Soviet Pilots Flew American P-39s — Outscored Everyone Else Flying the 'Worst' US Fighter скачать в хорошем качестве

Soviet Pilots Flew American P-39s — Outscored Everyone Else Flying the 'Worst' US Fighter

Of five American WWII fighters—P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51—only one has no pilot reunion association. Only one is excluded from the US Air Force Academy memorial. Only one was so despised that pilots requested transfers. That was the Bell P-39 Airacobra. American pilots called it the "Iron Dog." British pilots flew ONE combat mission before withdrawing it entirely. Yet the P-39 achieved the highest scores of any American aircraft in WWII. The second-highest Allied ace scored 48 of 59 victories in it. Four of the top six Soviet aces got most kills in this "worthless" fighter. German radio warned: "Achtung! Pokryshkin in der Luft!" when they spotted his white P-39. Same aircraft. Same enemy. Completely opposite results. What did Soviets understand that Americans missed? The P-39's fatal flaw: Bell removed the turbocharger to reduce drag, making it "handle like a brick" above 15,000 feet. American bomber escorts flew at 25,000 feet. The P-39 was useless. But Eastern Front combat happened at 10,000-20,000 feet—exactly where the P-39 excelled. Soviets weren't escorting bombers. They were intercepting German dive bombers. The P-39's 37mm cannon destroyed Stukas with single hits. Aleksandr Pokryshkin revolutionized tactics around the P-39. He connected all weapons to fire simultaneously. He developed "speed, altitude, maneuver, fire" doctrine with ground radar control. April 29, 1943: Eight P-39s vs three squadrons of Germans. Result: 12-0. Of 9,584 P-39s built, 4,952 went to USSR. When war ended, 1,178 remained in Soviet service—because pilots wanted to keep them. Pokryshkin commanded his division but kept flying his P-39 even after others got advanced La-7s. The lesson: equipment isn't good or bad—it's appropriate or inappropriate. Americans needed high-altitude escorts. Soviets needed low-altitude interceptors. Same plane, different war, opposite results. Key Sources Soviet Ace Records: Aleksandr Pokryshkin: 59 victories (48 in P-39), three-time Hero of Soviet Union Grigoriy Rechkalov: 56 victories (44 in P-39) Nikolay Gulaev: 57 victories (41 in P-39 in 12 months) 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment records Production & Combat: Total production: 9,584 aircraft Lend-Lease to USSR: 4,952 (51.6%) Battle of Kuban (April-June 1943): First major Soviet P-39 victory German warning protocol: "Achtung! Pokryshkin in der Luft!" Technical Data: Design flaw: Turbocharger removed, destroyed high-altitude performance Armament: 37mm cannon, two .50 cal, four .30 cal Optimal altitude: 10,000-20,000 ft (Eastern Front combat range) Poor above: 15,000 ft (Western Front bomber escort altitude) Tactical Differences: Western Front: 25,000+ ft bomber escort = P-39 inadequate Eastern Front: 10,000-20,000 ft interception = P-39 ideal Soviet modifications: Removed wing guns for weight, connected weapons for simultaneous fire Statistical Evidence: American P-39 aces: Zero Soviet P-39 aces: 5 of top 10 Soviet aces Highest score in American aircraft ever: Pokryshkin—48 in P-39 US pilot associations: P-38, P-40, P-47, P-51 exist; P-39 none All facts verified against Soviet military archives, USAAF historical records, and Bell Aircraft documentation.