Some P 39 love...

[Dutchvdm]

Some nice pictures of soviet P-39's i found.

 

 

 

 

 

Edit: P-63 below

 

Edited June 20, 2017 by Martijnvdm

[Elem]

Some nice pictures of soviet P-39's i found.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a P-63 King Cobra.

[Dutchvdm]

This is a P-63 King Cobra.

 

Thnx. Stand corrected. 

 

Grt M

[Feathered_IV]

I always wondered why the Soviet P-39s had so much more personal markings than other soviet types.  Was it better morale?  Greater longevity?  Or more tolerant leadership?

[Finkeren]

I always wondered why the Soviet P-39s had so much more personal markings than other soviet types. Was it better morale? Greater longevity? Or more tolerant leadership?

I don't think they did. Look at Chuvelev's red nosed Yaks or Kostylov's shark-mouthed La-5s.

[Dutchvdm]

I don't think they did. Look at Chuvelev's red nosed Yaks or Kostylov's shark-mouthed La-5s.

 

Maybe there is a difference between early-war and late war? I do have the impression that the early war planes look less stylish.

 

Grt M

[Finkeren]

Maybe there is a difference between early-war and late war? I do have the impression that the early war planes look less stylish.

 

Grt M

Indeed. 1941-42 planes varied wildly, but that was mainly because they tried out different camo schemes to apply over peace-time paint jobs.

 

Obviously there are exceptions, like the red-arrow MiGs of late 1941, but the general trend was first towards standardization in 1942 and then towards more pimped-out personal designs and insignia in 1943-45.

 

Separate from that are the painted slogans, which were common throughout, especially on locally sponsored aircraft.

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

I bet the Russians had a good time looking at all the nose-art on the US planes that shuttled in. 

[6./ZG26_Loke]

P-63 Kingcobra's in flight over Niagara Falls, on their way to Russia.
 

[ShamrockOneFive]

P-63 Kingcobra's in flight over Niagara Falls, on their way to Russia.

 

 

I have never seen that photo. Really quite interesting!

[Daiichidoku]

while my ultimate aim is to fly the P-38 and P-47 here, i have been waiting patiently for the P-39 to arrive, as it's the one i want to re-learn how to fly on (although i've been tempted by the spit)

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

I'm probably going to skin most 16 GIAP, 45 IAP/100 GIAP, 298 IAP/104 GIAP and maybe 84 "A" IAP/101 GIAP P-39Ls. Getting the materials for it is a fun if laborious job.

 

Here's the deal, those regiments received the bulk of P-39D/K/L/M from 25 ZAP. Most of the serial numbers are known for the L-1 models, but only a few board numbers are known (some through photos, some through documents, some through anecdotes). Another interesting thing is that from my observation no Airacobra delivered between February and May to these regiments bore the same board number, even across regiments. The lowest number I have is 1 (45 IAP), and the highest is 200 (16 GIAP). Additionally all aircraft with more elaborate markings or fancy numbers have been documented well by authors and researchers, most notably Mikhail Bykov, so it's easier to add individual details too.

 

The idea is to cross-reference the aircraft with their serial numbers, analyse any pattern based on models, serial numbers or delivery date to the front, and produce a semi-accurate final list for reference to be posted here together with a handful of skins for anyone, mission makers included, to use freely

[BlitzPig_EL]

Thanks!

 

Looking forward to seeing them.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Thanks, it's fun The documentation is pretty extensive, and lists the fate of each aircraft so it's easy to see which of them survived until the transition from full OD or full OD with white spinner to regiment identification markings (red nose, red fin flash for 16 GIAP; blue nose and white fin flash for 100 and 104 GIAP) sometime in the end of summer 1943.

[ShamrockOneFive]

while my ultimate aim is to fly the P-38 and P-47 here, i have been waiting patiently for the P-39 to arrive, as it's the one i want to re-learn how to fly on (although i've been tempted by the spit)

 

The Spitfire is great to fly but its also very interesting to fly. The feel on the stick is very different from most of the aircraft. Worth checking out and not waiting too much

 

I have no idea what the P-39 is going to be like in this sim but I'm extremely excited to get into the cockpit and try it out too!

 

I'm probably going to skin most 16 GIAP, 45 IAP/100 GIAP, 298 IAP/104 GIAP and maybe 84 "A" IAP/101 GIAP P-39Ls. Getting the materials for it is a fun if laborious job.

