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P-63 Kingcobra | bgcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3" align="center" style="border-bottom:3px solid"|P-63 Kingcobra | olspan="3" align="center"|
Bell P-63 Kingcobra | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Description | | ole | colspan="2"|Fighter | | rew | colspan="2"|One | | irst Flight | colspan="2"|December 7, 1942 | | ntered Service | colspan="2"| | | anufacturer | colspan="2"|Bell Aircraft Corporation | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Dimensions | | ength | 32 ft 8 in | m | | ingspan | 38 ft 4 in | m | | eight | 12 ft 7 in | m | | ing area | 248 ft² | m² | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Weights | | mpty | 6,800 lb | kg | | oaded | 8,800 lb | kg | | aximum takeoff | 10,700 lb | kg | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Powerplant | | ngine | colspan="2"|Allison V-1710-117 | | ower | 1,800 hp | kW | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Performance | | aximum speed | 410 mph | km/h | | ombat range | miles | km | | erry range | miles | km | | ervice ceiling | 38,600 ft | m | | ate of climb | ft/min | m/min | | ing loading | lb/ft² | kg/m² | | ower/Mass | hp/lb | kW/kg | | gcolor="#87CEEB" colspan="3"|Armament | | uns | colspan="2"|1 × 37 mm cannon (in propeller hub)
4 × 0.50 in machine-guns (2 in nose, 2 in wings) | | ombs | colspan="2"| | The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was developed from the P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft's deficiencies. Although superficially very similar to the Airacobra, in fact it was a completely new aircraft with no interchangeable parts. It had better high-altitude performance than the P-39, thanks to the fitting of a supplemental turbocharger and a laminar flow wing, but it was still considered inferior to the P-51 Mustang at altitude, and the aircraft was not adopted for combat use by the USAAF. American allies, particularly the Soviet Union, had a great need for fighter aircraft, however, and the Soviets were already the largest users of the Airacobra. Therefore, the Kingcobra was ordered into production to be delivered under Lend-Lease. Russian ferry pilots, many of them women, would take delivery of the aircraft at Selfridge Field, Michigan and fly them through Canada, over Alaska and to the Soviet Union over the Bering Strait. 2,397 such aircraft were delivered. 114 later models were delivered to the Free French, but they arrived too late to see service in the war. They were, however, kept on in the postwar Arme de l'Air and saw service in French Indochina before being replaced in 1951. Official Soviet histories downplayed the role of Lend-Lease supplied aircraft in favor of local designs, but it is known that the P-63 was a successful ground-attack and tank-busting aircraft in Soviet service. Sufficient aircraft continued in use after the war for them to be given the NATO reporting name of Fred. Its main use in American service was the unusual one of a manned flying target for gunnery practice. All armament and the regular armor was removed from these RP-63 aircraft, and over a ton of armored sheet metal was applied to the aircraft. This was fitted with sensors that would detect hits, and these hits were signalled by illuminating a light in the propeller hub where the cannon would have been. This earned the aircraft the unofficial nickname of Pinball. Special frangible rounds made of a lead/graphite combination were developed that would disintegrate upon impact.
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