P-63A-5 (USSR)

▂P-63A-5

▂P-63A-5

USSR

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.3	3.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:1 600

Show in game

This page is about the premium Russian fighter ▂P-63A-5 Kingcobra. For other uses, see P-63 (Family).

Description

The P-63A-5 (USSR) in the garage

The ▂P-63A-5 Kingcobra is a rank III premium Russian fighter with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/SB) and 3.3 (RB). This aircraft has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.29. It costs 1,600 Golden Eagles.

The P-63A-5 Kingcobra is an evolved version of the P-39 Airacobra series cherished by Soviet pilots in WWII. Larger in all dimensions, the P-63 features a laminar-flow wing, 4-bladed propellor, stretched rear fuselage, and taller vertical stabilizer with a flat trailing edge. While it loses some of the Airacobra's elegant looks and low-speed maneuverability, it has superior performance overall. The Kingcobra offers a different playstyle from contemporary Soviet fighters and can be a major threat to all sorts of enemy aircraft in skilled hands.

General info

Flight Performance

The P-63A-5 is a pleasant aircraft to fly and has competitive performance for its rank. The top speed is impressive, exceeding almost all of its Soviet stablemates like the La-5FN or Yak-9T. The climb rate and acceleration are excellent at lower altitudes and will start to drop noticeably after about 3000 m of altitude. From 4000-5000 m, these characteristics remains decent, fixing a notable flaw of the original P-39. Handling at high speeds is good, courtesy of the laminar flow wing; the rudder tends to compress above 600 km/h, but the roll and pitch remain responsive. On the other hand, low speed maneuverability is poor and it becomes much more sluggish under 300 km/h. The roll rate is excellent. Vertical and horizontal energy retention are both good.

The P-63 is sleek and streamlined, gaining speed quickly in a shallow dive. However, the engine is not very powerful compared to the weight of the plane, which causes issues with energy loss and acceleration when maneuvering.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
617	596	12200	22.0	22.7	16.1	16.1	289
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
670	640	12200	20.3	21.0	24.1	19.6	289

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		393	~12	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 410	< 380	< 410	> 320

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,658 m	1,250 hp	1,400 hp

Survivability and armour

• 15.87 mm Steel - Plates x 2, lower fore cockpit
• 19.05 mm Steel - Plate, upper fore cockpit
• 12.7 mm Steel - Plate behind pilot's seat
• 12.7 mm Steel - Plate protecting oil cooling system
• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windscreen

The Kingcobra provides quite a lot of protection for its pilot in both the front and back. Pilot snipes are a relatively rare occurrence as a result. However the rear placement of the engine poses some issues; it can block some fire from the rear, but this means that pursuing fighters can potentially damage or even knock out the engine. Another issue with the design is that the fuselage has essentially no room for fuel tanks, and they are placed in the outboard section of the wings as a result. The fuel tanks, though self sealing, can be ignited by stray fire and will often spell doom for the Kingcobra.

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-63A-5 (USSR) is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning, nose-mounted (270 rpg = 540 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning, wing-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)

The P-39 was essentially designed around the 37 mm M4 cannon, and the P-63 inherits this weapon. Unfortunately, it has a lot of unfavorable characteristics: the muzzle velocity and accuracy are poor, it tends to spark upon glancing shots, and it jams quickly. On the plus side, a single good hit can remove tails or wings. Unless the pilot is very familiar with the ballistics, it is best treated as a situational secondary weapon for harpooning large or heavily armored targets and finishing off crippled aircraft. Unlike the original American version, the Soviet P-63 does not have access to belts containing AP rounds and it is useless against armored targets as a result. On the plus side, since this is a premium aircraft, the painful stock grind can be avoided.

The four M2 Browning machine guns are much more reliable than the M4 cannon, but they still present some issues in usage. Two of them are located in the nose and the other two are located in the wings. The former have problems with convergence and the overall volume of fire is not very high. Those not used to the P-39s or P-63s may be frustrated when using them against maneuvering targets, and it may take some time and practice to successfully land hits. They do have good ballistics and access to mid-war belts. The best belts for anti-aircraft usage are Universal and Stealth since they have a high proportion of M8 AP-I rounds, which are quite good at starting fires.

The different ballistics of the machine gun and cannon can pose an issue. A good option is to use a 400 m convergence and turn on vertical targeting, this makes it easier to lead the cannon and concentrates the otherwise sparse machine gun fire. However it is difficult to attack enemies at longer distances, so experimenting with different settings is recommended.

The P-63A-5 has slightly more ammunition for the machine guns than the later variants of the P-63 and significantly more than the P-39s.

Suspended armament

The P-63A-5 (USSR) can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb

Unlike the later Kingcobras, the P-63A-5 only has one hardpoint for bombs. The lone 500 lb bomb is not particularly destructive and is suitable for dealing with medium or light tanks. More heavily armored vehicles may require almost a direct hit. That said, the bomb has relatively little effect on the P-63's flight performance and can be delivered accurately.

