P-39 Airacobra, US vs. Soviet Use video is here now.

Reports that the P-47's sent to the Soviet Union were all used in the vicinity of Moscow could have been the result of fuel logistics.

Good video. One other thing that often gets overlooked is how many 'non-combat' losses occurred. The thing that I want to point out is that the P-40 was (relative to other contemporary aircraft) easy to ground loop (Google it) and be damaged in the subsequent trip into the tall weeds. (The F4U/FG1 was even worse!) (My grandfather ground looped and wrecked one while he was in the Navy.) The P-39/P-63 would be (just about) impossible to ground loop and the number rendered unserviceable due to ground handling difficulties would approach zero. If you are not wrecking your aircraft on take-off/landing operations, you have more aircraft to fight Nazis and Tojos with on any given day.

Great stuff--I updated my membership to Captain level thanks to this video. Keep these informative videos coming!

Loved the video. I agree totally with your view backed up with charts and data. I believe the early war American pilots tried to dogfight the Japanese planes in the vertical and horizontal turns rather than use the P 39’s strengths, according to Saburo Sakai’s book. Flying Tigers did well because General Chennault taught his pilots how to fight.

Thank you Greg. Absolutely worth waiting for. Finally some one has cleared the air about this airplane. When I read that Bob Hoover and Eric Brown actually liked the airplane I became doubtful of all the negativism. Bell engineers were on top of it - 525 in a dive!

Absolutely great video, the P-39 has been a long time favorite of mine due to its different qualities like being a trike and a great rear engine-front wheel drive layout. I've always kept my eye out for the now discontinued Guillows kits and have 3 of the P-39s on ice still. You think this is the end of the P-39 exploration, or do you think you'll cover the P-63 in the next? I remember I landed in Cincinnati Lunken (LUK) for a hundred dollar hamburger in the rain, and there was one of the last airworthy P-63s in the world sitting right there, it was astounding to see it so close. It was the CAFs and was olive green with the big TEST on the side, I never checked to see if it was based there or just on tour. Anyway, amazing work as always.

According to "P-39/P-400 vs. A6M2/3" by Claringbould, postwar analysis of combat over New Guinea in 1942, fifteen Zeros were destroyed in air-to-air combat by Airacobras. It's surprising to learn that only fifteen Airacobras were lost to Zeros! The old Iron Dog fought the Zero to a draw in that theater during that year.

Thanks Greg. Another fascinating watch. I rather like the P-39 in IL2 and find it a nice plane to fly with a good turn of speed, and hitting stuff with that cannon is just gorgeous. By far the worst thing for the armchair sim pilot is the terrible rearward visibility so it's interesting to hear you say the Soviets liked its radio. I guess they needed good comms between wingmen to avoid getting bounced.

Thanks Greg :)

Thanks Greg well worth waiting for. I enjoy learning so much about the realities of front line service for pilots and aircraft

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