots under his command defected to the West and took the fighter plane with him.
What an excellent restoration! That plane looks like it rolled off the assembly line at Buffalo just yesterday. Restoring these aircraft is of huge importance. It's preserving history, and WWII and the lessons learned should never be forgotten.
My father worked at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo NY from 1939 to 1943 making the fuselage of P-39's ,he joined the Navy and served on the Wasp CV-18 till the end of WW-2. He did tell me that Larry Bell would walk around and talk to the workers, and was friendly. Dad passed in 1995 he was 75, he was an Iowa farm boy.
My favorite Larry Bell quote concerns a reporter asking him if the advent of jet aircraft spelled the end of the helicopter. Larry answered him: “Not at all, because basically, Man wants to fly like a bird, not a bat outta hell!”.
I remember reading about a restored P-39 at the marine park in Buffalo, NY. I believe that one was flown by Lt. William Shomo who was a medal of honor winner.
the idea that the P 39 was hated by Allied pilots is a myth started by the WW11 aviation magazines in the 70's. Chuck Yeager loved it. Most did when it was used in role it intended. It was never meant as an high altitude air superiority fighter.
Well it WAS meant as a bomber interceptor, hence the cannon; but not intended to go up against fighters. But it was a useful fighter at lower altitudes. It IS a myth that the Soviets used it in what is now called CAS. It was a low-med altitude air superiority fighter. The P63 fixed all the issues with powerplant and was an impressive aircraft. However the USAAF was concentrating on P47/P51 production and all were exported to China and the USSR.
Well, it was initially meant as one. I was ready to say it should have been shelved when the superchargers were not forthcoming. That was before I looked it up and discovered that the P-39 is credited with more aerial victories against Axis aircraft than any other single type produced by the US during WWII. If true, this plane should be celebrated as a triumph.
@@Activated_Complex It was true but on the individual scale only. Individually, Soviet pilot flying P-39 scored higher than any other U.S aces. For example, Alexander Pokryshin credited with 48 kills on the P-39 while Richard Bong had 40 with his P-38. For the overall highest score, I think it's the P-51.
Nhật Phạm I was going off the Wikipedia page. I didn’t dig into the cited primary sources. But I have an easy time believing it was the highest-scoring type produced by the US, for the following reasons: A) It was used all over the place, due to Lend-Lease. B) Other early-war fighter types produced in America were either in comparatively short supply, like the P-38, or were supplanted, like the P-47 and Wildcat, by newer types. Placing an upper limit on their still-substantial contribution to the tally of aerial victories. Though by virtue of being available during the decisive years of the conflict, they may be called even more crucial to securing overall victory than the late-war models. C) The daylight bombing campaign against Germany was initially conducted with unescorted B-17s, due to the limited operational range of fighters operating from their bases in Britain. Somewhat limiting the opportunities for USAAF fighters to cross swords with the Luftwaffe aircraft that had been held back at airfields in Germany for use against the bomber formations. That could easily add up to more advanced US-produced fighters not quite catching up to the P-39’s early lead, as it was operating in hotly-contested skies over the Eastern Front well before the USAAF got into the war in the ETO in force. The Luftwaffe suffered staggering losses in 1942 alone.
Your work in restoring these beauties, is historic in of it's self. The true craftsmanship you all perform is evidently apparent in the detail. Thank you for giving a damn.
Thanks for this video! Always loved this much-maligned machine in spite of all the negative press it has received. This and the P-40 always get negative press. They were what was on hand and had to be used until the newer,more advanced machines were available and deserve way more respect than they are given in my opinion. Thanks again!
The engine placement was due to two different factors. Of course the main one was the 30 mil cannon. But the second was to create a less stable airframe to make it more maneuverable, which the Russians used to their advantage over the BF109 and FW190. Originally the airplane came with a two stage supercharger for high altitude performance. But in 1939 it was thought that the scoop on the side, which was the only place to put it, made the craft less aerodynamic and had a negative effect on the controllability of the airplane. So the super charger was removed, relegating the aircraft to lower altitudes where the Eastern front fight happened compared to the western front. This is why the Russians were able to use the airplane far more effectively than the Americans.
It wasn't just a second stage super charger. It was a turbo supercharger, which required a lot of space. It's a big reason the engine was in back. All of the Allison 1710 powered fighters with Turbo's had issues of one form or another and none was entirely successful.
@@rwaitt14153 The P-38 AND P-39 were both successful fighters, but neither was a success in their intended role: High altitude fighter. Both would find success in other roles, particularly low and medium altitude roles where the turbo was of no value. The entire point of using a turbo was much improved performance above 20,000 feet. But the turbos proved to be an endless source of technical issues. So much so that the P-39 dropped the Turbo Supercharger altogether, while the P-38 had a long string of issues directly or indirectly related to the Turbo. In retrospect, both the P-38 and p-39 should have been designed with dual-stage centrifugal superchargers. It would have meant better performance for the P-39 and many fewer technical issues with the p-38.
The engine in the middle works like a mid engine sport's car. It makes it more maneuverable because of the cg location..It also makes it more touchy right at the edge of a turn but it turns better because of this.
But one major disadvantage of having the engine in the middle of the fuselage is that the wings have to bear that weight. So, many times the wings just snapped and see ya later. I love this plane; in fact, when the old Confederate Air Force had an airshow in Zapopan, Mexico, I took a picture next to a P-39. The design is very, very sleek, just like a sports car, and I just loved it. That airshow was about 30 years ago, by the way. I still keep that pic.
@@raulv04 The wings have to take the weight no matter what, thats how planes work. With the exeption of on the ground due to the gear design. But thats a gear design problem not an engine placement problem.
This is sort of true. It's not CG though, it's having a smaller second moment of inertia. Think of a spinning ice skater with arms out vs arms in close.
Chuck Yeager said the P-39 was the best handling aircraft he'd ever flown. Not a high altitude performer of course, but it served its purpose well on the Eastern Front. And contrary to popular belief it was not primarily used as a tank buster, but rather a general purpose ground attack aircraft and was very successful. A family friend of ours was an aeronautical engineer at Bell and gave me a tour of the Buffalo plant in the early 1960s--mostly helicopters then, but he really knew Bell history. The P-39 in this video is superb!
Soviets used it primarily as front line air superiority fighter. They empty the wings from 4 of 30 cal wing MG, since 37mm and 2X50 cal was plenty to shred any aircraft to pieces, and it became a 400lb lighter and more maneuverable fighter.
@@RussianThunderrr Americans used them in North Africa for ground attack for which they were effective. On Guadalcanal they really helped blunt Japanese ground attacks trying to retake the Island. Against the Zero they just didn't have the altitude capability and the P-400s (with the 20 mm cannon, as shown in one of the pictures where the gun sticks out further from the nose) sent to the Pacific were fitted with British oxygen systems for which American oxygen masks wouldn't attach - at least that is the story.
@@danzervos7606 wrote: "Americans used them in North Africa for ground attack for which they were effective." -- Americans use in Pacific P-39 for ground attacks as well as dog fighting with Japan's Zeros(to losses 1:1, since Zeros lacked radio, and could not coordinated and effective attacks and defense in dog fights), but also in Italy P-39 was used for ground attacks, since it could carry 500lb bomb, even French use them as ground attack in Saigon in 1947-51 after WWII, including Normandie-Neimen.
