P-63A-5

P-63A-5

P-39Q-5

P-63A-10

P-63A-5

P-39Q-5

P-63A-10

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.3	3.7

Class:

Fighter

Research:18 000

Purchase:47 000

This page is about the American fighter P-63A-5. For the Russian version, see P-63A-5 (USSR). For other versions, see P-63 (Family).

Description

The P-63A-5 Kingcobra is a rank III American fighter with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/SB) and 3.3 (RB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics
Stock
Max Speed (km/h at 6,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
617	596	12200	22.0	22.7	16.1	16.1	289
Upgraded
Max Speed (km/h at 6,850 m)		Max altitude (meters)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (meters/second)		Take-off run (meters)
AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
670	640	12200	20.3	21.0	24.1	19.6	289

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wing-break speed (km/h)	Gear limit (km/h)	Combat flaps (km/h)	Max Static G
			+	-
		393	~12	~6

Optimal velocities
Ailerons (km/h)	Rudder (km/h)	Elevators (km/h)	Radiator (km/h)
< 410	< 380	< 410	> 320

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,658 m	1,250 hp	1,400 hp

Survivability and armour

• 15.87 mm Steel - Plates x 2, lower fore cockpit
• 19.05 mm Steel - Plate, upper fore cockpit
• 12.7 mm Steel - Plate behind pilot's seat
• 12.7 mm Steel - Plate protecting oil cooling system
• 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windscreen

Armaments

Offensive armament

The P-63A-5 is armed with:

• 1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 rpg)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, nose-mounted (270 rpg = 540 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns, wing-mounted (250 rpg = 500 total)

Suspended armament

The P-63A-5 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)

Usage in battles

This aircraft is a good all-altitude fighter. The A-5 can out-climb most of its opponents un-upgraded, although "side climbing" is recommended when the higher altitudes are reached. Its straight line speed, especially at higher altitudes, is respectable, competing with 109s of the rank. This aircraft has a poor turn-time at slower speeds, but as with most US aircraft, its high-speed performance is significantly better than the aircraft it faces, making it a good Boom & Zoom aircraft. The 37 mm gun improves damage to aircraft since the 4 x 12.7 mm Brownings are not greatly powerful at the higher tiers- the 37 mm gun compliments the 12.7 mm's as a good bomber hunter, combined with the sleek profile of the aircraft. The aircraft is not intended, nor should be used, as a ground attack vehicle, since it can only carry one 500 lb bomb and the ammunition count for the 12.7 mm guns is not great. The 37 mm gun can be used as ground attack, although this tactic isn't preferred by some as it reduces the ammo count as a whole for the aircraft, which is one of its limiting factors in combat. Tactically, the aircraft is good for small dives against turn-fighting opponents on the tail of your allies, from around 1,000 m or less above the target. Keeping any "side-climbers" down is normally good since the speed and rate of climb allow the P-63 to catch these planes and send them back down.

An interceptor in any respect. Unlike most American designs the Kingcobra lacks heavy payload for ground attack duties. While the 37 mm can load anti-tank rounds, the plane will lose its excellent anti-air HE shells. Of course, the 12.7 heavy machine guns can be used against planes, in a ground attack role they are rather used on soft targets, as the AP shell lacks high-explosive damage radius to deal with AAA & SPAA quickly. The AP shells also require more accuracy while shooting and thus are inferior to the .50 cal Brownings on range e.g. with the HMG effective fire against light targets is possible from 600 m, but with the 37mm AP shells, this needs to be reduced to 400 m.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Auto control available	Controllable Auto control available	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs	FMBC mk.1
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 37 mm
IV		Engine injection	Cover	New 37 mm cannons

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful 37 mm cannon with 4 x 12.7 mm machine guns as a backup
• Slightly more powerful engine and better manoeuvrability than the already well performing P-39Q Airacobra
• Can WEP for a long time without overheating
• Jack of all trades

Cons:

• Limited 37 mm ammo
• Bigger target than the P-39Q
• Still stuck with the same M4 cannon as the P-39's
• Slow fire rate for the 37 mm cannon
• 37mm projectiles are still too slow and inaccurate to be reliably effective in a dog fight
• 37mm projectiles can still not penetrate tank armour even at optimal angles
• Centre mounted engine has a higher tendency to take damage in pursuits and from diving planes.

History

On September 29, 1942, the US Army ordered full-scale production of the Kingcobra. The first production version of the Kingcobra was the P-63A (Bell Model 33).

Deliveries of production P-63As began in October of 1943. However, the US Army examined the P-63A at Eglin Field, Florida and concluded that it was unsuitable for service with the USAAF as a combat aircraft, even though test pilots spoke favorably of its characteristics, and its performance was comparable with that of other fighters of the time. Nevertheless, the Soviet Union had a need for a high-altitude fighter (where the P-39 was deficient), and it was thought that the P-63 might be a natural choice for them, combining good high-altitude performance with excellent ground attack capabilities using the 37-mm cannon.

The initial production block was P-63A-1. It was virtually identical to the XP-63A production prototype. It was fitted with 87.7 pounds of pilot armor and had an internal fuel capacity of 100 gallons. It was armed with a type M-4 37-mm cannon fed by a 30-round magazine. There were two synchronized 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 270 rpg, and two underwing 0.50-inch guns with 250 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.

The P-63A-5 introduced a dorsal radio mast, which became standard on all later models.

The A-1 and A-5 could carry a 75- or 175-gallon drop tank or a 522-pound bomb under the center section. The P-63A-6 was fitted with underwing racks so that either a 75-gallon tank or a 500-pound bomb could be carried under each wing.

