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Bell P-39 Airacobra
This text tells the story of Bell's Cobras, from their design and introduction, through their use in the Far East and Russia, to their eventual retirement.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2000
8 people want to read
About the author
Robert F. Dorr
82 books41 followersAuthor of "HITLER'S TIME MACHINE."
Author (1955- ); Air Force veteran (1957-60); retired Foreign Service officer (1964-89).
Author of about 75 books on the Air Force and on military history and operations.
Author of the weekly "Back Talk" column in Air Force Times newspaper, the monthly "Washington Watch" column in Aerospace America magazine; the monthly "Front Line" column in Combat Aircraft magazine; the monthly "Washington News" column in Air International magazine; the "The Way It Was" photo feature in Warbirds magazine; the "History Mystery" feature in Air Power History magazine, and other stuff.
I live in Virginia with spouse and Labrador retriever, have grown sons, new iMac. "HITLER'S TIME MACHINE" was published in December 2014
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February 5, 2019
Though this is a fairly small book (159 pages), it’s definitely the best work written on Bell’s Cobra fighters that I’ve read, primarily because the authors dedicate a significant amount of the book to the service history of all users, including the Soviet Union (often neglected by other writers). Most works on the P-39 focus on the unpopularity of the fighter among US airmen and on how the fighter did not perform well at high altitudes. While Dorr and Scutts certainly examine these themes, they suggest, rather convincingly, that its unpopularity was exaggerated in post-war accounts and that many American, Soviet and French pilots admired the Airacobra for its performance at lower altitudes. The authors provided a good blend of technical information and service history.
There were, however, a number of inaccuracies, and the authors, at times, contradicted themselves. For example, they spread to often-repeated (and erroneous) notion that the Soviet Union used Airacobras as ground attack aircraft. This is simply not true (though it did undoubtedly happen from time to time), and is a case of mistranslation from Russian to English. Russian-language sources use the term prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk to describe the role of P-39s on the Eastern Front, which translates to coverage of ground forces. Indeed, this is what Airacobra pilots did, though in a way that differs significantly from close air support. Because of this error, many in the West hold the notion that these aircraft were used as “tank busters” and were primarily engaged in ground attack operations. While Airacobra pilots undoubtedly strafed targets on the ground (especially towards the end of the war), the P-39’s primary mission was to intercept German dive bombers and their escorts that were attempting to carry out close air support for the Wehrmacht. Indeed, the Soviet Union built more than 36,000 Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmoviks, arguably the best tactical ground attack aircraft of the war, which negated the need for fighters to perform ground attack missions.
In another case, the authors described the XP-39E prototype, correctly explaining that it did not have NACA laminar flow wings. However, while describing the development of the P-63 later in the book, the authors noted that it borrowed some of the technology used in the XP-39E, including laminar flow wings.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While Birch Matthews’ “Cobra!: The Bell Aircraft Corporation 1934-1946” certainly contained more information, Dorr and Scutts have an admiration for the aircraft that made their work a much more enjoyable (and insightful) read.
There were, however, a number of inaccuracies, and the authors, at times, contradicted themselves. For example, they spread to often-repeated (and erroneous) notion that the Soviet Union used Airacobras as ground attack aircraft. This is simply not true (though it did undoubtedly happen from time to time), and is a case of mistranslation from Russian to English. Russian-language sources use the term prikrytiye sukhoputnykh voysk to describe the role of P-39s on the Eastern Front, which translates to coverage of ground forces. Indeed, this is what Airacobra pilots did, though in a way that differs significantly from close air support. Because of this error, many in the West hold the notion that these aircraft were used as “tank busters” and were primarily engaged in ground attack operations. While Airacobra pilots undoubtedly strafed targets on the ground (especially towards the end of the war), the P-39’s primary mission was to intercept German dive bombers and their escorts that were attempting to carry out close air support for the Wehrmacht. Indeed, the Soviet Union built more than 36,000 Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmoviks, arguably the best tactical ground attack aircraft of the war, which negated the need for fighters to perform ground attack missions.
In another case, the authors described the XP-39E prototype, correctly explaining that it did not have NACA laminar flow wings. However, while describing the development of the P-63 later in the book, the authors noted that it borrowed some of the technology used in the XP-39E, including laminar flow wings.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While Birch Matthews’ “Cobra!: The Bell Aircraft Corporation 1934-1946” certainly contained more information, Dorr and Scutts have an admiration for the aircraft that made their work a much more enjoyable (and insightful) read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review