@@RussianThunderrr I think the nature of the war in Russia often keep German fighters at lower altitudes, to protect ground troops and installations from the many ground pounders the Russians threw at them and their tanks. A surprising number of German fighters were shot down by the low flying little beasties.
I think the Russians liked it because it was warm inside with the engine right behind you. The eastern front was also a different engagement where the setup makes sense.
No Ni999, they weren't. But pilot comfort does play a role in performance. I have little doubt that the high comfort level could have played a role in the warm reception it received from Soviet pilots.
@@perezfinichames Except for the fact that you don't seem to understand thermodynamics and heat flow in an airplane at all, you're absolutely 100% correct.
My grandfather was a draftsman at Bell aircraft during the war (later did work on the X-1). He loved talking about the P-39. He said the aircraft from the get-go was meant to be a low altitude attack craft that's why the 30mm in the nose. He stated that after development was well underway the army added requirements for high altitude operation which mandated O2 equipment and a better engine (the Merlin I think). Bell never got the Merlin's as promised so they shipped with the Allision. Performance turned out to be poor at high altitude but the Russians did well in the intended attack role. He said the design was later vindicated because Airacobra's won all the air races after the war.
At 368m.p.h. that's damn good without a super charger. It also had the biggest prop to grab all that air for speed without hitting the ground. At almost 13' in diameter for a small plane, that's big.
The racers were heavily modified, and flew at low altitude, where the plane had its best performance. (They had lightweight tanks, modified engines w/ increased diameter supercharger impellers, undersized pistons, used 140 octane fuel, and flew at over 400 mph.) The stock plane could not match that performance. But as a low altitude attack plane it excelled. (The other racers, such as P-51s, were modified as well, so it is an achievement.) Still, you have to wonder what the performance could have been with a better powerplant, or at least a two-stage supercharger.
AR O I don't think so the P51 once fitted with the Merlin had the whole package performance down low and at height firepower handling and most importantly range the P39 couldn't have matched it on the point
@@keptinkaos6384 Not really, they equipped their air force with some of the best aircraft of the war, they were put in a situation where they needed ground support over bombing so of course everything would happen at low altitude than at high. And having a lot of people in well designed and well performing aircraft is just the easiest way of getting air superiority. It's likely that the real killing period for the germans was early on, when aircraft such as the Yak-1, Yak-9 and LA-5 were not in high use or yet created, and the airforce was still reliant on older designs such as the I-153, I-16, etc.
In their biographies, both Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover talk about the P-39 as their absolute favorite prop plane to fly because the weight of the plane was so well-centered around the engine.
What an absolutely beautiful machine! I'm sure it was lethal for the role it was designed for. The epitome in 1940's style and a real work of industrial art! Thanks for the vid.
This aircraft would fit me perfect because I'm short. You can keep your Mustangs and such, I'll take this any day.This one here is a real beauty. Thanks guys on a perfect restoration of the best non-supercharged fighter of WWII. I call it a big block deuce coupe with wings. Also thanks for NOT adding music.
@@drcovell It's like most of the cruiser motorcycles. All have forward controls which makes them dangerous for me because I'm all stretched out and very limited on movement. I can handle the big size but need controls closer to me.
When my Dad left Iwo Jima they were told to line up the P51Ds on the runway and just walk away. He named his after my mum. So glad to see aircraft being restored to their glory.
37mm would be perfect for killing a Stuka or bomber...(Plus it still had 4 x .50cals on some models which was the same as a Wildcat)....just 1 hit on a Stuka with that 37mm would have knocked it clean out.
One of the first pursuit planes I ever built as a youth. Learned a heap about her inception, design, those who flew her, and loved her best. So unconventional in construction that early models had fits with the engine gearing and the prop pitch adjusters. Honey a bird to fly, but wouldn't accommodate a hefty framed pilot for the world. You had to straddle the driveshaft, and still fit in its narrow cockpit. The pilot had great visibility, but not much armor protection, afforded only 1" plate to protect his back. The cannon didn't like high-G maneuvers while firing, and would commonly jam when overheated from long burst. Adore the bird, and Yeagers' 1st "Glamorous Glennis", was a P-39, Airacobra, a plane he checked out on, and almost lost his wings flying, so he stated. Great presentation. Fabulous restoration. You fella's do the job perfectly. Wish I had some variable pitch prop blades to give you for its finish.
Thank you for making the video and rebuilding/restoring this rare aircraft. I never liked the looks of this aircraft but then I’m also jaded by history books where P-51’s, F4U’s, Spitfires, etc... were given top billing. I’ve loved flying and aircraft almost all of my life. I’ve been blessed to fly for the airlines but always, like so many others wished I could go back in time and fly during the period from 1940-80. Truly an amazing golden age in my opinion.
The Soviet pilots used to land here in Fairbanks, Alaska and ferry the planes, many of them P-39s, on the final leg over to Russia. They did cold weather and other testing on them here too. There are a lot of old photos from that time, great to see one so well restored.
William Irving That is true. There was two means of getting aircraft to Russia. One was by shipping vessels from N.Y up the North Atlantic to Murmansk. The other route was the N.W.S.R. Many P-39s, P-40s, A - 20 Boston Havoc's and B-25 Mitchell's were delivered to Nome. U.S. ground crew's would paint red star's on them. Nome was a dicey place to fly in or out of. There were many accidents. Cheers.
@@arrowbflight5082 A third . Brazil, Africa , Iran. Russia. 10,000 man US army air base on the eastern tip of Brazil. Google US army base brazil. I think it is still a commercial airport. Areoporte.
That reminds of a talk I had with LAME years ago, Not long after the war they were experimenting with a Harvard trainer and decided to put a couple of canons under the wings (I suspect that this was not officially sanctioned). Anyway they did a flight test and the damn thing nearly stalled. Needless to say, Harvards don't fly with canons.
What a beautiful restoration of a wonderful old plane. I had forgotten this this plane existed. I grew up in the 50s, and I was absolutely fascinated with airplanes and flight. My brother built a plastic model of this plane, and I haven’t thought about it or seen one since. I would love to see this old bird take to the air! Deepest thanks to you gentlemen who are doing such amazing work!👍
those super chargers that were spoken of... to my knowledge, were bought in advance by the military, then those blowers were force-fed to the engine/aircraft manufacturers. their drastic mismatch with the P-38 plagued the lightning virtually its entire production which was from wars beginning to end. stopped the 38 from living up to its high-altitude expectations in the eto. however the combo worked extremely well in south pacific, for pilots like bong and mcguire. most of their hops were at angels 15 or lower. tommy was killed by a low-level stall on a still drop-tank equipped 38, something he strongly warned his men about...richard had a flame-out on a P-80 test flight and was killed on 6 august 1945...same day as the hiroshima bomb.....great video on an immaculate airacobra!!!...kutgw...
A super clean looking machine. In 20 years there will be hardly anybody with enough skills to be able to restore something like this. We are devolving.
