Bell Airacuda: Why Did the US Build This 5-Man Heavy Fighter?

In 1937, Bell Aircraft rolled out a massive heavy fighter with 37mm cannons mounted directly into the engine nacelles. The YFM-1 Airacuda featured a radical pusher-prop configuration, a five-man crew, and its own auxiliary power unit. However, constant engine overheating, a deadly tendency to spin if one engine failed, and the extreme danger the rear propellers posed to the crew during a bailout doomed the project. Ultimately, only 13 airframes were built before the controversial aircraft was scrapped. #ww2aviation #militaryhistory #aviationhistory