P39DinCombat

TheP39Airacobrawasadeparturefromthenormalaircraftconfiguration.Withtricyclelandinggear,a
midmountedengineanddoorssimilartoacaritwasgreetedwithskepticismatfirstsightbutmanyof
thosewhoflewitbelieveditwasagoodaircraftincludingChuckYaegerwhowroteinhisbiographyI
hadabout500hoursintheP39,andthoughtitwasaboutthebestairplaneIeverflew.

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TheAiracobrahadmixedsuccessinWW2.AfirstgenerationWW2fighter,itsinferiorhighaltitude
performanceleftithopelesslyoutclassedintheEuropeantheatre.InthePacificithadprovedcapable,
givingaswellasittookagainsttheJapanese.WhereittrulyshonewasinthehandsofRussianswhere
itssparklinglowaltitudeperformancesuitedthetacticalsupportnatureoftheairwarfarefoughtonthe
easternfront.

GoldenrulesfortheP39pilot
KeepfasttheP39isusuallyfarfasterthanitscontemporaries.Thiswillallowyoutodictatethe
termsoftheengagement.
Dontturnfightwhiletheaircraftismaneuverableenoughtobeusedinaturnfightitslow
power:weightandhighwingloadingmakesithardtokeepincontrol.Oncecontrolislostyouwillbe
leftslowandmushyandwillhaveahardtimeacceleratingbacktoyoursuperiorspeed.
Operateatmediumtolowaltitudesthepowerplantperformancebeginstodropoffat4000M.
Belowthisaltitudemostcontemporarieswontbeabletocatchyouevensecondgeneration
fighterswillhaveahardtime.

Teamwork
Aswithallfasterandlessnimbleaircraftcoordinatedtacticsisthestrategyofchoice.

AttackingintheP39
ManyvariantsoftheP39comearmedwithanextremelypotentweaponthe37mmcannonthatwill
devastateanyfighteraircraftitmanagestohit.Theproblemisgettingthehitinthefirstplaceasitisa
lowvelocitylowrateoffireweaponwithverylimitedammunition.ThefavoredRussianAiracobratactic
ofpointblankshootingfromthelowsixoclockpositionshouldbesought.Surpriseisobviouslyyour#1
priority.A100Mconvergencewillhelpensureyourshotwillhit.Anotherreasontosurpriseyourtarget
isthatthe37mmcannonwerepronetojammingifoperatedunderG.

Thevariantswiththehubmounted20mmcannonareeasiertouseastheballisticdropofthecannon
roundisfarlessthanthe37mmcannon,makinghigheraspectgunnerysimpler.A200Mconvergence
wouldbemorethansufficient.

DefendingintheP39
VisibilityintheP39canbeaproblem.Whileforwardvisibilityisexcellentsidewardvisibilityispoordue
totheheavyframeworkofthecanopy.Rearwardvisibilityisalsosuspectonsomevariants.Thisvisibility
alsomakesitmoredifficulttokeepagoodcombatspreadformationandprovidevisualcoverageof
yourwingman.Itwillbenecessarytorollandsnakethroughacombatareatokeepadecentlookout.

Ifanenemyinasuperiorpositioncanbespottedearlyenoughyoucandragthemoutuntiltheyareco
altitudeandhavedrainedtheirenergypursuingyoubeforeyouturntoengage.

Ifintroubleyourbestdefenseisahighspeeddiveandextend.

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PerformanceEnvelope
TheAiracobraexcelsatlowaltitudebelow4000M.
Bestclimbspeed:250km/hindicated
Cornervelocity:330km/hindicated
Highesttrueairspeed:626at3,700M
Maximumairspeed:760km/h
Power:Weight:(D1)0.33,(D2)0.43
WingLoading:175.3kg/sqm

HandlingCharacteristics
TheP39isaneasyaircrafttooperate.Itstricyclelandinggeargivesitexcellenttaxiing,takeoffand
landingcharacteristicsevenonroughfields.Onceintheairitistrimswellandthecomplete
instrumentationmakesitexcellentforbadweatherflying.

Whiletheaircraftdoesrollwellithasaveryhighwingloadingcomparedtoitscontemporaries.This
directlyimpactsmaneuverabilityandintroducesthecharacteristichighspeedstallthatafflictsthe
aircraft,makingroughhandlingoftheaircraftrisky.

EngineManagement
TheP39spowerplantdoesnothaveaboostsystemorsuperchargerhoweverbecausetheaircraftis
designedtoperformat5000Mandundertheaircraftdoesnotneedthesesystems.Proppitchis
controlledmanuallyasisfuelmix.

CombatRPM:3000CruiseRPM:2600EconomyRPM:2500RPM

Contemporaryopponents
A5M4Claude
Keepfastandslashastheaircraftwilleasilyoutmaneuveryou.Atsealevelyouareover130km/hfaster.
At5,000Myouare200km/hfaster.YoucaneasilyoutdivetheClaude.

A6M2Zeke
Keepfastandslashastheaircraftwilleasilyoutmaneuveryou.Youare100km/hfasterbelow5,000M
thanearlyZekemodelsand50km/hfasterthanthelaterones.YoucanoutdivetheA6M2.

Ki27Nate
Keepfastandslashastheaircraftwilleasilyoutmaneuveryou.Youare130km/hfasterbelow5,000M.
YoucanoutdivetheNate.

Ki43Oscar
Keepfastandslashastheaircraftwilleasilyoutmaneuveryou.Youareover100km/hfasterbelow
5,000M.

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Bf109E
TheP39is60km/hfasterthantheEmilandisalsomoreagileatspeedsabove300km/h.The
power:weightfavorstheEmilsoanextendedturnfightisnotadvised.Maximumdivespeedisequal.

Bf109F
The109FisonlyslightlyslowerthantheP39below4000Mbutisalittlemoremaneuverable.The
power:weightfavorsthe109.Theaircraftareevenlymatchedifthefightiskeptfastandslashingtactis
areusedbutfavorsthe109Finaturnfight.The109Fcanoutdiveyoubya60km/hmargin.

FiatCR42"Falco"
TheFalcoisoutclassedbyinallaspectsbutmaneuverabilityandlowspeedclimb.Useslashingattacks
andengageatwill.

FiatG.50
TheFiatG.50istooslowtobeaseriousthreattoanAiracobra.Itishowevercapableofdivingto
720km/h.

MC200I"Saetta",Macchi
TheSaettaisroughly60km/hslowerthantheP39atsealevelbutlosesgroundasaltitudeincreases
untiltheP39is120km/hfasterat3500M.Atspeedsabove325km/hmaneuverabilityfavorstheP39
butpower:weightfavorstheSaetta.

WherepossibleyoushouldaimtoengagetheSaettaabove2000Mwherethedistinctspeedadvantage
givesyouanoverwhelmingadvantage.TheSaettaiscapableofdivingupto720km/hsowillbehardto
shakeinadive.

MC202III"Folgore",Macchi
TheP39is40km/hfasterthantheFolgoreataltitudesbelow3,500M,at5,000Mtheperformanceis
closetopar.Thepower:weightfavorstheFolgoreanditisalsocapableofwithyou.Withallthisinmind
itisbesttoengageatlowaltitudewithcoordinatedtactics.

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