Good looking bird. Beautiful restoration. Hope to see her flying soon. Always liked the P-39. It looked sleek and very distinctive with its cockpit doors. When my father was stationed in Alaska during WWII he saw many of these being sent to USSR.
I don't think the pilots would have liked those doors. They make it very hard indeed to bail out - wind pressure keeps them closed. The same goes for planes like the Hawker Typhoon, which had a similar low-altitude and ground attack role
My parents were at Ladd Field during the war. My father was supply officer. He basically kept the inventory for the aircraft maintenance motor pool, and was an aircraft "engineer' back in the days when that meant mechanic. He spoke Russian, so he was the one who handed the P-39s over to the Russian pilots at Ladd Field. "All we did was paint red stars on them and signed them over," was the way he put it. He had a lot of respect for the Russian pilots, according to his account a lot of them were "just kids," but, they had flown over in worn out, disposable aircraft, transferred to the P-39s and flew them back across Siberia.
When I was little we had little planes out of foam, they came in an envelope. and had a little prop to the front. I always thought the aircobra was the most beautiful of them... now 22 years later.. I still agree with myself that this bird has some beauty to it!
Peter Ott-I remember when those were made of balsa wood,and the prop was powered by a rubber band.We spent hours flying them in the field next to our house!
Designed as a high altitude, high speed, interceptor, the P-39 was denied its necessary supercharger, relegating it to low level work in roles for which it had not been intended. Otherwise it was the nicest fighter of the war, with plenty of room, and all the latest comforts, including a vibrating bucket seat. Chuck Yeager described the performance of the low velocity T8 cannon as "like lobbing grapefruit." German pilots said similar things about the similarly short barrel, latewar, 3cm Mk108. Soviets, on the other hand, used high power rounds for the 37mm and 23mm cannon on the Il2. These guns caused severe vibration, were not always synchronous (leading to nose waggle) and, among other things, shook the plane apart over time.
I am privileged to be a docent at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach VA where this aircraft resides. She is a remarkable representative of American aircraft design and engineering and an important contributor to Allied victory in the war. Pioneer did an AMAZING job with this fighter. We cannot thank their craftsmen enough. BRAVO
A gorgeous restoration of a fascinating airplane. The lines have held my attention for years. I count the Aircobra second only to the P-51 for fascinating lines.
My dad was in the USAF. He was at Rice Calif. in 1943. Patton was doing maneuvers with his mechanized Army in the desert there as training for Operation Torch, which was to be the invasion of North Africa. I believe they went into Morocco first. At any rate, the P-39 was used in those exercises in the the desert near 29 Palms Marine base. The plane was superseded by the P-38, P-47 and later the P-51. Was lend leased to the Russians who had success against the Germans on the Eastern front. The plane, notwithstanding it's limitations as a fighter, had a quite interesting configuration. Your example is truly an amazing aeroplane relic of that war. Thanks for sharing.
@@rapitisioannis The reason why it was not used as a tank buster is that the US never supplied the soviets with AP ammo. It was used to attack soft ground targets.
@@voss0749 no! always it was used as an escort for the Il2, absolutely effective against Axis fighters(take a look to the confirmed victories of Russian pilots on P39), as it was an excelent frame at low levels....take some better look about this plane!
Read a book by a Russian ace about his experience in the P-39. He loved his. The Luftwaffe was flying ground support all the time - which meant they were operating low enough for him to engage bombers with his 37mm. Said it was a devastating hit on a bomber wing.
Read Alexander Pokryshskin memoirs. He loved the airplane. Many missions protecting soviet ground attack planes, so most combats occurred at lower altitudes were this plane excelled
what a beautiful aircraft! the aerodinamic design is in pair with a Porsche; the cockpit, the air intake, super smooth integration to fuselage; excellent restoration job!
37mm cannon worked on tanks. Chuck Yager said the cannon worked but it was hard to aim because it was like thowing a grapefruit off the back of a truck
I've read the Soviet pilots fired at point blank range so they didn't miss. Dangerous perhaps but there was a pretty big war going on. They used the 37mm as the primary weapon, often they removed the wing mounted machine guns to reduce weight.
My father found this plane on Cape York in 1971, while he was Chief Geologist for Comalco Aluminium Limited, part of the RIO empire. I had the pilot's logbook in my hands in 1972. The pilot was found living in the southern US. He was brought back to watch the recovery, only to see the RAAF demolish the front ends of the three aircraft found by my father in great condition, due to unexploded ordnance still loaded inside. It's been a long hard road for this aircraft and well done bravo to those who ponied up to rescue this amazing piece of history.
Thank you Paul McSweeny, Director, Pioneer Aero Ltd. Auckland New Zealand for the successful restoration of this lovely P-39 Bell Airacobra. As well dispelling some of bad press it unjustly received, plus educating us of the reasons for its inherent limitations. After recently seeing what Auckland's fabulous M.O.T.A.T.#2 (the aviation "wing") has for all to see, was it not possible to have this be this Airacobra's forever home, for all visiting Auckland to enjoy? Plus Paul you and your staff could drop-in now and then to admire your handy work, "yeah we restored that!"
Having cannon in the nose probably makes it easier to aim on target and get kills, then have it in the wings. But, as some mentioned already Soviets had little to none of 37mm armor piercing rounds so it could not of been used against tanks. It mainly served as low altitude fighter and ground support aircraft.
Max Ter but do you really need armour piercing rounds when your shooting at the roof armour of a German tank which was rarely above 20mm thick with a 37mm cannon it could probably still do its job
The British test pilots only liked it because they were given an unarmed version of it to test. the actual p39s they received were of course armed and thus heavier, leading to the British getting a very different plane to the ones they tested. The British got rid of their p39s asap
The air cobra was a very underrated aircraft. With a turbo charger. And the proper engine. It would become a killer of a fighter. The pilot was very well protected.
Very impressive restoration, great work on that - congratulations. I haven't heard of DeHaviland Hornet before. Looks like a smaller, compact version of a mosquito.
Yes indeed. Basically a single seat,long range Mosquito fighter. If the Allies had it in 42/43, it would have been a world beater. Four 20mm cannon, 476mph speed, range on internal fuel 3000 miles. Too late for WW2, but despite no one really wanting propeller aircraft, jets being newer and sexier. The RAF ended up buying a few hundred and they did some excellent work during the Malayan Emergency.
@@Goatboysminion The first production Hornet was delivered in February '45, so it was a WW2 combat plane. It was fast at 487mph using 2000bhp Merlins. Imagine if it got Griffon engines with 2500bhp!
I met a Pacific theater WWIi pilot who flew these aircraft, he was fond of its flight characteristics. My grandfather helped build P51's during the war and we chatted about the old days.
Do you specialise in idiotic and morally sanctimonious commentary!? Especially of a kind that has nothing to do with the subject under discussion! Otherwise why would you bag a whole nation because of the 'actions' as stated by you anyway, of some people? Most NZers wouldn't have the foggiest clue, about what you are talking about. Let alone any involvement in the matter. They would have no more knowledge of it than you, or anybody else would have - about everything that might, or might not be, going on in your own country, at any particular time! So yes indeed, could you please provide the sources and any verifiable supporting evidence to confirm your statements. And i will pass it on to the Police and other appropriate authorities. Thank you.
