Bell P39D-2 Airacobra

Plane: Bell P39D-2 Airacobra

Weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 5,968lb / 7,600lb / 8,052lb

Wing Area: 213sq ft

Wing Loading: 28.0lb/sq ft / 35.6lb/sq ft / 37.8lb/sq ft

Length: 30' 2"

Span: 34'

Wing Aspect Ratio: 5.4

Engine: 1,350hp Allison V-1710-63 (E4) Inline

Flaps: 5 settings

Visibility:

• Front: Ok
• Sides: Ok
• Rear: Good

Control Feel:

• Slow: Acceptable roll, Excellent Rudder, Good Elevators
• Near Sustained: Acceptable roll/rudder, Good Elevators
• Fast: Acceptable roll, Poor Rudder, Good Elevators

Stall Speed 1k (No Flaps/Full Flaps) 100/90mph

Guns:

Ordnance:
0: none
1: 1xbomb
2: none
3: none

Fuel Time/Percent: 30 seconds/percent

Power/weight (Empty/Loaded/Max): 4.4lb/hp / 5.6lb/hp / 6.0lb/hp

Corner Velocity: 275mph

Durability: Fair

WEP time: 5 minutes

Maximum Angle-of-Attack (no flaps/full flaps): 17/17 degrees

Wing Incidence Angle (no flaps/full flaps): 5/5 degrees

Accleleration:

Old:

New for 2.0:

Climb:

Old:
1k-5k: 64s
5k-10k: 101s
10k-15k: 108s

New for 2.0:
1k-5k: 52s
5k-10k: 84s
10k-15k: 84s

Zoom Climb:

Old:
1k 400mph: +3,900ft
1k 300mph: +2,500ft

New for 2.0:
1k 400mph: +5,100ft
1k 300mph: +3,300ft

Dive:

Old:

New for 2.0:

Max Speed

Old:

New for 2.0:

Turn Performance

Old:

New for 2.0:

Corner Speed and Radii (1,000ft):

Old:

Speed: 280mph
Radius: 570ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 145mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 1,040ft
Full Flaps Speed: 115mph
Full Flaps Radius: 843ft

New for 2.0:

Speed: 275mph
Radius: 548ft
Sustained Turn Speed: 140mph
Sustained Turn Radius: 587ft
Full Flaps Speed: 110mph
Full Flaps Radius: 474ft

Roll Rate:

Old:
150mph: 5.5s
200mph: 4.9s
250mph: 5.1s
300mph: 6.0s
350mph: 6.9s
400mph: 7.8s

New for 2.0:
150mph: 5.7s
200mph: 4.8s
250mph: 5.2s
300mph: 6.1s
350mph: 7.2s
400mph: 8.0s

Minimum Full-Flaps Full-Power Split-S altitude:

Old:
150mph: 1,400ft
200mph: 1,400ft
250mph: 1,400ft
300mph: 1,700ft

New for 2.0:
150mph: 800ft
200mph: 1,200ft
250mph: 1,600ft
300mph: 2,100ft

Hoof's Tips and Opinions:

The P39 is an example of how higher management can ruin a potentially decent plane and turn it into a dog (pun intended). The P39 was originally designed as a high altitude bomber interceptor, with the idea being that a P39 pilot could park himself beyond defensive fire range of the bomber and lob 37mm shells at it. Unfortunately, the originally intended Turbo-Supercharger was not included (due to "higher management" decisions on the need for it), and thus the P39 became a horrible high altitude plane.

Version 2.0 brings us a brand new P39D. This baby is far superior to 1.11's P39, and finally 37mm gunslingers can actually turn and maintain a tracking shot. Gone are the days where Ju88s out Turn-n-Burned P39 pilots.

The P39D is best at low altitudes. Where the FW190A4 hits a performance cliff at 7,000ft, the P39D hits it's performance cliff somewhere between 9,000ft and 15,000ft. This plane really starts hurting at 15,000ft and it gets worse the higher it goes. But her performance is pretty linear below 10,000ft and even with the new rolling terrain, this should suit the P39 pilot just fine in the arena.

Handling-wise, this bird is a handful. One has to be very careful on takeoff, avoiding the tendency to shove the stick forward like with tail-draggers. That will only result in collapsing the nose gear and/or catching the prop, both of which will ruin your day. Keep stick neutral, and ease on the power once lined up. Use rudder to keep her aligned with the runway, but keep input small, as the nose-wheel makes it easy as pie to over-steer. Use a notch of flaps to help her get up quick, and rotate at 110-120mph. This is one of the few planes where you have to be very careful taking off in.

Once in the air, the P39D is very unstable. Her wings are right under the engine, and right under the center of gravity. This was done to enhance maneuverability, which it does, but at slow speeds she can really toss around. Once you get used to this this becomes a benefit, because just like the P38, this unstableness allows you to whip that nose and her guns around any which way you want quickly. And this can be useful when pulling an extra 5 degrees of lead on an opponent and thumping him with that big gun.

The P39 has an interesting armament. Her machine guns are about equivalent to 3 .50cals, so her punch is about 1/2 that of a P51 when using machine guns only. Her .30cals fire forever, but she burns through her .50cals in only 17 seconds. Once those .50cals go forget about using machine guns to kill with. But fire the .30cals any time you can, the recoil isn't much, and you never know you might get a pilot kill.

The 37mm is the P39's Big Stick. One 37mm hit will usually cripple a fighter, and two will almost always destroy it or render it unflyable. Plus the shells are modeled all the way to the ground (smaller caliber fire is only modeled out to a mile or so, range 14-15), so you can take those hideously long range shots with it. Parking behind a level/straight B17 at range 16-20 is no problem, you just lob shells at it and Otto can't do a damned thing about it. Unfortunately, the P39's 37mm is unaffected by convergence, so you have to remember *not* to line up the target with the crosshairs, unless at point blank. Otherwise you'll watch the shells consistently fall under the target. This can be excruciatingly frustrating in HO situations, since you know that 37mm can really mess up the other guy if it hits. The custom gunsight feature of warbirds really shines here, because one can set up a shell-drop gunsight for different ranges in level flight, greatly aiding in shooting that 37mm at non-maneuvering targets.

Basically, to be most effective with the P39 you have to become very proficient at the 37mm cannon. Without the 37mm cannon, the P39 is just a mediocre plane (although not the dog it was in 1.11, no pun intended). With it you have one of the longest-reaching Big Sticks in the game. Practice against the drone until you can hit with 1 out of 3 shells at range 5 (or better) and consistently within range 8. I don't know if 2.0 supports the "frozen online planes" offline, but if you can get a stationary or level/straight flying target offline, practice shooting it with the 37mm. Learn to hit it from range 5 to 18. Against such a target that big gun can nail even fighters from range 8-12 fairly well. The author had a misfire of the 37mm cannon, once, in 1.10 that resulted in a Killshooter death as the shell fired (stick problem), and sailed out nailing some poor countryman at range 14. Range 4-8 hits are not that uncommon if you learn how to shoot with it.

Overall, 2.0 sees a new Dawg. It ain't no zeke or Ki84, but it is an effective and deadly plane now. One can actually TnB with a Spit or P38 for a circle or two, and with extra E, the Dawg can do quite well. Gone are the days when a P39 was just an extra icon in the sky to ignore.

Back To Main Page