SPA Modeler

jeaton01 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 10:44 pm One of the pilots in my guard unit flew P-39's on the Pacific. He survived a shoot down but all he could remember was falling through the air in his seat, the rest of the airplane was gone.

That doesn't bare thinking about - he was lucky to survive it!

Very cool. Can't wait to see the build.

Now I've got to find the vintage Monogram Airacobra kit on ebay.....

If you've ever read Chuck Yeager's autobiography, he speaks of loving to fly the Airacobra. He also mentioned, while on a postwar diplomatic trip to Russia, of speaking with a Russian Air Force general who had flown the P-39 in WWII having similar affection for the type. I kind of think that it may have been Alexander Pokryshkin, who had score the majority of his kills in the Cobra. But that is just supposition on my part. At low to medium altitude, it was hard to top for the pilot who could exploit its' strengths.

It had a tendency to tumble out of control which could be inconvenient when altitude was insufficient. This film was a result of pilots reporting the tumble and the study that followed it. Just keep your speed up, fellas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWwI6gZw67g