 

Here's the deal, those regiments received the bulk of P-39D/K/L/M from 25 ZAP. Most of the serial numbers are known for the L-1 models, but only a few board numbers are known (some through photos, some through documents, some through anecdotes). Another interesting thing is that from my observation no Airacobra delivered between February and May to these regiments bore the same board number, even across regiments. The lowest number I have is 1 (45 IAP), and the highest is 200 (16 GIAP). Additionally all aircraft with more elaborate markings or fancy numbers have been documented well by authors and researchers, most notably Mikhail Bykov, so it's easier to add individual details too.

 

The idea is to cross-reference the aircraft with their serial numbers, analyse any pattern based on models, serial numbers or delivery date to the front, and produce a semi-accurate final list for reference to be posted here together with a handful of skins for anyone, mission makers included, to use freely

 

That sounds amazing Lucas! I can't wait to see!

 have no idea what the P-39 is going to be like in this sim but I'm extremely excited to get into the cockpit and try it out too!

[Frequent_Flyer]

I always wondered why the Soviet P-39s had so much more personal markings than other soviet types.  Was it better morale?  Greater longevity?  Or more tolerant leadership?

 

The P-39 ( and A-20) was/were the best looking aircraft the VVS flew. 

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

I'll be honest with you, I used to share this opinion for many years, but then I had a chance of seeing a Yak-9 flying. My oh my, that airplane was so elegant and sharp in the air - it almost made the Spitfire look clumsy.

[-=PHX=-SuperEtendard]

The P-39 is one of my favourite looking aircraft of WW2, but the Yak-3, Yak-9U and La-7 are also pretty good with sleek lines, it's a hard choice haha. In terms of bombers the Tu-2 and late Yer-2 (the one with simetric canopy) are very good as well.

[Finkeren]

The P-39 ( and A-20) was/were the best looking aircraft the VVS flew.

As much as I like the P-39, there is no contest, that the MiG-3 was the most beautiful fighter of the VVS - in fact it's one of the prettiest aircraft ever constructed.

 

It, too, had some pretty interesting paint jobs during its service life.

[Frequent_Flyer]

As much as I like the P-39, there is no contest, that the MiG-3 was the most beautiful fighter of the VVS - in fact it's one of the prettiest aircraft ever constructed.

 

It, too, had some pretty interesting paint jobs during its service life.

 

Beauty is I the eye of the beholder, I do not share your opinion. it looked like it performed, clumsy and unbalanced.

[Finkeren]

Normally I'd agree, but in the case of the MiG-3 there is such a thing as objective beauty

[Herne]

I just know I will forget that it has a nose wheel, and try to land with the traditional tail dragging nose high attitude.

[Finkeren]

I just know I will forget that it has a nose wheel, and try to land with the traditional tail dragging nose high attitude.

Due to the length of that nose gear it actually does land in a slight nose high attitude.

[ShamrockOneFive]

War is Boring did a great summary on the history of the P-39. None of its really new but its fantastically summarized and folks may appreciate the read!

 

https://warisboring.com/americas-worst-world-war-ii-fighter-was-the-star-of-the-soviet-air-force/

[chris455]

Great article; but IIRC, loss of the turbo in the final design was a USAAC decision, not Bell's.

[ShamrockOneFive]

That part always confused me. Was it Bell, was it the USAAC, why on earth would you want to rob an interceptor of its high altitude performance.

 

Did they just not understand what doing that meant?

[BlitzPig_EL]

The Air Corps put all it's bomber interceptor eggs in the P38 basket, as it did out perform the P39.

 

Also, turbochargers were still very difficult and expensive to manufacture at that point in time, and the Army didn't need yet another application that used them, bombers being the first priority.

 

I still wonder how different things would have been had Allison developed a proper two speed/two stage supercharger for the V1710. The basic V1710 design was very robust and easily capable of the kinds of output that the Merlin could make.

[Ribbon]

The P-39 is one of my favourite looking aircraft of WW2, but the Yak-3, Yak-9U and La-7 are also pretty good with sleek lines, it's a hard choice haha. In terms of bombers the Tu-2 and late Yer-2 (the one with simetric canopy) are very good as well.

Yak-3 had it all, beauty and brain (performance).

I hope to fly it some day in BoX!

[SCG_Tzigy]

Interesting pics

[indiaciki]

I already had flat spins flying the yak and the spit. Can't wait for that 37mm :D