Great show...I have a soft spot for the P-39 Airacobra. It was my first Cox .049 airplane and I loved the looks and compactness. Yes, the Soviets used the P-39 as a tank buster. Thank you for producing this video.
Excellent video and excellent work Mr. McSweeny! Your knowledge, craftsmanship, and enthusiasm for these planes is very admirable. Thank you for educating me on this beautiful bird.
That is a beautiful thing, congratulations on a superb restoration. And Who gives a shite about its characteristics, its still a piece of world war history!
OMG, truly iconic plane, the nose mounted 37 mm canon was a beast ....this plane was highly feared by enemy pilots and rightly so, if she caught a bomber at low altitude it was lights out....the 39 was also extremely deadly against ground targets, especially trains making supply runs to and from the front....i would have loved to have seen this bird flying in wartime...as long as i could come home again after.
My father flew the P-39 on Guadalcanal and other islands during the Solomon's Campaign. Some pilots called it a "flying coffin," but my father loved the P-39. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after shooting down 3 Japanese planes and assisting in downing a fourth. My father also enjoyed his R&R time in New Zealand. I still have his New Zealand driver's license, issued when he was in Auckland.
Thank you for his service sir, must've been hell for him.
My understanding is that in WWII the US gifted almost 5000 of these to the Soviet Air Force (who also loved it) and (source: wiki) "enabled individual Soviet pilots to collect the highest number of kills attributed to any U.S. fighter type flown by any pilot in any conflict."
The flying coffins were the gliders not p 39s
@@hlcepeda Yes its true, but the reason I read...was "Pilot Faith" in the Plane...as the Driveshaft from the Engine going to the Prop goes right by the Pilot, (so Ive read) and the Pilots had a bad time getting used to it after flight training...
@@Streamer687 Understood. I have a sneaking suspicion, though, that more than a few Russian pilots had their concerns with the drive shaft shunted aside due to the P-39's ruggedness, reliability, and -- given the incredibly high Russian casualty rate (highest in the war) -- by a driving hatred of the Germans... and that punctuated by having that potent 37mm nose cannon to play with.
We sent a lot of P-39s to the Soviet Union and they loved it. To me, it was one of the most beautiful planes ever made.
Stalin actually pressured the U.S to continue production when they decided to stop making them. It was a good fighter for the conditions on the eastern front.
I completely agree. Absolutely gorgeous.
@@GruesomesGarage balance nice turn rate big gun fine under 20k
Alexander Pokryshkin, over 50 confirmed kills in P-39 between 1943-44.
The folks at Messerschmidt thought so, too. :)
"Ace in a day" and famed Test Pilot, The first man to break the sound barrier and live, General Chuck Yeager loved the P-39;)
So did Bob Hoover
A lot of American pilots loved it, people forget it served in Africa. One thing they all hated though, was how hard it was to bale out of it if hit. You had to open a car door against massive air pressure = impossible.
Xor rd Such a simple fix too. Yank out door hinge pins like they use in aerobatic planes. You’d play hell getting out of that door at speed otherwise. You could barely push the door 1/4;open at 90 in my Cessna and it steered it like a rudder too. I knew a skydiver type who had an issue and jumped out of his cessna 150. Almost got killed getting stuck in the door and headset leads😞. Getting fully out of that P39 would be hell in an out of control situation with those solid hinged doors.
Xor rd I did not close my door when I was flying a MD500 one day and had to go into a hover to get the dam thing shut. Can’t imagine at over 200 trying that.
RamiMarie... Thank you for bringing up this salient fact about our shared history.
The trait of the P-39 that scared pilots was the tumble. Many said it was unrecoverable. Bob Hoover toured the combat arenas where the P-39 was deployed. He demonstrated tumble recovery and taught pilots how. He said "If you get into trouble, put it into a tumble. No aircraft in the world can follow that."
I saw the video of the tumble in England where a pilot couldn’t recover.
Bob Hoover wasn't the average military pilot.
Покрышкин на таком самолёте успешно бил фашистов в великой отечественной войне
Yea, and he was Bob Hoover.
@@thatguy7085 Maybe he could have recovered if Bob Hoover had taught him how.
My grandpa was a mechanic on P-39's in North Africa during the war. Wish he was still around to see this video- he'd love it!
My grandfather was a mechanic on aircobras in the Soviet Union.
@MichaelKingsfordGray They sure were! It was no easy task keeping those planes going in such a hostile climate !
@@BlEvNliv That's awesome ! Whereabouts in the Soviet Union was he stationed ?
@@brianseward9099, he was in the Red Army. He started in the infantry as a 18-19 year old, was wounded. After convalescence, he was sent to a mechanic's school. That's when the Soviet Union received Aircobras under the Lend Lease. He moved with the Red Army across the Eastern front, then Eastern Europe and then Germany. They didn't let him demobilize after the war because the USSR didn't have manpower. He left the army in late 1940's. His commander was sent to the Gulag when one of the pilots under his command defected to the West and took the fighter plane with him.
@@BlEvNliv wow, what an incredible history !
What an excellent restoration! That plane looks like it rolled off the assembly line at Buffalo just yesterday. Restoring these aircraft is of huge importance. It's preserving history, and WWII and the lessons learned should never be forgotten.
This is one aircraft that needs to stay on the ground. A true widowmaker.
My father worked at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo NY from 1939 to 1943 making the fuselage of P-39's ,he joined the Navy and served on the Wasp CV-18 till the end of
WW-2. He did tell me that Larry Bell would walk around and talk to the workers, and was friendly. Dad passed in 1995 he was 75, he was an Iowa farm boy.
My mom worked there 1942-43 as a QC person. Then she joined the Coast Guard. But 39's have a special place for me.
My favorite Larry Bell quote concerns a reporter asking him if the advent of jet aircraft spelled the end of the helicopter. Larry answered him: “Not at all, because basically, Man wants to fly like a bird, not a bat outta hell!”.
I knew a lot of guys from Iowa who worked in aerospace here in So Cal
Some of my Iowa family went to Oakland Ca to build aircraft for the war.
I remember reading about a restored P-39 at the marine park in Buffalo, NY. I believe that one was flown by Lt. William Shomo who was a medal of honor winner.
the idea that the P 39 was hated by Allied pilots is a myth started by the WW11 aviation magazines in the 70's. Chuck Yeager loved it. Most did when it was used in role it intended. It was never meant as an high altitude air superiority fighter.
Well it WAS meant as a bomber interceptor, hence the cannon; but not intended to go up against fighters. But it was a useful fighter at lower altitudes. It IS a myth that the Soviets used it in what is now called CAS. It was a low-med altitude air superiority fighter. The P63 fixed all the issues with powerplant and was an impressive aircraft. However the USAAF was concentrating on P47/P51 production and all were exported to China and the USSR.
Well, it was initially meant as one. I was ready to say it should have been shelved when the superchargers were not forthcoming. That was before I looked it up and discovered that the P-39 is credited with more aerial victories against Axis aircraft than any other single type produced by the US during WWII. If true, this plane should be celebrated as a triumph.
