Conventional in its external appearance, the Bell P-39 Airacobra was unique among US Army fighter aircraft of World War II in its powerplant installation, and was also the US Army's first single-seat fighter to be provided with tricyle type landing gear. These latter features were imposed by the desire to mount heavy armament in the nose. In early 1935, executives of the Bell Aircraft Corporation had been present at a demonstration of the American Armament Corporation's T9 37-mm cannon. Impressed by what they had seen, they instigated the design of a fighter aircraft which would include a T9 cannon firing through the propeller hub, as well as two 12.7mm machine-guns mounted in the fuselage nose and synchronized to fire between the rotating propeller blades. The decision to locate the cannon to fire through the propeller hub meant that the engine had to be mounted within the fuselage, directly above the rear half of the low-set monoplane wing, with the propeller driven by an extension shaft which passed beneath the cockpit floor. Under the designation P-45 the first of these were ordered into production on August 10, 1939, but were redesignated P-39 before delivery. A total of 9,558 P-39s were built in several variants.

All airplane models are Hand Carved, Hand Painted Mahogany and comes fully assembled with removable desk stand.

P-39 Airacobra $114.95

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P-39 Airacobra

P-39 Airacobra $114.95

This department is part of the Clem & Company store