Eastern Express 72140 Bell P-63A Kingcobra

The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American-made fighter, the successor to the P-39 Aircobra. Although the two planes look very similar, in fact the P-63 was a completely new design and the planes did not have any common parts or components. Compared to its predecessor, the P-63 aircraft had much better performance at high altitudes, mainly due to the new turbocharged engine and the new laminar flow wing design, but they did not match the P-51 Mustangs already in use and did not enter the service of the USAF as fighters . Most of the production was shipped with Lend-Lease assistance to the USSR. The RP-63G version was designed as a flying target from the beginning. Two P-63Cs were rebuilt for prototypes. On the side surface of the fuselage and the upper surface of the wings there are lights that illuminate in the event of a hit and the air intake to the engine has been changed. 450 copies of this version were ordered. It was to be powered by an Allison V-1710-135 engine with a take-off power of 1200 HP, the gear ratio of the compressor was changed. Reinforced armor was installed in the vicinity of the pilot's cabin, weighing as much as 952.5 kg. They also did not have a lower fuselage stabilizer. However, only 30 units were produced, and the rest of the order was canceled. In 1948, this version was renamed QF-63G. All RP-63 versions reached a top speed of around 482 km / h. Out of the total of 3,303 produced P-63s, 2,397 were sent to the USSR as part of Lend-Lease; 21 of them were lost during the transport. While according to the "official" history of the Soviet Union the significance of Lend-Lease's aid is marginalized, in fact both Aircobra and Kingcobra performed well in the tactical conditions of the Eastern Front and the P-63 due to, inter alia, to be armed with a cannon, it turned out to be a very good attack plane, often used as a "tank destroyer". After the end of the war, these P-63s, which remained in large numbers in Soviet service, received the designation "Fred" in the NATO code. Technical data: Maximum speed: 660 km / h, climb speed: 12.7 m / s, maximum altitude: 13,100 m, operational range: 725 km, armament: fixed - 1 cannon cal.37mm, 4 M2 machine guns cal. 12, 7mm, suspended - up to 680 kg of bombs.