Lewis Air Legends Bell P-39Q Airacobra "Brooklyn Bum-2nd"

Lewis Air Legends, of San Antonio, Texas, is the owner and operator of this Bell P-39Q Airacobra "Brooklyn Bum-2nd" (S/N: 42-19993) is a war veteran and one of only two flying examples in North America and is available for airshows, flybys and film throughout the USA.

The P-39 single-seat fighter was, in all respects, a radical design for its day, and proved the adage, "Form follows function." It was designed around a 37mm T-9 cannon which, in order to maximize the airplane's forward firepower, was fitted to fire through the propeller hub. In order for the cannon to fit inside the nose, the engine was placed behind the cockpit, and drove the propeller via a long shaft which passed under the pilot's feet. The center-of-gravity shift caused by the engine's location resulted in the need for a tricycle landing gear arrangement, the first of it's kind among WWII fighters.

The prototype XP-39 first flew on 6 April 1938, and after several evaluation programs, some major modifications were made to the design, resulting in the first production version, the P-39C. This production version entered service with the US Army Air Corps in 1939, but was almost immediately upgraded to the P-39D model with self-sealing fuel tanks, more guns, and larger fuel capacity.

In July 1941, the Royal Air Force took delivery of the first of 675 P-39Ds (called the Model 14 by the RAF) which they had ordered the year before. Shortly after delivery, however, the RAF realized that the aircraft had minimal performance characteristics without a turbocharger, an accessory that had been deleted early in the aircraft's development. It was too late to cancel the order, and only one RAF squadron (No. 601) ever flew it operationally. Over 250 of the others were sent to Russia, about 200 more were transferred to the US Army Air Force in Britain, and another 200 or so were sent back to America and designated as P-400s.

At least eight additional variants were later built. Most changes to the original design involved new engines and propellers, but otherwise the airframe remained very much the same over its production life. The P-39N and P-39Q were built for the Russian air force under the Lend-Lease military assistance program, and 4,773 Airacobras were delivered to Russia by American and Russian ferry pilots. Seven P-39s were designated as the F2L and used as US Navy target drones. The Airacobra served successfully in the ground-attack role in North Africa, and in the Pacific theater, until more powerful fighters began replacing it in 1944. Other nations which acquired P-39s included Portugal, France, and Italy. The Airacobra, though hampered by its lack of a turbocharger, was a very satisfactory low-altitude attack airplane, and served as faithfully as any other combat aircraft.

Following its completion and subsequent acceptance by the USAAF, P39-Q6 42-19993 served with the tactical reconnaissance squadron, which formed part of the 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group.

The group was to use these aircraft until they were replaced with P-40's at which time the P39's were left in the weeds and forgotten. Remains of some of these aircraft were found in the 1970's. The pilot regularly associated with the aircraft was Lt. Peter McDermott, who flew the aircraft for the most part during 1942.

The aircraft was restored to civilization again in 1974 by d'E.C. Darby and N.M. Armstrong who discovered and then commenced recovery from Tadji, West Sepik in Papua New Guinea and the aircraft was taken into storage in Auckland, New Zealand where it was to stay until 1976

Mr. N.M. Armstrong is reported to have installed the aircraft as a static display in the Australian Air Space Museum, in Melbourne, Victoria from 1982 to 1988. The aircraft then appeared at the World Air Museum at Wangaratta in Victoria during 1989 and was acquired by the Fighter Collection in 1994. Fighter Rebuilders of Chino, California were commissioned to carry out a restoration program which put the aircraft back in the air again.

It was then shipped to the UK and displayed by The Fighter Collection for many years at Duxford until being sold to Rod Lewis.

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