@@Activated_Complex It was true but on the individual scale only. Individually, Soviet pilot flying P-39 scored higher than any other U.S aces. For example, Alexander Pokryshin credited with 48 kills on the P-39 while Richard Bong had 40 with his P-38. For the overall highest score, I think it's the P-51.
Nhật Phạm I was going off the Wikipedia page. I didn’t dig into the cited primary sources. But I have an easy time believing it was the highest-scoring type produced by the US, for the following reasons:
A) It was used all over the place, due to Lend-Lease.
B) Other early-war fighter types produced in America were either in comparatively short supply, like the P-38, or were supplanted, like the P-47 and Wildcat, by newer types. Placing an upper limit on their still-substantial contribution to the tally of aerial victories. Though by virtue of being available during the decisive years of the conflict, they may be called even more crucial to securing overall victory than the late-war models.
C) The daylight bombing campaign against Germany was initially conducted with unescorted B-17s, due to the limited operational range of fighters operating from their bases in Britain. Somewhat limiting the opportunities for USAAF fighters to cross swords with the Luftwaffe aircraft that had been held back at airfields in Germany for use against the bomber formations.
That could easily add up to more advanced US-produced fighters not quite catching up to the P-39’s early lead, as it was operating in hotly-contested skies over the Eastern Front well before the USAAF got into the war in the ETO in force. The Luftwaffe suffered staggering losses in 1942 alone.
World war 11? thought there were only 2. Oh you mean WWII. damn those Roman numerals get you every time
Your work in restoring these beauties, is historic in of it's self. The true craftsmanship you all perform is evidently apparent in the detail.
Thank you for giving a damn.
Thanks for this video! Always loved this much-maligned machine in spite of all the negative press it has received. This and the P-40 always get negative press. They were what was on hand and had to be used until the newer,more advanced machines were available and deserve way more respect than they are given in my opinion. Thanks again!
That looks 'factory fresh'. Excellent work guys.
I don't know what others think but I find the P-39 simply beautiful.
And this seems to be a great restoration!
Well done and good luck further!
My uncle, Donald L. Wilson flew the P-39 during WWII. He's still going strong.
Jon Girolami
Tell Donald Thank You for his service!
Awesome!
Tell him thank you for your service from a Navy vet
He must be an awesome man! Take care
Please thank him for me.
Congratulations to Pioneer Aero, fantastic restoration.
My father served in the RAAF during WW2, he told me once that he saw a yank fly
an Airacobra under the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1944.
So true and the end of ww2 3 mosquito flew under and down the Sydney harbour length
The engine placement was due to two different factors. Of course the main one was the 30 mil cannon. But the second was to create a less stable airframe to make it more maneuverable, which the Russians used to their advantage over the BF109 and FW190. Originally the airplane came with a two stage supercharger for high altitude performance. But in 1939 it was thought that the scoop on the side, which was the only place to put it, made the craft less aerodynamic and had a negative effect on the controllability of the airplane. So the super charger was removed, relegating the aircraft to lower altitudes where the Eastern front fight happened compared to the western front. This is why the Russians were able to use the airplane far more effectively than the Americans.
in fr nord africa ... and you mentionned the supercharger removal or absence
It wasn't just a second stage super charger. It was a turbo supercharger, which required a lot of space. It's a big reason the engine was in back. All of the Allison 1710 powered fighters with Turbo's had issues of one form or another and none was entirely successful.
Makes sense. Thanks!
@@perezfinichames Allisons with turbos were failures? The P-38 disagrees.
@@rwaitt14153 The P-38 AND P-39 were both successful fighters, but neither was a success in their intended role: High altitude fighter. Both would find success in other roles, particularly low and medium altitude roles where the turbo was of no value. The entire point of using a turbo was much improved performance above 20,000 feet. But the turbos proved to be an endless source of technical issues. So much so that the P-39 dropped the Turbo Supercharger altogether, while the P-38 had a long string of issues directly or indirectly related to the Turbo. In retrospect, both the P-38 and p-39 should have been designed with dual-stage centrifugal superchargers. It would have meant better performance for the P-39 and many fewer technical issues with the p-38.
The engine in the middle works like a mid engine sport's car. It makes it more maneuverable because of the cg location..It also makes it more touchy right at the edge of a turn but it turns better because of this.
I read somewhere it could also put it into a flat spin
But one major disadvantage of having the engine in the middle of the fuselage is that the wings have to bear that weight. So, many times the wings just snapped and see ya later. I love this plane; in fact, when the old Confederate Air Force had an airshow in Zapopan, Mexico, I took a picture next to a P-39. The design is very, very sleek, just like a sports car, and I just loved it. That airshow was about 30 years ago, by the way. I still keep that pic.
@@raulv04 The wings have to take the weight no matter what, thats how planes work. With the exeption of on the ground due to the gear design. But thats a gear design problem not an engine placement problem.
If you didn't stall it!
This is sort of true. It's not CG though, it's having a smaller second moment of inertia. Think of a spinning ice skater with arms out vs arms in close.
Chuck Yeager said the P-39 was the best handling aircraft he'd ever flown. Not a high altitude performer of course, but it served its purpose well on the Eastern Front. And contrary to popular belief it was not primarily used as a tank buster, but rather a general purpose ground attack aircraft and was very successful. A family friend of ours was an aeronautical engineer at Bell and gave me a tour of the Buffalo plant in the early 1960s--mostly helicopters then, but he really knew Bell history. The P-39 in this video is superb!
Soviets used it primarily as front line air superiority fighter. They empty the wings from 4 of 30 cal wing MG, since 37mm and 2X50 cal was plenty to shred any aircraft to pieces, and it became a 400lb lighter and more maneuverable fighter.
war thunder has these planes beautiful bird....
@@RussianThunderrr Americans used them in North Africa for ground attack for which they were effective. On Guadalcanal they really helped blunt Japanese ground attacks trying to retake the Island. Against the Zero they just didn't have the altitude capability and the P-400s (with the 20 mm cannon, as shown in one of the pictures where the gun sticks out further from the nose) sent to the Pacific were fitted with British oxygen systems for which American oxygen masks wouldn't attach - at least that is the story.
@@danzervos7606 wrote: "Americans used them in North Africa for ground attack for which they were effective."
-- Americans use in Pacific P-39 for ground attacks as well as dog fighting with Japan's Zeros(to losses 1:1, since Zeros lacked radio, and could not coordinated and effective attacks and defense in dog fights), but also in Italy P-39 was used for ground attacks, since it could carry 500lb bomb, even French use them as ground attack in Saigon in 1947-51 after WWII, including Normandie-Neimen.
@@RussianThunderrr I think the nature of the war in Russia often keep German fighters at lower altitudes, to protect ground troops and installations from the many ground pounders the Russians threw at them and their tanks.
A surprising number of German fighters were shot down by the low flying little beasties.
I think the Russians liked it because it was warm inside with the engine right behind you. The eastern front was also a different engagement where the setup makes sense.
It also had good low altitude performance and was quite rugged. Better suited for the eastern front than the west.
Germans screaming on walkie-talkie : Achtung Achtung Pokryshkin in der Luft!
