5 Reasons Why The P-39 Was Controversial
YouTube / Dark Skies
1. Car Doors
Forget traditional canopy openings. The Airacobra, unlike its contemporaries, boasted automobile-style doors for access.
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To enter the aircraft, you needed to use its doors – entering it like you would a car.
2. Engine Was Behind The Cockpit
In a departure from conventional design, the P-39 positioned its engine directly behind the pilot, defying the norm of frontal or wing-mounted engines.
This unconventional placement offered unique aerodynamic advantages and challenged preconceived notions of aircraft layout.
3. Tricycle Landing Gear
Pioneering the tricycle undercarriage, the P-39 sported a nose wheel upfront and two aft of the center of gravity.
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This configuration, now ubiquitous, revolutionized takeoffs, landings, and taxiing, setting a standard for modern aircraft.
4. Removed Turbocharger
In a controversial move, the P-39 was produced without turbochargers in 1939, puzzling historians to this day.
Nobody truly knows why, but some people think it was due to unfavorable wind tunnel tests or even tied to production constraints.
5. Cockpit Heater
Cold weather can be a bit of a problem but the Airacobra had just the thing to help in these situations.
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Two ducts beneath the pilot’s seat regulated cabin temperature, offering comfort amidst harsh conditions