Usage in the battles

Air RB

The P-63A-5 has good all-round characteristics and lends itself to several possible strategies. However, try to make use of its strengths compared to other Soviet aircraft. The excellent climb rate allows the Kingcobra to reach high altitudes quickly and it has better performance at 4000-5000 m than the Yaks or Lavochkins. If using Manual Engine Control, open up the radiators fully when climbing to prevent overheating while using WEP. Once at high altitude, they can be closed more. From this vantage point, the pilot can examine the situation and act accordingly.

Going after bombers is a valid option provided that they are not at extreme altitudes; attack from underneath or the side and try not to sit on their tails. Open up with the machine guns early on, and once the distance is short enough for consistent hits to be scored, start using the cannon in short bursts. Optimally, the machine guns can knock out defensive gunners and start fires, while the cannon can rip off tails or wings. It is very gratifying to dismember a bomber with a well-placed cannon shot. The rear-mounted engine protects the P-63 from engine knockouts but it pays not to sit still, as even small caliber machine guns can ignite the wing fuel tanks with fatal results.

The P-63 also excels at diving attacks on attackers and fighters. The mild control compression and durable wings means that steep or extended dives that would be fatal for typical Soviet aircraft can be safely attempted. If the target evades, simply zoom climb back up and look for an opening to engage again. When committing to a dogfight, avoid turning for more than short periods of time. Although the P-63 turns well at high speed, such maneuvers tend to bleed its energy and put a lot of stress on the pilot. If an engagement has cost a lot of speed, altitude, and ammunition, consider disengaging. The P-63 relies on being able to enter engagements with an energy advantage and using that to win; unlike the La-5FN and its monstrously powerful engine, it is not stellar at regaining that energy in the middle of fight. And during heated combat, avoid letting the P-63's speed drop below 300 km/h. If this happens, use combat flaps and try to regain speed as quickly as possible.

Despite its climb rate, it is not uncommon for the P-63 to see enemy fighters at comparable or higher altitudes. Besides the common Bf 109s, as a Soviet aircraft, the P-63 can encounter Spitfires and P-38 Lightnings. The latter have interceptor spawns and great high-altitude performance, making them especially dangerous. It is unlikely that teammate backup will be available at these altitudes, so a safe strategy is to stay back and wait for these opponents to dive on other players. Then, attack them when they are zoom climbing or otherwise preoccupied. If the enemies go after the P-63 directly, try dragging the fight down towards teammates through dives or downward spirals.

Evasive maneuvers and defensive flying are important skills to master in the P-63 since it cannot always rely on outrunning enemies, outturning them, or having teammates nearby. If the pursuer has a lower top speed than the P-63 and does not have ludicrously powerful cannons, extend away in a shallow dive and continuously make slight dodges upwards and downwards. Rolling scissors are effective to force overshoots against opponents with poor roll rates. As a last resort, combining roll, elevator, and rudder results in an unpredictable and rapid spiral while bleeding speed quickly. Avoid climbing spirals or stall climbs unless the pursuer has much less energy. As mentioned before, the P-63's power-to-weight ratio is not great, and the poor low speed handling does it no favors either.

As a whole, the P-63 offers Soviet players a good fighter for boom-and-zoom while also being capable of hunting bombers and holding its own in dogfights with some smart maneuvering. The ability to put pressure on enemy aircraft from above and force them to lower altitudes is very valuable when used with teamwork.

Ground RB

The P-63A-5 is decidedly not a ground pounding aircraft but still has its uses in Ground RB for counter-CAS, similar to the Bf 109s. Its high performance, good protection, and powerful cannon are good for destroying attackers and bombers. When spawning in, take the 500 lb bomb; it does not affect performance much, and unlike most Soviet fighters, is large enough to be useful and can be delivered with great precision due to its centerline mounting. Gain some altitude and look for something to bomb. Prioritize ground targets that have weaker armor (e.g. light tanks, distracted SPAAs, certain tank destroyers) and will be easy to hit. Enter a fairly steep dive and drop it, then immediately zoom climb up and take a look at the battlefield. If enemy aircraft are present, climb some more and pursue them when a sufficient energy advantage is attained. If the skies are clear, the P-63 can either fly around the map and spot targets with the machine guns, return to base to reload the bomb, or side climb to get the drop on enemy aircraft when they spawn in.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Not controllable	Separate	Not controllable	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage Repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs	FMBC Mk.1
III	Wings Repair	Engine		Offensive 37 mm
IV		Engine Injection	Cover	New 37 mm cannon

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Decently maneuverable, especially at high speeds
• Hard hitting 37 mm cannon
• Four M2 Brownings with mid-war belts
• Good climb rate and energy retention
• Decent performance at 4000-5000 km, not as constrained as other Soviet fighters
• Can carry a 500 lb bomb
• Premium bonuses