Heat is going to have a very strong tendency to flow from nose to tail. The Soviets weren't looking for someplace warm in the sky to sit out the war.
No Ni999, they weren't. But pilot comfort does play a role in performance. I have little doubt that the high comfort level could have played a role in the warm reception it received from Soviet pilots.
@@perezfinichames Except for the fact that you don't seem to understand thermodynamics and heat flow in an airplane at all, you're absolutely 100% correct.
My grandfather was a draftsman at Bell aircraft during the war (later did work on the X-1). He loved talking about the P-39. He said the aircraft from the get-go was meant to be a low altitude attack craft that's why the 30mm in the nose. He stated that after development was well underway the army added requirements for high altitude operation which mandated O2 equipment and a better engine (the Merlin I think). Bell never got the Merlin's as promised so they shipped with the Allision. Performance turned out to be poor at high altitude but the Russians did well in the intended attack role. He said the design was later vindicated because Airacobra's won all the air races after the war.
At 368m.p.h. that's damn good without a super charger. It also had the biggest prop to grab all that air for speed without hitting the ground. At almost 13' in diameter for a small plane, that's big.
The racers were heavily modified, and flew at low altitude, where the plane had its best performance. (They had lightweight tanks, modified engines w/ increased diameter supercharger impellers, undersized pistons, used 140 octane fuel, and flew at over 400 mph.) The stock plane could not match that performance. But as a low altitude attack plane it excelled. (The other racers, such as P-51s, were modified as well, so it is an achievement.) Still, you have to wonder what the performance could have been with a better powerplant, or at least a two-stage supercharger.
Makes me wonder how it would have performed with the Merlins. Maybe, just maybe, it could've been what the P51 later became.
@@wotevrpnt Why would anyone use undersized pistons? Typing mistake maybe?
AR O I don't think so the P51 once fitted with the Merlin had the whole package performance down low and at height firepower handling and most importantly range the P39 couldn't have matched it on the point
Allied pilots- this sucks no high altitude performance
Soviet pilots- noobs you fly this close to ground
German pilots- We have a word in this as well, you know. You better fly high over the Reich...
In nazi Germany planes fly high and away from AA...bUt In sOviEt RuSsiA, AA better run away from planes!!1!
@@baginatora oh yes specially those Stukas & Sturmonik... lol
soviets used the people as trash the germans shot so many out of the sky they lost count they used attrition.
@@keptinkaos6384 Not really, they equipped their air force with some of the best aircraft of the war, they were put in a situation where they needed ground support over bombing so of course everything would happen at low altitude than at high. And having a lot of people in well designed and well performing aircraft is just the easiest way of getting air superiority. It's likely that the real killing period for the germans was early on, when aircraft such as the Yak-1, Yak-9 and LA-5 were not in high use or yet created, and the airforce was still reliant on older designs such as the I-153, I-16, etc.
Nose mounted cannon,engine behind pilot,A-10 granddaddy?
Danny Donuts - I’d say the P-47 Thunderbolt is the A-10’s grandpa. The P-39 was not really used for ground attack.
Pac1fic0 Let's say the A-10 got some mixed genetics
A26 is the a10s grand parent i’d say
Great analogy. Why didn't I catch that 30 years ago ?
Hate to tell y'all stuka is the a 10 grand daddy.
In their biographies, both Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover talk about the P-39 as their absolute favorite prop plane to fly because the weight of the plane was so well-centered around the engine.
That's where Ferrari got the Mid Engine idea
To FLY, not to fight in.
What an absolutely beautiful machine! I'm sure it was lethal for the role it was designed for. The epitome in 1940's style and a real work of industrial art! Thanks for the vid.
This aircraft would fit me perfect because I'm short. You can keep your Mustangs and such, I'll take this any day.This one here is a real beauty. Thanks guys on a perfect restoration of the best non-supercharged fighter of WWII. I call it a big block deuce coupe with wings. Also thanks for NOT adding music.
I can understand your love of the plane’s compact cabin-any guys around six feet said “I have to go outside to change my mind.” ;-)
@@drcovell It's like most of the cruiser motorcycles. All have forward controls which makes them dangerous for me because I'm all stretched out and very limited on movement. I can handle the big size but need controls closer to me.
this restoration looks immaculate !!
Possibly better than when it came out of the original plant.
One of the most beautiful airplanes from WWII.
The curves are only rivaled by the P-38,
Thank you for the video, I'm glad to see such a rear legendary aircraft restored to glorious as new condition, and been airworthy.
When my Dad left Iwo Jima they were told to line up the P51Ds on the runway and just walk away. He named his after my mum. So glad to see aircraft being restored to their glory.
I love Bell's rationale for this plane. "The job is to shoot down aircraft, so we want an anti-aircraft cannon." :)
37mm would be perfect for killing a Stuka or bomber...(Plus it still had 4 x .50cals on some models which was the same as a Wildcat)....just 1 hit on a Stuka with that 37mm would have knocked it clean out.
GORGEOUS restoration! I've always loved the P-39 and the later P-63.
One of the first pursuit planes I ever built as a youth. Learned a heap about her inception, design, those who flew her, and loved her best. So unconventional in construction that early models had fits with the engine gearing and the prop pitch adjusters. Honey a bird to fly, but wouldn't accommodate a hefty framed pilot for the world. You had to straddle the driveshaft, and still fit in its narrow cockpit. The pilot had great visibility, but not much armor protection, afforded only 1" plate to protect his back. The cannon didn't like high-G maneuvers while firing, and would commonly jam when overheated from long burst. Adore the bird, and Yeagers' 1st "Glamorous Glennis", was a P-39, Airacobra, a plane he checked out on, and almost lost his wings flying, so he stated. Great presentation. Fabulous restoration. You fella's do the job perfectly. Wish I had some variable pitch prop blades to give you for its finish.
My Dad flew 39"s and 400's in New Caledonia. He said they saved his life more then once! He love them. He learned a lot from that beast!
Thank you for making the video and rebuilding/restoring this rare aircraft. I never liked the looks of this aircraft but then I’m also jaded by history books where P-51’s, F4U’s, Spitfires, etc... were given top billing. I’ve loved flying and aircraft almost all of my life. I’ve been blessed to fly for the airlines but always, like so many others wished I could go back in time and fly during the period from 1940-80. Truly an amazing golden age in my opinion.
The Soviet pilots used to land here in Fairbanks, Alaska and ferry the planes, many of them P-39s, on the final leg over to Russia. They did cold weather and other testing on them here too. There are a lot of old photos from that time, great to see one so well restored.
William Irving That is true. There was two means of getting aircraft to Russia.
One was by shipping vessels from N.Y up the North Atlantic to Murmansk.
The other route was the N.W.S.R. Many P-39s, P-40s, A - 20 Boston Havoc's
and B-25 Mitchell's were delivered to Nome. U.S. ground crew's would paint
red star's on them. Nome was a dicey place to fly in or out of. There were many
accidents. Cheers.
@@arrowbflight5082 A third . Brazil, Africa , Iran. Russia. 10,000 man US army air base on the eastern tip of Brazil. Google US army base brazil. I think it is still a commercial airport. Areoporte.
