| P-39 Airacobra Army Air Corps |
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| Stock #: | AP39 | |
| Price: | $139.95 | |
| Span: | 17" | |
| Length: | 15" | |
| The P-39 Airacobra started out as a cutting-edge design based on the idea of installing a 37 mm cannon in the extreme nose and
firing it through the propeller hub. To do this the engine had to be placed in the center of the fuselage behind the pilot. The result was a long propeller shaft running between the
pilot's legs through the cockpit. Another innovation: a retractable tricylce landing gear positioned under the nose, the first time such a design had been applied to a fighter. The plane
appeared to be a champion. Then came the changes: heavy armor plate was added. The supercharged engine was replaced by an un-supercharged one with the result that it lacked power and performance at high altitude. In 1941, even with the shortfall in performance, the Airacobra was ordered in significant numbers. It fought without distinction alongside the P-40 in both Europe and the Pacific. It was soon to be replaced by the P-38, P-47 and P-51. Of the 9,500+ Airacobras produced, over half were sent to the USSR.
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| Include wallmount for additional $18 | ||