P-39 Airacobras over Roumania and Captures, Info on Airacobras

No. 151 with which adj. av. Vasile Stana claimed a P-39 on 10 August 1944 (according to Dan Antoniu and George Cicos) was initially a IAR-81. During early 1944 it was rearmed with two 20mm Mauser cannons and brought up to IAR-81C standard.

A little of topic: - you know more about this refitting (IAR 80 / 81)? Were just canons, or another equipment (armoured glass, armour for pilot, etc.) like in "C" variants?

Iama

Yes Victor indeed that is the case, also allow me to add me a message on here to a claim started on this topic that P-39's Airacobras weren't equipped with armour piercing shells......not all of the P-39 divisions were updated on the US version P-39's enhacements which were mainly done in the Pacific theater of operations but in due course also the Russians Airacobras got the right ordonance and modified HUD's ( gun sightings ) and improved air to ground rockets and flight instrumentation. I know all this from a US veteran test pilot who transffered P-39's and B-25 Mitchells to Russia. I am attaching bellwo the pilot badge designed by Soviet Air Command Chief of Staff for those pilots who ferried the P-39's and B-25's to Soviet Union and which was designed fully in 100% silver which I received personally from him a few years ago.

Al

This post has been edited by Victor on April 14, 2005 04:26 pm

Engine position give suplimentary protection to the pilot from behind. This was good in a dog fight, protecting from enemy firing from back - but how performed P 39 against defensive mg's of bombers?
And auotmobile style door, affected pilot when he jump with parachutte? Was a better system then in "classical" way?

"The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 had a 13 mm plate to protect head and shoulders of the pilot, 8 mm seat armour, some 5 mm and 6 mm plate to fill in the gaps around the seat, and an armoured windscreen 50 mm thick. Armoured rings of 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm were installed around the lip of the engine cowling. An unique modification was the Fw 190A-8/R-8, modified to attack US heavy bombers from a close distance. Most fighters were protected only against from the rear and front. But the /R8 modification provided protection against fire from the sides as well, because this could be expected when the fighters got close in the bomber formations. The nose and headrest armour were made heavier, 30 mm armourglass was fitted to the side of the canopy, and 5 mm plate was installed at the sides of the cockpit and behind the instrument panel. The wing ammunition boxes for the 30 mm cannon were also protected, for any explosion of the ammunition would be fatal."

P 39 had 1 * 37, 2*12,7 and 4*7,62. A lot of guns, not? In original, if were not removed in field for loose some weight of the airplane. If a 37 HE projectile hit between the armoured rings who protect the engine... i think he caused enough damage for obtaining a victory - even it was a HE. Some lucky 12,7 m.m. bullets may enter between this rings and do well damages - a 12,7 m.m. is powerfull enough (43,3 grams, 750-850 rpm, 880 m/sec.) and the two M2 from engine cowlings had a concentrate fire on a small surface because are well apropriate...
Or maybe was an A8/R8 who confused P-39 with a B-17 or 24 (US made, like P39 )... Maybe was an "F" variant, an ground attack variant of the Fw190 - more chances to be encountered by the russians?

And .. for forumist who post some data today about P39... i dont find yet the link were i read about a speciffic AP 37 m.m. who had good resuslts and was not send to Soviet Union, for some reasons...

Iama

Just a note to the other person who posts on here the claims about P-39's having car doors...it isn't a car door is has a bail out handle release grip which detaches the door away upon an emergency to enable easy bailout proceedure for the pilot.....! At cars travelling at 140 Km and above no door can be opened to a full extent ......P-39 may reach on air to air or air to GND combat manuevers may reach above 490 km an hour , that would simply tore the door away if opened again the wind flow and the aircraft would become uncontrollable...therefore the bail out mechanism of the door was in place eventhough that for some people it may seem a car door like.

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 04, 2005 10:32 am

I found this .... (*?) definition - "expresie" in a lot of web sites...

Iama,

for those who had comments about my "exprimare" (*)

Because i like so much this P-39 markings of Babak plane i want to repost the picture with the 1/48 Eduard scale model with special decal ( from a small czech company). I have the Kit but not the decals. The name Mariupol on his plane is the flight school airfield where he learned to fly.
With this plane he met in combat romanian and german planes on Moldavian front in summer '44.



Attached Image

Dan

It does continously looks that in our previous lives we were family members under Dacia or similar....as we have the same interests. Here's my P-39 of Babak I built last year , please note that my prop MG it slightly varies from the one on your photo because the P-39's has various options of armaments ...I think mine was the P400 series .Note the text on the right side of the fuselage ZA VANYO BABAKA

Al

This post has been edited by alexkdl on January 07, 2005 01:43 pm

Attached Image

here's my P-39 from an other angle

Al

Attached Image

Babak P-39

Al

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Yes Alex indeed. What scale is your model. Where did you find the decals of Babak plane.

Cheers,
Dan

I bought the P-39 from Squadron ...in the US the old Czech manufacturer 1:72

I flown also Babak plane in Il-2FB games. One of the most nice skin for P-39.

Btw. Why not make a movie ( with the help of Il-2 editor) for Tidal Wave. I think Mytzu could help.( he is a specialist )

Babak has claimed an ARR JU-88 !!
Alex

This post has been edited by Victor on April 16, 2005 04:17 pm

Do you know the date of this claim ?