6:07 “the two 50 mil cannons up at the top”
I guess this was the “Armageddon” variant.
Raging Agent i think he .50 cal machine guns because thats what thru usually had on top of the nose
Logan Taylor *inhales* WHOOSH
That reminds of a talk I had with LAME years ago, Not long after the war they were experimenting with a Harvard trainer and decided to put a couple of canons under the wings (I suspect that this was not officially sanctioned). Anyway they did a flight test and the damn thing nearly stalled. Needless to say, Harvards don't fly with canons.
@@Agnemons Now the Harvards just stick to apocryphas under the wings.
Great job on the P 39 and thanks for an enjoyable and educational interview. The man obviously knows his stuff.
What a beautiful restoration of a wonderful old plane. I had forgotten this this plane existed. I grew up in the 50s, and I was absolutely fascinated with airplanes and flight. My brother built a plastic model of this plane, and I haven’t thought about it or seen one since. I would love to see this old bird take to the air! Deepest thanks to you gentlemen who are doing such amazing work!👍
those super chargers that were spoken of... to my knowledge, were bought in advance by the military, then those blowers were force-fed to the engine/aircraft manufacturers. their drastic mismatch with the P-38 plagued the lightning virtually its entire production which was from wars beginning to end. stopped the 38 from living up to its high-altitude expectations in the eto. however the combo worked extremely well in south pacific, for pilots like bong and mcguire. most of their hops were at angels 15 or lower. tommy was killed by a low-level stall on a still drop-tank equipped 38, something he strongly warned his men about...richard had a flame-out on a P-80 test flight and was killed on 6 august 1945...same day as the hiroshima bomb.....great video on an immaculate airacobra!!!...kutgw...
A super clean looking machine. In 20 years there will be hardly anybody with enough skills to be able to restore something like this. We are devolving.
I like how this plane is different! With the engine behind the cock-pit and the gun layout! The overall design is unique, and it looks great!
It looks like you've done a fine job. Thank you for keeping a piece of history alive!
Say what you will about it but it's one of the best looking aircraft ever made
Never had much use for the P-39 until I saw this restoration. Simply magnificent job and it emphasizes how beautiful the aircraft really was.
Good looking bird. Beautiful restoration. Hope to see her flying soon. Always liked the P-39. It looked sleek and very distinctive with its cockpit doors. When my father was stationed in Alaska during WWII he saw many of these being sent to USSR.
I don't think the pilots would have liked those doors. They make it very hard indeed to bail out - wind pressure keeps them closed. The same goes for planes like the Hawker Typhoon, which had a similar low-altitude and ground attack role
My parents were at Ladd Field during the war. My father was supply officer. He basically kept the inventory for the aircraft maintenance motor pool, and was an aircraft "engineer' back in the days when that meant mechanic. He spoke Russian, so he was the one who handed the P-39s over to the Russian pilots at Ladd Field. "All we did was paint red stars on them and signed them over," was the way he put it.
He had a lot of respect for the Russian pilots, according to his account a lot of them were "just kids," but, they had flown over in worn out, disposable aircraft, transferred to the P-39s and flew them back across Siberia.
@@psk1w1 there was a release so the door would fly off if needed. Probably easier than climbing out of a cockpit.
When I was little we had little planes out of foam, they came in an envelope. and had a little prop to the front. I always thought the aircobra was the most beautiful of them... now 22 years later.. I still agree with myself that this bird has some beauty to it!
Peter Ott-I remember when those were made of balsa wood,and the prop was powered by a rubber band.We spent hours flying them in the field next to our house!
God I remember those. Those things are still around, they’re still pretty fun in my late teens
Designed as a high altitude, high speed, interceptor, the P-39 was denied its necessary supercharger, relegating it to low level work in roles for which it had not been intended. Otherwise it was the nicest fighter of the war, with plenty of room, and all the latest comforts, including a vibrating bucket seat. Chuck Yeager described the performance of the low velocity T8 cannon as "like lobbing grapefruit."
German pilots said similar things about the similarly short barrel, latewar, 3cm Mk108.
Soviets, on the other hand, used high power rounds for the 37mm and 23mm cannon on the Il2. These guns caused severe vibration, were not always synchronous (leading to nose waggle) and, among other things, shook the plane apart over time.
Thank you for saving and restoring a piece of WW2 history Sir.
What a beauty! Well done you guys!
There's one at Tikkakoski museum in Finland. It's restored from the parts of three shot down russian p-39s.
Guns N Glory These are rare aircraft, you can’t just buy one
@Guns N Glory
"money can't buy you love"
"can't buy you love, love. Money can't buy you love"
Sex, yes....
"but money can't buy you love"
@Guns N Glory I read about the Soviets trying to build one P39 out of thirteen wrecked P39s salvaged from the hills, so they can have one in a museum.
Nazi Finland :)
Beautiful! One of my favorite WWII warbirds. Thanks for posting
I am privileged to be a docent at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach VA where this aircraft resides. She is a remarkable representative of American aircraft design and engineering and an important contributor to Allied victory in the war. Pioneer did an AMAZING job with this fighter. We cannot thank their craftsmen enough. BRAVO
That is one of the most beautiful planes I have ever seen. Thank you guys for such a great job and video.
Excellent and interesting interview about a very interesting aircraft. The Kingfishers were a surprise.
Beautiful lines for the day. Like a little ballerina with a big gun!
A ballerina with a big gun... That's funny.
A gorgeous restoration of a fascinating airplane. The lines have held my attention for years. I count the Aircobra second only to the P-51 for fascinating lines.
What a beautiful restoration!
My dad was in the USAF. He was at Rice Calif. in 1943. Patton was doing maneuvers with his mechanized Army in the desert there as training for Operation Torch, which was to be the invasion of North Africa. I believe they went into Morocco first. At any rate, the P-39 was used in those exercises in the the desert near 29 Palms Marine base. The plane was superseded by the P-38, P-47 and later the P-51. Was lend leased to the Russians who had success against the Germans on the Eastern front. The plane, notwithstanding it's limitations as a fighter, had a quite interesting configuration. Your example is truly an amazing aeroplane relic of that war. Thanks for sharing.
Very well done! Beautiful restoration!
She looks like fun to fly.
I hope there will be videos of the Warhawks & Kingfishers.
Wonderful work you guys do! Good to see people dedicated to bringing these grand birds to life.
I think it's one of the most beautiful planes produced in WWII. Should have been the first A-10.
no, it was a a bomber interceptor, not a close support aircraft
@@rapitisioannis The reason why it was not used as a tank buster is that the US never supplied the soviets with AP ammo. It was used to attack soft ground targets.
The first dedicated close support plane was Soviet Ilyushin-2 or Il-2
@@rapitisioannis On the premise that is was an aircraft built around a cannon, and on the nose at that, yes, one can call it the first Warthog.
@@voss0749 no! always it was used as an escort for the Il2, absolutely effective against Axis fighters(take a look to the confirmed victories of Russian pilots on P39), as it was an excelent frame at low levels....take some better look about this plane!
Nice to hear something good about the P-39. Thanks for posting.