Cons:

• Cannon has only 30 rounds
• Guns can be difficult to use
• Bleeds speed in hard turns
• Poor low speed handling
• Wing fuel tanks easily catch fire
• Unimpressive power-to-weight ratio

History

The Bell P-39 Airacobra was an unusual fighter, having an engine mounted behind the cockpit with a driveshaft connecting it to the propeller at the front. This was intended to create a more favorable center of gravity for maneuvering and free up room for heavy nose-mounted armament. After initial testing of the XP-39 prototype, the turbocharger was removed from the design, leaving only a single-stage supercharger. Some sources claim that this decision was made since the US military did not need high altitude performance, while others claim that wind tunnel testing revealed that the turbocharger's benefits were not worth the penalties to aerodynamics. Regardless, this robbed the Airacobra of its high-altitude capabilities. For the British, who were interested in the P-39 for use as an interceptor, this was unacceptable. The US military was not impressed by the P-39 either, finding it difficult to handle, and only used the type until around 1942. However, the Soviet Union used the majority of its fighters for low-altitude engagements anyway and became an enthusiastic foreign user of the aircraft. Soviet pilots were more used to dealing with unusual handling characteristics, had clear guidelines about the P-39's operation found from exhaustive testing, and admired its heavy firepower, good protection, and comfortable ergonomics. It was the aircraft of choice for several aces like Alexander Pokryshkin and proved to be effective against the Luftwaffe on the Eastern Front.

Bell was well aware of the P-39's issues. From 1941 onwards, the company explored several potential derivatives even as it produced improved versions of the P-39. The XP-39E was intended to improve the high altitude performance and used new airfoils plus a more powerful engine. While it was faster than the basic Airacobra, the other performance characteristics suffered and it was shelved. The XP-63 was an enlarged design with laminar airfoil, four-bladed propeller, and a second stage for the supercharger. The resulting aircraft was much improved from the P-39, but the US military declined to order it in large numbers since the P-51 Mustang was deemed superior. The Soviet Union was interested, however, and some 2400 P-63 Kingcobras were delivered. Exhaustive testing was performed, with feedback being given to Bell. Officially, the P-63 saw little combat in Soviet service. They were supposed to be stationed in the Far East for combat with Japan. However, several uncomfirmed reports from the Germans and Soviets claim that P-63 saw combat on the eastern front, and a memoir from a Soviet pilot claimed that a regiment was secretly converted from P-39s to P-63s.

The Kingcobra remained in Soviet service for several years after WWII. Besides being a solid aircraft, the tricycle undercarriage was considered good practice for jet fighters. Two Soviet P-63s are known to exist today and are on display at two museums in Moscow, Russia.

In-game description

Bell P-63A-1/A-5 (Model 33) Kingcobra Army Fighter

A single-seat, closed-canopy, all-metal monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear and a nose strut. The P-63 Kingcobra was developed as an improved version of the P-39 Airacobra and had a similar layout, with the engine located just behind the cockpit. Work on the plane, originally designated the XP-39E, began in February 1941. The first prototype, designated XP-63, flew on December 7, 1942, and production of the P-63A-1 (Model 33) began in October 1943, along with the P-39.

The general layout of the P-39 Kingcobra was preserved, but the P-63 featured new, streamlined wings. In order to remedy the P-39's main weakness, a propensity to falling into a flat spin, the area of the vertical tail fin was increased and the aft section of the fuselage was lengthened.

The first production models were equipped with a V-12 liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-93 engine (1325 hp). The aircraft was armed with a Colt-Browning M4 37mm machine gun with 30 rounds and 2 synchronous Colt-Browning M2.5 12.7mm machine guns with 270 rounds per gun. An additional two M2.5s with 250 rounds each were placed in the wing compartments.

Aircraft of both series (except some A-1 planes) were fitted with a ventral pylon which could hold a fuel tank of 75 gallons (284 liters) or one 500-lb (227-kg) bomb.

The aircraft was continually tweaked from one production run to the next, improving its ability to support troops on the field. However, the differences between the A-1 and the A-5 were only slight. The most significant difference, though not a visible one, was the increase in armor from 40 kilograms to 81. 50 P-63A-1 and 20 P-63A-5 planes were produced.

The Red Army became the main consumers of the P-63A. Deliveries to the Soviet Union began in the summer of 1944, via Alaska and the Northwest Staging Route. The P-63A began to support Soviet anti-aircraft operations in the spring of 1945.

The Soviet version of the P-63A differed from the American in one important feature: the presence of a crank to start the engine. In addition, the Soviets equipped the plane with FAB-100 and FAB-250 bombs under the fuselage.

Media

The Shooting Range #44 - Metal Beasts section at 00:30 discusses the P-63A-5.

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• page on aircraft encyclopedia;
• other literature.