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P-63 KingCobra

P-63 KingCobra


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1. - Development

History: The close sibling of the P-39 Airacobra, the Kingcobra was bigger and faster than its baby sister. The sturdy and capable Kingcobra was flown mainly by the Russians on the Eastern Front of World War Two.

Early in the development of the P-39, experiments were aimed at improving the plane's aerodynamics. The P-39D was used as a starting point for three prototypes, each with a new laminar-flow wing and tail unit. The three experimental aircraft were dubbed the XP-39E. These were powered by Allison engines because the inverted-vee piston-engine from Continental was unreliable. Two of the prototypes were lost while being evaluated by the U.S. Army Air Corps, and a slightly modified design, the XP-63A, was built. The Allison engine in the XP-63A had provision for emergency water injection that could boost the available power to 1,500-hp for a short period of time. Production of the P-63 Kingcobra for the USAAC began in October of 1943, and nearly 3,300 aircraft were produced before the end of the war. Under lend-lease, the Russians bought 2,400 Kingcobras, and a further 300 were flown by the Free French. The rest were restricted to training squadrons in the United States by the USAAF.

About 300 P-63s were turned into RP-63 flying targets for dogfight practice with frangible bullets. All armor and armament were removed from these planes, and a skin of duralumin protected the wings, fuselage and tail. Bulletproof glass was installed, steel grilles were put over the air intake, and a steel sleeve protected the exhaust stacks. A propeller with thick, hollow blades was also installed. When a hit was scored, a red light came on in the cockpit to indicate where the P-63 had been shot.

Production of the P-63 ended on VJ-Day. Only a half-dozen P-63s remain flying today.


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2. - Serial #'s

P-63 KingCobra - Serials

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3. - Operational History


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4. - Variants



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XP-63BE Bell - Buffalo

  • XP-63 - (2 Completed). P-39E's that were converted to Prototypes. (company designation was Model 24); Powered by a V-1710-47 engine. USAAF serials (41-19511 and 41-19512).


  • XP-63A - (1 Completed). Following the loss of the first two prototypes, an additional test aircraft was procured, USAAF serial 42-78015. Powered by a V-1710-93 engine.

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P-63A-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 33
1,725 P-63A's produced.

  • P-63A-1BE (50 produced). Powered by a V-1710 engine (12 exhaust stacks). Armed with the M-4 37mm cannon with thirty rounds.

s/n: 42-68861 - 42-68910

  • P-63A-5BE (20 produced). Same as the A-1 but with additional armor and different radios - Introduced dorsal radio mast. Soviet version delivered without gun pods.

s/n: 42-68911 - 42-68930

  • P-63A-6BE (130 produced). Underwing racks installed able to carry a 75-gallon drop tank or bombs up to 500lbs. One experimentally fitted with skis.

s/n: 42-68931 - 42-69060

  • P-63A-7BE (150 produced). USAAF aircraft left in natural metal finish. Horizontal tail span increaded 16 inches - elevator cord increased by 2 inches. Modified nose gun mounts.

s/n: 42-69061 - 42-69210

  • P-63A-8BE (200 produced). Water injection added. Propeller was changed to Aeroproducts version with a diameter of 11 feet. Wing gun ammunition reduced from 250 to 200rpg.

s/n: 42-69211 - 42-69410

  • P-63A-9BE (450 produced). Same as the A-8 but with additional armor.

s/n: 42-69411 - 42-69860

  • P-63A-10BE (730 produced). Primarly produced for the Soviet Union - Armed with the M-10 37mm cannon with fifty-eight rounds. Gun site changed to N-9 electric.

s/n: 42-69861 - 42-69879
s/n: 42-69975 - 42-70685

  • RP-63A-11BE (5 converted). P-63A-9's manufactured to manned target aircraft. Thicker skins, additional armor, extra pitot tube. All armament, water injection system and external racks removed. Painted yellow-orange for increased visibility.

s/n: 42-69647, 42-69654, 42-69769, 42-69771, 42-69801

  • RP-63A-12BE (95 converted). P-63A-10's manufactured to manned target aircraft. Same mods as A-11 aircraft.

s/n: 42-69880 - 42-69974

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P-63B-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 34

  • P-63B (1 converted) Proposed Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-5 powered P-63B series was cancelled due to lack of availability of Merlin engines.originally XP-63A was used as a testbed for the proposed variation

s/n 42-78015

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P-63C-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 33C
1,777 P-63C's produced.