Read a book by a Russian ace about his experience in the P-39. He loved his. The Luftwaffe was flying ground support all the time - which meant they were operating low enough for him to engage bombers with his 37mm. Said it was a devastating hit on a bomber wing.
Read Alexander Pokryshskin memoirs. He loved the airplane. Many missions protecting soviet ground attack planes, so most combats occurred at lower altitudes were this plane excelled
what a beautiful aircraft! the aerodinamic design is in pair with a Porsche; the cockpit, the air intake, super smooth integration to fuselage; excellent restoration job!
37mm cannon worked on tanks.
Chuck Yager said the cannon worked but it was hard to aim because it was like thowing a grapefruit off the back of a truck
Not for the Soviets, they only used HE on them.
I've read the Soviet pilots fired at point blank range so they didn't miss. Dangerous perhaps but there was a pretty big war going on. They used the 37mm as the primary weapon, often they removed the wing mounted machine guns to reduce weight.
My father found this plane on Cape York in 1971, while he was Chief Geologist for Comalco Aluminium Limited, part of the RIO empire. I had the pilot's logbook in my hands in 1972. The pilot was found living in the southern US. He was brought back to watch the recovery, only to see the RAAF demolish the front ends of the three aircraft found by my father in great condition, due to unexploded ordnance still loaded inside. It's been a long hard road for this aircraft and well done bravo to those who ponied up to rescue this amazing piece of history.
Thank Heaven for this artisan and the excellent work he does to reminds of the Greatest Generation.
Thank you Paul McSweeny, Director, Pioneer Aero Ltd. Auckland New Zealand for the successful restoration of this lovely
P-39 Bell Airacobra.
As well dispelling some of bad press it unjustly received, plus educating us of the reasons for its inherent limitations.
After recently seeing what Auckland's fabulous M.O.T.A.T.#2 (the aviation "wing") has for all to see,
was it not possible to have this be this Airacobra's forever home, for all visiting Auckland to enjoy?
Plus Paul you and your staff could drop-in now and then to admire your handy work, "yeah we restored that!"
Unfortunately the P-39 already had a US owner, so there's no way that the aircraft was going to stay in NZ.
A kindly benefactor that so it will may remain on permanent public display at M.O.T.A.T. #2 !
Having cannon in the nose probably makes it easier to aim on target and get kills, then have it in the wings. But, as some mentioned already Soviets had little to none of 37mm armor piercing rounds so it could not of been used against tanks. It mainly served as low altitude fighter and ground support aircraft.
Max Ter but do you really need armour piercing rounds when your shooting at the roof armour of a German tank which was rarely above 20mm thick with a 37mm cannon it could probably still do its job
@@devonlord99 it olny used high explosive
One of THE most underrated and not talked about aircraft of ww2. Always been one of my favorites. P-61's and mosquitoes were the place to be though .
Chuck Yeager did his advanced training in P-39s, and absolutely loved the type! (UK Test pilot Eric 'Winkle' Brown was a big fan of it as well!)
The British test pilots only liked it because they were given an unarmed version of it to test. the actual p39s they received were of course armed and thus heavier, leading to the British getting a very different plane to the ones they tested. The British got rid of their p39s asap
beautiful plane, those car doors however are so funky looking
Beautiful restored, respect
The P-40 has always been my dream. She was there when the world needed her the most.
The air cobra was a very underrated aircraft. With a turbo charger. And the proper engine. It would become a killer of a fighter. The pilot was very well protected.
James Hurst Imagine if it had a Merlin engine
Thanks for making this video! I’ve always loved the P-39/P-63
Very impressive restoration, great work on that - congratulations. I haven't heard of DeHaviland Hornet before. Looks like a smaller, compact version of a mosquito.
A fighter version - I believe it was a postwar model.
Yes indeed. Basically a single seat,long range Mosquito fighter. If the Allies had it in 42/43, it would have been a world beater. Four 20mm cannon, 476mph speed, range on internal fuel 3000 miles.
Too late for WW2, but despite no one really wanting propeller aircraft, jets being newer and sexier. The RAF ended up buying a few hundred and they did some excellent work during the Malayan Emergency.
@@Goatboysminion The first production Hornet was delivered in February '45, so it was a WW2 combat plane. It was fast at 487mph using 2000bhp Merlins. Imagine if it got Griffon engines with 2500bhp!
I met a Pacific theater WWIi pilot who flew these aircraft, he was fond of its flight characteristics. My grandfather helped build P51's during the war and we chatted about the old days.
Newzealanders have contributed so much to aviation, past and present.
Amazing.
Do you specialise in idiotic and morally sanctimonious commentary!? Especially of a kind that has nothing to do with the subject under discussion! Otherwise why would you bag a whole nation because of the 'actions' as stated by you anyway, of some people? Most NZers wouldn't have the foggiest clue, about what you are talking about. Let alone any involvement in the matter. They would have no more knowledge of it than you, or anybody else would have - about everything that might, or might not be, going on in your own country, at any particular time! So yes indeed, could you please provide the sources and any verifiable supporting evidence to confirm your statements. And i will pass it on to the Police and other appropriate authorities. Thank you.
@Rob Devard that's called Australia. Time to put the crack pipe down now.
Great show...I have a soft spot for the P-39 Airacobra. It was my first Cox .049 airplane and I loved the looks and compactness. Yes, the Soviets used the P-39 as a tank buster. Thank you for producing this video.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video and excellent work Mr. McSweeny! Your knowledge, craftsmanship, and enthusiasm for these planes is very admirable. Thank you for educating me on this beautiful bird.
Nice!!!👍 The P39 is probably the most underrated fighter of WW2. Its main short coming was the lack of a supercharger.
One of the rarest and one of my favorites.
What a thrill it must be to work on these great old airplanes every day, bringing them back to life.
Beautiful bird. Great restoration ^-^
Thank you for the wonderful video. One of my favorite books on the period is “
Nanette” a wonderful discussion of war in a P-39 by Keith Park.
That is a beautiful thing, congratulations on a superb restoration. And Who gives a shite about its characteristics, its still a piece of world war history!
Stunning plane. And the darn thing looks brand new!
Fantastic company. The world thanks you, especially us Americans.
They were beautiful planes....brings a tear to my eye.
Get to see John Bagley fly his P63 King Cobra regularly.
Those Allison’s sound amazing.
Outstanding restoration!!! Cant wait to see a completed Hornet!! My favorite twin-engine piston powered aircraft.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Beauty is in the eye of the Bellholder.
Wonderful restoration, an interesting and often overlooked WW2 fighter aircraft.
OMG, truly iconic plane, the nose mounted 37 mm canon was a beast ....this plane was highly feared by enemy pilots and rightly so, if she caught a bomber at low altitude it was lights out....the 39 was also extremely deadly against ground targets, especially trains making supply runs to and from the front....i would have loved to have seen this bird flying in wartime...as long as i could come home again after.
Myself and my nephew paid a visit whilst on holiday in NZ great company very friendly keep up the good work guys
What a beautiful bird!
Great interview. Honest in good humors and integrity. Thank you for the good lesson. Soperior
Glad you enjoyed it!
This plane worked legendary in the Soviet Union…Very beautiful
Beautiful restoration...That bird looks cleaner than when it came from the factory!