The Bell P-39Q Airacobra first flew in 1939 and was in production from 1940 until 1944 during which time a total of 9,588 were built. The Airacobra was used by the United States Army Air Force, the Soviet Air Force, and the Royal Air Force. A total of 4,773 were sent to the Soviet Union through the lend-lease program.
In December 1943, the Russian-bound Airacobra in the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon took off from Fort Nelson, British Columbia. Running short on fuel, the drop tanks were jettisoned, and the plane landed on a frozen lake with some damage. The aircraft broke through the ice but remained afloat. The following day, the pilot was rescued by a ski plane.
Forty-seven years later, Jack Anderson hired warbird restorer Gary Larkin to search for the plane. In 1990, the aircraft was recovered from Carpenter Lake and eventually taken to the Tillamook Air Museum
The Airacobra has a maximum speed of 376 mph, a cruising speed of 250 mph, a range of 650 miles, and a ceiling of 35,000 feet. Because its engine was not equipped with a supercharger, the P-39 performed best below 17,000 feet altitude.
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