American historians and politicians like to celebrate the fact that the Red Army was defeated in World War II only through the Lend-Lease. In fact, the Lend-Lease - delivery to the Soviet Union of American art and food - has played an important, but not the most important role in the future victory over Germany. Many tanks and aircraft sank another landfall USSR, and a technique that successfully reaches the parts, its weight was outdated. Yet there was one American plane, which is closer to the end of the war has become a symbol of supremacy in the skies of Soviet pilots. Bell P-39 Airacobra - car aces. Such a loud epithet is not accidental. Pokryshkin drone Rechkalov, Kutahya and many other masters of the air battle in different time flew P-39. Pokryshkin at all in his memoirs called "Cobra" his favorite airplane, still, after forty-eight of the fifty-nine he downed aircraft fell just on flights to American fighters.
"Cobra" I liked its shape and, mostly, powerful weapons. Shoot down the enemy planes had something - gun, 37 millimeters, two large and four rapid-fire machine gun machine gun fire at the normal one thousand rounds per minute each. My mood was not spoiled, and after warning pilots about dangerous stall characteristics of the aircraft into a spin due to back alignment. "
It is this unpleasant "highlight" at first was forced to watch the pilots on F-39 with a grain of salt. The engine was located behind it that had both its advantages - a unique maneuverability and minuses - a flat spin. The fastest way to adapt himself to the new car a former pilot of the Soviet fighter I-16, the construction of which had similar defects. Soon, however, the number of non-combat losses dropped, and efficient use of fighter aircraft has increased, despite the fact that they had to collect almost "at random". Most techniques lend-lease was transferred to a folding state, so the mechanics in the USSR before the first task was to assemble this unknown constructor. Persistent difficulties caused by the fact that some of the instructions and drawings was absent and the remaining were still unfamiliar to English ... Armament F-39 Soviet pilots liked it so much that they preferred to shoot two underwing machine guns and only use 20-mm, and later 37 millimeter gun. Firstly, less weight and better maneuverability, and secondly, one contact 37 millimeter projectile had more than enough to instantly destroy enemy "Messerschmitt". Hero of the Soviet Union Yevgeny Mariinsky wrote in his memoirs: "Messer"! Where did he come from ?! "Me-109" was very close - what some twenty - twenty-five meters. I forgot about everything: about the radio, that the need to prevent the lead ... "Shoot down! .." A little bit twisted plane Prica ... something to aim and could not: the sight was turned off. So taught engineer regiment of special equipment, preserving scarce American bulb sight, he recommended the inclusion of sight only in combat. But the German very close, and so can not miss it! I pressed and immediately released the trigger. Red ball cannon projectile instantly overcame this short distance and stared at the engine "Messer". Break the shell was not - "it means piercing." Two bullets heavy machine guns - one was held in front of the cabin of an enemy pilot, and the second shot through the cockpit. "But the most the main advantage of the P-39 was a great maneuverability and speed. And all thanks to the engine, which is placed behind the cockpit, not in front of her as most Soviet fighters. With this design, the view from the cabin was better than you can imagine, plus the cabin itself has been moved as close as possible to the nose and wings are pushed back. After the Soviet-153, I-16 and another pilot for a long time could not believe that the cabin is not heated during the flight from the pronounced front of the engine. After all, before a few minutes after takeoff, the Yak-1, the temperature of the air inside the cabin could reach 50-60 degrees of heat! But in this summer, "bath" still had to shoot down the enemy and not lose every moment consciousness. Separately, the pilots noted the "vitality" of the aircraft, even riddled with pieces of torn skin, he was able to continue the fight. Often, Soviet pilots, knowing about this "charmed" his loyal fighters attacked the superior forces of the enemy. For example, in early 1944 in the battle near the river Prut six aircraft F-39, led twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gulaevym, attacked twenty-seven German bombers and fighters. The fast battle the enemy lost eleven aircraft, including five pieces on account Gulaeva. A prime example of the recognition of the magnificent qualities of the P-39 is the fact that by the end of the war it flew almost all the Soviet aces. By this time it began to produce the Soviet machine, which were stronger, faster and more maneuverable "Airacobra", but experienced fighters did not want to change, and the faithful fighters tried not to let them.
"Cobra" I liked its shape and, mostly, powerful weapons. Shoot down the enemy planes had something - gun, 37 millimeters, two large and four rapid-fire machine gun machine gun fire at the normal one thousand rounds per minute each. My mood was not spoiled, and after warning pilots about dangerous stall characteristics of the aircraft into a spin due to back alignment. "
It is this unpleasant "highlight" at first was forced to watch the pilots on F-39 with a grain of salt. The engine was located behind it that had both its advantages - a unique maneuverability and minuses - a flat spin. The fastest way to adapt himself to the new car a former pilot of the Soviet fighter I-16, the construction of which had similar defects. Soon, however, the number of non-combat losses dropped, and efficient use of fighter aircraft has increased, despite the fact that they had to collect almost "at random". Most techniques lend-lease was transferred to a folding state, so the mechanics in the USSR before the first task was to assemble this unknown constructor. Persistent difficulties caused by the fact that some of the instructions and drawings was absent and the remaining were still unfamiliar to English ... Armament F-39 Soviet pilots liked it so much that they preferred to shoot two underwing machine guns and only use 20-mm, and later 37 millimeter gun. Firstly, less weight and better maneuverability, and secondly, one contact 37 millimeter projectile had more than enough to instantly destroy enemy "Messerschmitt". Hero of the Soviet Union Yevgeny Mariinsky wrote in his memoirs: "Messer"! Where did he come from ?! "Me-109" was very close - what some twenty - twenty-five meters. I forgot about everything: about the radio, that the need to prevent the lead ... "Shoot down! .." A little bit twisted plane Prica ... something to aim and could not: the sight was turned off. So taught engineer regiment of special equipment, preserving scarce American bulb sight, he recommended the inclusion of sight only in combat. But the German very close, and so can not miss it! I pressed and immediately released the trigger. Red ball cannon projectile instantly overcame this short distance and stared at the engine "Messer". Break the shell was not - "it means piercing." Two bullets heavy machine guns - one was held in front of the cabin of an enemy pilot, and the second shot through the cockpit. "But the most the main advantage of the P-39 was a great maneuverability and speed. And all thanks to the engine, which is placed behind the cockpit, not in front of her as most Soviet fighters. With this design, the view from the cabin was better than you can imagine, plus the cabin itself has been moved as close as possible to the nose and wings are pushed back. After the Soviet-153, I-16 and another pilot for a long time could not believe that the cabin is not heated during the flight from the pronounced front of the engine. After all, before a few minutes after takeoff, the Yak-1, the temperature of the air inside the cabin could reach 50-60 degrees of heat! But in this summer, "bath" still had to shoot down the enemy and not lose every moment consciousness. Separately, the pilots noted the "vitality" of the aircraft, even riddled with pieces of torn skin, he was able to continue the fight. Often, Soviet pilots, knowing about this "charmed" his loyal fighters attacked the superior forces of the enemy. For example, in early 1944 in the battle near the river Prut six aircraft F-39, led twice Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Gulaevym, attacked twenty-seven German bombers and fighters. The fast battle the enemy lost eleven aircraft, including five pieces on account Gulaeva. A prime example of the recognition of the magnificent qualities of the P-39 is the fact that by the end of the war it flew almost all the Soviet aces. By this time it began to produce the Soviet machine, which were stronger, faster and more maneuverable "Airacobra", but experienced fighters did not want to change, and the faithful fighters tried not to let them.
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