  • P-63C-1BE - (215 produced). Second production series differed from the P-63A by being powered by the uprated Allison V-1710-117 engine with a war emergency rating of 1500hp at sea level and 1800hp with water injection. Long ventral fin under the aft fuselage.

s/n 42-70686 - 42-70860
s/n 43-10893 - 43-10932

  • RP-63C-2BE - (200 converted). P-63C-1's manufactured to manned target aircraft. Did not have the long ventral fin under the aft fuselage. Lated redesignated QP-63C-2BE.

s/n 43-10933 - 43-11132

  • P-63C-5BE - (1,1012 produced).


s/n 43-11133 - 43-11717 - c/n 33-1/33-585
s/n 44-4001 - 44-4427

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P-63D-BE Bell - Buffalo

1 P-63D produced.

  • P-63D-1BE - (1 produced). Powered by an Allison V-1710-109 (E22) 1,425 hp (giving the aircraft a maximum speed of 437 mph at 30,000 feet), The wingspan was increase to 39.17 feet (this wing was later used on the P-63E series). Most noticeably, a rearward-sliding bubble canopy with the two car-like side doors removed. The air scoop was revised and moved aft. The basic armament of the P-63D was essentially the same as that of earlier Kingcobras, but the cannon in the P-63D was the M9E1 with 48 rounds. Aircraft did not have the long ventral fin under the aft fuselage. The series was cancelled in 1945.

s/n: 43-11718

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P-63E-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 41
2,943 ordered - 13 produced, remained cancelled

  • P-63E-1BE - (13 produced). Was essentially similar to the P-63D with the exception of a ventral fin extension and the use of a standard P-63 canopy.

s/n: 43-11720 - 43-11721
s/n: 43-11725 - 43-11735
s/n: 43-11736 - 43-12092 (cancelled)
s/n: 44-4428 - 44-5100 (cancelled)

  • P-63E-5BE - Improved E-1 with new vertical tail, bubble canopy, improved instrument panel for Russia, but contract was cancelled before any were built.

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P-63F-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 43
2,943 ordered - 13 produced, remainder cancelled.

  • P-63F-1BE (2 produced). Featured an enlarged vertical tail and Allison V-1710-135 engine.

s/n: 43-11719
s/n: 43-11722

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P-63G-BE Bell - Buffalo

420 ordered. ordered - 32 produced, remainder cancelled.

  • XP-63G-BE (2 converted). Two P-63C-5 converted with 1,200hp Allison V-1710-135 engine.

s/n: 43-11723 - 43-11724

  • RP-63G-1BE (30 produced). P-63G's manufactured to manned target aircraft. One aircraft (45-57300) experimentally fitted with V-shaped tail assembly.

s/n: 45-57283 - 45-57312

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P-63H-BE Bell - Buffalo

Bell Model 45

  • XP-63H-BE. Proposed testbed for Allison V-1710-127 turbo-compound engine. Not realised.

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P-63N-BE Bell - Buffalo

  • XP-63N-BE. Probably used for P-63G with vee tail.

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5. - Technical Specifications

Engine: One 1,325-hp Allison V-1710-93 inline piston engine
Weight: Empty 6,375 lbs., Max Takeoff 10,500 lbs.
Wing Span: 38ft. 4in.
Length: 32ft. 8in.
Height: 12ft. 7in.

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Performance:

Maximum Speed at 25,000 ft: 410 mph
Cruising Speed: 378 mph
Ceiling: 43,000 ft.
Range: 450 miles (2,200 miles in ferry configuration)

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Armament:

One 37-mm M4 cannon
Two nose-mounted 12.7-mm (0.5-inch) machine guns
Up to three 522-pound bombs
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6. - Operators

  • France
    • French Air Force
  • Honduras
    • Honduran Air Force - (Post-war)
  • Soviet Union
    • Soviet Air Force
  • United Kingdom
    • (two aircraft only)
  • United States
    • United States Army Air Corps
    • United States Army Air Forces


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7. - Survivors

Several P-63s are on display in museums around the world. A handful are still flown as warbirds.

A P-63E is currently at the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is displayed in the museum's World War II hangar in a bright orange "Pinball" paint scheme.

Lackland AFB does have an authentic RP-63G-1BE 45-57295 - Pinball aircraft on display.

An airworthy example (formerly owned by Apollo 8 mission commander Frank Borman) is currently on display at the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg, Idaho. The aircraft is still flown regularly by the museum director.


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8. - Links


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9. - Markings


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10. - References

http://www.warbirdalley.com/p63.htm


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