Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft
Bell P-63 Kingcobra Overview
The Bell P-63 Kingcobra was a fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft Corporation during World War II. It was an improved version of the Bell P-39 Airacobra and was designed to provide better performance and armament than its predecessor.
The P-63 was a single-engine, single-seat aircraft with a low-wing design. It was powered by an Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engine and was armed with a combination of .50 caliber machine guns and 37mm cannon. The aircraft also featured a laminar flow wing design for improved performance at high speeds.
One of the unique features of the P-63 was its engine-mounted supercharger, which provided improved performance at high altitudes. The aircraft also had a tricycle landing gear, which was relatively uncommon at the time.
The P-63 saw service with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II, primarily in the European and Pacific theaters. It was used for a variety of roles, including air superiority, ground attack, and reconnaissance. The P-63 was also supplied to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program, where it was used for both combat and training missions.
After the end of World War II, the P-63 was used by a number of countries, including France, which used the aircraft during the First Indochina War. The P-63 was eventually retired from service in the 1950s.
Today, several P-63s are preserved in museums and private collections around the world, serving as a reminder of this important aircraft’s role in World War II and beyond.
Bell P-63 Kingcobra Specifications
- Crew: One
- Length: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
- Wingspan: 38 ft 4 in (11.68 m)
- Height: 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)
- Wing area: 248 sq ft (23.0 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 66-116; tip: NACA 66-216
- Empty weight: 6,800 lb (3,084 kg)
- Gross weight: 8,800 lb (3,992 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 10,700 lb (4,853 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Allison V-1710-117 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,800 hp (1,300 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed propeller
Bell P-63 Kingcobra Performance
- Maximum speed: 410 mph (660 km/h, 360 kn) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
- Range: 450 mi (720 km, 390 nmi)
- Ferry range: 2,200 mi (3,500 km, 1,900 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,500 ft/min (13 m/s)
- Wing loading: 35.48 lb/sq ft (173.2 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.20 hp/lb (0.33 kW/kg)
Bell P-63 Kingcobra Armament
- Guns:
- 1 × 37 mm (1.5 in) M4 cannon firing through the propeller hub. From the A-9 version of the aircraft onward, the M4 gun was replaced with the slightly improved M10 37 mm cannon, which used a disintegrating link ammunition belt, increasing the ammo capacity to 58 rounds; the M10 also had a slightly higher rate of fire.
- 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (two synchronized in the nose, two in the wings)
- Bombs: 1,500 lb (680 kg) bomb load on wing and fuselage.
