Restored WWII P-63 Kingcobra Fighter Flight Demo
Robust and Maneuverable, The P-63 Is Undeniably Better Than The Airacobra
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was developed from the P-39 Airacobra, taking into account the failures of the former making the successor sturdier and faster. It was manufactured by the Bell Aircraft Corporation and primarily used by the Soviet Air Force. It had modest improvements over the P-39, most notably better high altitude performance. There were also other modifications since the USAAF wanted to cut costs which is why the turbocharger was replaced by a mechanically-based supercharger.
The first version given to the USSR had the following features:
- Higher vertical tail
- Reinforced wings and fuselage
- Armament included 1 x 37-mm M4 cannon, 2 x 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) machine guns and 3 x 522-pound bombs
The P-63’s primary roles were fighter and ground attack fighter. One variation had the maximum capacity of 10,500 lbs. for its operational weight. One of the sub variants of P-63A had an Aeroproducts propeller while another had underwing provision allowing it to carry rockets. Aside from being well-armed, the P-63 was also reasonably maneuverable at low altitudes and its robust design made it capable of taking damage.
