P-39N-0

P-39N-0

P-38G-1

P-39Q-5

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/0/08/Cockpit_p-39n.jpg

P-39N-0

P-38G-1

P-39Q-5

USA

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	2.7	3.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:11 000

Purchase:22 000

Show in game

This page is about the American fighter P-39N-0. For other uses, see P-39 (Family).

Description

The P-39N-0 Airacobra is a rank II American fighter with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB), 2.7 (RB), and 3.0 (SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The primary purpose of a P-39 is that of a low-level interceptor. It lacks the high-altitude performance needed to engage strategic bombers or high-flying fighters, but is extremely competitive under 4,000m and easily one of the best, if not the best plane at its BR.

General info

Flight performance

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
613	593	9700	18.9	19.9	10.5	10.5	280
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
680	641	9700	17.8	18.0	21.2	14.9	280

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
			+	-
0	322	450	~12	~9

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 360	< 380	< 450	> 312

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
2,800 m	1,125 hp	1,446 hp

Survivability and armour

• 15.87 mm Steel - Propeller hub
• 15.87 mm Steel - Plate in front of the cockpit
• 7 mm Steel - Plate over instrument cluster
• 6 mm Steel - Upper pilot's seat and headrest encasement
• 6 mm Steel - Rear tail
• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windscreen
• 64 mm Bulletproof glass - Headrest of pilot's seat

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-39N-0 is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 rpg)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
• 4 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (500 rpg outer + 1,000 rpg inner = 3,000 total)

Suspended armament

The P-39N-0 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 6 x M8 rockets

Usage in battles

The P-39 Airacobra is an exceptional aircraft, American planes are known to be heavy, sluggish, slow turning aircraft with mediocre climb rates. Not this one though. With a turn time of 18.0 seconds and a climb rate of 14 m/s, this is a formidable opponent to even the most agile of aircraft. With a deadly arsenal consisting of 4 x 7.62 machine guns, 2 x 12.7 Brownings, and a 37 mm M1 cannon, firepower is not a reason to worry. With 3000 rounds for your six machine guns, and 30 rounds for the 37mm, ammo shouldn’t bother you.

Stock Grind

The P- 39 has a relatively easy stock grind as it’s easy to fly and doesn’t require “ace” skills to master it. Your first priority should be performance mods, as you have enough firepower and ammo, so killing things should not be an issue. M8 rockets are relatively useless; only equip them if you have no other CAS options. They can be effective at killing bombers in a diving attack though, albeit the 37mm should be enough.

Tactics: Air Realistic

Air realistic is where the Airacobra shines. It performs best as a Boom n Zoom fighter, due to its relatively solid rate of climb & energy retention. It doesn't turn the best, but can dance around lower-energy targets with flaps. Its engine power significantly decreases above 4 km, but it is fine to climb higher at the start of the match-just try not to fight people there, especially if they do perform well at altitude.

Tactics: Ground Realistic

Since you are unable to carry any serious ordnance, your role is air superiority. Get rid of light armoured vehicles with the rockets and strafe targets so the friendlies can see them. Deal with other fighters challenging your dominance and try to deal with bombers. Always try to keep the element of surprise on your side. However, overall, the A-36 is preferable over the P-39 in ground battles.

Enemies worth noting

Germans

You will commonly see Bf 109 Es and Fs, as well as 190 As. While Es are not as serious of a threat, the 109 Fs are due to their more powerful engines. Wait until they dive or you are at a higher energy state to engage them. As for 190s, their engines are rather underwhelming so doing vertical turns will easily stall them out. In an uptier however, you can do little against 109 F-4s.

Japanese

You will see A6M2s most often in the P-39. While they posses great maneuverability and firepower, they are very slow planes and the P-39 will easily outrun them as well as outclimb them.

British

Spitfires are very hard to deal with if inexperienced. Your best option is to bait them into vertical turns, where they will easily stall out, making them easy prey. Make sure not to stall out in front of their guns, and plan your ascent with that in mind. Early Typhoons are not much of a threat and can be dealt with easily.

Soviets

Yours scariest opponents are the La-series of aircraft. They turn relatively well and have good energy retention. It is best to fight them only when you have a decisive energy advantage. You will fight early Yak-9s as well, but they have anemic engine performance above 2 km and poor armament.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 7 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 7 mm MGs	Offensive 12 mm
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 37 mm	New 12 mm MGs
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 37 mm cannons	Rocket Launcher M10

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Heavy armament & lots of ammo for MGs
• Great dive speed and acceleration
• Good roll rate
• Responsive
• Climbs well
• 3 flap options & the flaps deploy/retract quickly
• Decent stock grind
• Great energy retention
• Great stall control

Cons:

• Three different weapon trajectories make aiming difficult, although this is less of a problem if you are a proficient P-400 pilot
• Cannot fire the 2 MGs separately
• Compresses quite a lot, advisable to reduce throttle in a dive
• Cannot out-turn many opponents

History

The P-39 Airacobra was a single-engine fighter used in the Pacific and Eastern fonts. The aircraft was produced 1940 – May 1944, and its first flight was 6 April 1938. The manufacturer of this aircraft was Bell Aircraft. As mentioned before in the intro this aircraft is great in low attitude combat making it useful in naval battles for escorting torpedo bombers. The original idea for the Airacobra was a defensive interceptor which would protect American shores for the axis powers. Destroying low flying torpedo and normal bombers was a wet dream for this aircraft has it could easily ripe the wings and tail. The plane originally was sent to Britain but has aircraft became more powerful and dogfights where happening higher and higher in the atmosphere and it was sent back to the states. The US then gave the P-39 Airacobra to the Aussies and was used to patrol the northern shores of Australia. The aircraft later was fitted with bombs and more cannons forcing it into a ground pounding role has it could now pen some tanks of the 1939-1942 era. Today P-39 Airacobra can be found in the Air force museum and others around the world.

In-game description

Bell's P-39 Airacobra was a WWII-era American fighter that was notable for its uncommon design: the engine was placed behind the cockpit, and the landing gear moved from the tail to the nose. The aircraft was adopted by five countries: USA, Britain, Soviet Union, Portugal and Australia.

The P-39N was the first variant to be mass produced, with the P-39N-0 getting a new V-1710-85(E19) engine and a 3-blade Aeroproducts propeller with a 3.15 meter diameter. Starting from aircraft #167, some fuel tanks were removed from the wings to reduce weight, and a connection for additional fuel tanks was installed under the hull. To further increase flight performance, Soviet engineers often removed the wing-mounted machine guns, leaving two nose machine guns and a cannon.

As this variant, Bell produced 2,095 aircraft. Most of these were sent to the Soviet Union on the US's Lend-Lease program. In November 1942, the USSR received the first Airacobras, and the fighters showed good results in battle maneuvers at low and moderate altitudes. Many famous Soviet aces — such as Pokrishkin Alexander Ivanovich, Rechkalov Gregory Andreevich, Gulaev Dmitry Nikolaevich and Kutakhov Pavel Stepanovich — piloted the Airacobras during WWII.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See 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.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

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