The P-63A-7 was fitted with an Aeroproducts propeller of slightly reduced diameter. An increase in wing loading limited this variant to a 64-gallon tank under each wing. The nose gun mounts were modified, elevator chord was increased by two inches, and the span of the horizontal stabilizer was increased by 16 inches to 14 feet 7 inches.

The P-63A-8 featured 188.8 pounds of armor. An improved version of the Aeroproducts propeller increased maximum speed to 417 mph. Water injection was added to the engine, which was incorporated in all subsequent Kingcobra versions. A Type N-6 gun camera was added. Ammunition for the two wing guns was decreased from 250 to 200 rpg.

The P-63A-9 had 198.9 pounds of armor. It introduced the 37-mm M10 cannon in place of the earlier M4, and an increase in ammunition capacity from 30 to 58 37-mm rounds.

The P-63A-10 had rocket rails fitted underneath the wings. The weight of the armor increased to 236.3 pounds.

Production deliveries of the P-63A began in October of 1943, and by December of 1944 1725 P-63As had been produced. The USAAF never saw fit to use the Kingcobra for operational combat missions, since by that time in the war the need for low-altitude close-support fighter aircraft was more than adequately filled by such aircraft as the P-47 Thunderbolt. Nevertheless, P-63As did serve for a few months with the 31st, 444th, and 445th Squadrons while they were based Stateside.

Most of the P-63As that were manufactured at the Buffalo plant were immediately ferried to the Soviet Union. Upon completion, the P-63s would be rolled out of the factory and ferried from Niagra Falls to Selfride Field, Michigan. After refueling, the would be flown to Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin where Soviet ferry pilots (usually women) would pick them up and fly them to Edmonton, Anchorage and then across the Bering Straits to the Soviet Union. The Russians used the Kingcobra primarily for close-support and ground strafing. The Kingcobra had a relatively good low-altitude performance and had the ability to absorb a lot of battle damage and still remain flying. It proved to be a potent ground attack aircraft and tank-buster, but it never received the amount of attention in the Soviet Union as did the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik.

The P-63A never served in combat with US forces. US Kingcobras remained stateside for use by the Army in training. Many of these P-63As were converted into RP-63A target aircraft.

The Paul Garber restoration facility of the Smithsonian Institution in Suitland, Maryland has a P-63A on display. However, I was not able to get close enough to this plane to record its serial number.

I also seem to remember a P-63A being on display at the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona. I remember it as being painted in Russian insignia. However, I have no information about its serial number.

Serials of the P-63A were as follows:

42-68861/68910 		Bell P-63A-1 Kingcobra 
42-68911/68930 		Bell P-63A-5 Kingcobra 
42-68931/69060 		Bell P-63A-6 Kingcobra 
42-69061/69210 		Bell P-63A-7 Kingcobra 
42-69211/69410 		Bell P-63A-8 Kingcobra 
42-69411/69860 		Bell P-63A-9 Kingcobra 
42-69861/70685 		Bell P-63A-10 Kingcobra 

Specification of P-63A-10:

Engine: One Allison V-1710-93 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid cooled engine with a single-stage supercharger and auxiliary hydraulic turbosupercharger, rated at 1325 hp at sea level and 1150 hp at 22,400 feet. Performance: Maximum speed was 361 mph at 5000 feet, 392 mph at 15,000 feet, and 410 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 25,000 feet could be reached in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 43,000 feet. Ferry range was 2575 miles. Weights were 6375 pounds empty, 8800 pounds loaded, and 10,500 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 12 feet 7 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. Armament One 37-mm M10 cannon with 58 rounds firing through the propeller hub, two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 200 rpg, and one 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas with 900 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.

In-game description

Bell P-63A-1/A-5 (Model 33) Kingcobra Army Fighter

A single-seat, closed-canopy, all-metal monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear and a nose strut. The P-63 Kingcobra was developed as an improved version of the P-39 Airacobra and had a similar layout, with the engine located just behind the cockpit.

Work on the plane, originally designated the XP-39E, began in February 1941. The first prototype, designated XP-63, flew on December 7, 1942, and production of the P-63A-1 (Model 33) began in October 1943, along with the P-39.

The general layout of the P-39 Kingcobra was preserved, but the P-63 featured new, streamlined wings. In order to remedy the P-39's main weakness, a propensity to falling into a flat spin, the area of the vertical tail fin was increased and the aft section of the fuselage was lengthened.

The first production models were equipped with a V-12 liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-93 engine (1325 hp). The aircraft was armed with a Colt-Browning M4 37mm machine gun with 30 rounds and 2 synchronous Colt-Browning M2.5 12.7mm machine guns with 270 rounds per gun. An additional two M2.5s with 250 rounds each were placed in the wing compartments.

Aircraft of both series (except some A-1 planes) were fitted with a ventral pylon which could hold a fuel tank of 75 gallons (284 liters) or one 500-lb (227-kg) bomb.

The aircraft was continually tweaked from one production run to the next, improving its ability to support troops on the field. However, the differences between the A-1 and the A-5 were only slight. The most significant difference, though not a visible one, was the increase in armor from 40 kilograms to 81. 50 P-63A-1 and 20 P-63A-5 planes were produced.

The Red Army became the main consumers of the P-63A. Deliveries to the Soviet Union began in the summer of 1944, via Alaska and the Northwest Staging Route. The P-63A began to support Soviet anti-aircraft operations in the spring of 1945.

The Soviet version of the P-63A differed from the American in one important feature: the presence of a crank to start the engine. In addition, the Soviets equipped the plane with FAB-100 and FAB-250 bombs under the fuselage.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
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