Bell AiraCobra
P-400
RAF Mk I
CFS3 - V4.00.169

This aircraft was built by  GregoryP using version 4.00.168 of the AvHistory 1% Assembly Line process, but is truly a community effort.

Corrado was always a great help over the years able to do a quickie aircraft for me to develop flight models. He is the original modeler for this one. My test models were just bare bones. What I found though was there was a bit nore work put into this flight test model.

John BRAVO/4 Whelan did some research and found it was skin-able. I used to fly it with some multi-colored skin. John was able to create a bunch on nice 2048 skins for Corrado's model.

Then Greg Law lent a hand and created a new MOS file for it so it would show damage. And John Whelan created a new damage texture. One super thing Greg Law did was allow us to use normal looking names. Greg Law did really super job fixing the damage capability.

Alessandro Biagi worked some major magic and darkened the cockpit, which greatly improved the external look. He's been able to work this magic on several other aircraft.

Finally, Steve O1 DRIVER Dunn cranked out a nice set of special effects for the lights & exhaust.

This aircraft is a grade B place holder till the MAW CHapter II full range of AiraCobras are completed.  The cockpit is basic & uses the stock CFS3 lights.

John BRAVO/4 Whelan painted this aircraft in the livery of an RAF AiraCobra Mk I Serial # AH595 asigned to 601 "County of London" Squadron based at Duxford in 1941.



601 was the only RAF unit to use the P-39. Based on the performance of the test model the RAF ordered 675 of these aircraft armed with 0.50-inch machine guns in the fuselage and four 0.30-inch machine guns in the wings, the 37 mm gun was replaced by a 20 mm Hispano Suiza. What the RAF received were aircraft without the turbo-superchargers severely reducing its effectiveness and after only one operational use by the 601 these aircraft were deemed unfit with further orders cancelled and the aircraft removed from service.



The RAF model was at first named Caribou, but the American name of Airacobra was adopted in July 1941. The British Airacobra was virtually identical to the American P-39D, but the slower-firing 37-mm cannon was replaced with the faster-firing and more reliable Hispano 20-mm cannon with 60 rounds.

Two 0.50-inch machine guns were mounted in the fuselage, and four 0.30-inch machine guns were mounted in the wings. The engine of the Model 14 was the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-E4 (-35). The British serials of the Airacobras were AH570/AH739 (170 planes), AP264/AP384 (121 planes), BW100/BW183 (84 planes), and BX135/BX434 (300 planes).



No. 601 Squadron pilots found numerous flaws and weaknesses during their initial work-up with the the Airacobra. Some of them were a question of improving operational efficiency and pilot comfort, but others were considered essential to make the aircraft operational. Numerous modifications were made in the field in an attempt to make the aircraft suitable for combat. A master valve was introduced to allow oxygen to be turned on from the cockpit. The gunsight was modified to improve forward visibility. Changes to the ammunition tanks for the wing guns were made. Modifications were made to the cockpit harness release in order to simplify the operation. The IFF (Identification, Friend or Foe) set was removed from behind the pilot, where it obstructed aft view. A throttle control quadrant friction damper was introduced.



The Air Fighting Development Unit received a British Airacobra I on July 30. They subjected it to tests and completed their report on September 22. They found the aircraft to be pleasant to fly and easy to takeoff and land. Controls were well balanced and although heavier than those of the Spitfire at normal speeds, did not increase appreciably in weight at high speeds as they did in the Spitfire. It was difficult to hold the aircraft in a dive at high speeds unless the aircraft was trimmed nose-heavy.



During a turn, the Airacobra would give ample warning of a high-speed stall by severe vibration of the whole airframe. Handling in formation and formation attacks was good, although deceleration was poor because of the plane's aerodynamic cleanliness. Take-offs and landings in close formation were not considered safe, since there was considerable difficulty in bringing the aircraft back to its original path after a swing.

The P-400s also saw some use closer to Britain. 179 of the Airacobras sent to Britain were re-acquired by the USAAF and were sent to North Africa to join the Twelfth Air Force.

BEAR
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