P-39 Airacobra: In Defense of America's Worst Fighter?

Although successfully used in the Soviet Union and in the Mediterranean, the P-39's Airacobra reputation in the Southeast Pacific was poor. To explain this, we need to look at the context of its use in the area. Get our Book - Army Regulation Medium Panzer Company 1941 - http://www.hdv470-7.com/ Support - Patreon:   / milavhistory   Channel Memberships:    / @militaryaviationhistory   PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/BismarckYT Justin Pyke - Follow Justin on Twitter:   / cbi_pto_history   Photography - Courtesy of Errol Cavit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/errolgc... Social Media - Twitter:   / milavhistory   Instagram:   / milaviationhistory   Facebook:   / militaryaviationhistory   Sources - (Amazon Links are Affiliate) Eric M. Bergerud, Fire in the Sky, Basic Books: 2001, https://amzn.to/3uAtHuo Francis Dean, America's Hundred-Thousand: U.S. Production Fighters of World War Two, Schiffer Publishing: 1997, https://amzn.to/3wNlYuX Rene J. Francillon, Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War , Putnam 2nd Ed.: 1979, https://amzn.to/3wxZptQ T.O. No. 01-110FE-1, Pilot‘s Flight Operating Instructions for Army Model P-39D-1 and -2, Rev. June 1943, T.O. No. 01-125CF-1, Pilot‘s Flight Operating Instructions for P-40D and P-40E Airplanes, Rev. October 1943, Michael J. Claringbould, P-39/P-400 vs A6M2/3, Osprey: 2018, https://amzn.to/3dEESuU Michael J. Claringbould & Peter Ingman, South Pacific Air War Vol.3, Avonmore Books: 2019, https://amzn.to/2PPKxX8 Some pictures from: acepilots.com Timecodes - 00:00 - Trying to get your attention 00:13 - Intro 01:08 - Restored P-39 01:42 - P-39 Design 05:26 - P-39: Range and Climb 09:04 - Comparison 10:21 - Context of theatre & pilots 15:19 - Combat losses & Reputation 17:37 - Ground support 18:20 - Reading recommendation 19:35 - P-39 in Soviet Union (briefly) 21:02 - Outro