- Yes
- No
Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Bell P-63E-1 Kingcobra for the US aviation tech tree. The P-63E-1 (Bell Model 41) was an improved production Kingcobra variant after the prototype P-63D, and it was similar to the later P-63C but incorporated a new powerful powerplant like the P-63D and restored the ventral fin extension. With thirteen P-63E-1s produced, I believe this aircraft is a worthy addition to the tech tree after the P-63A-10/C-5 folder.
History
The P-63E-1 was built similarly to the P-63C and retained the larger wing and the 1,425 hp Allison V-1710-199 engine of the bubble-topped P-63D; however, the P-63E reverted to the standard car-door canopy and the low-velocity 37-mm M10 cannon. The P-63E was the second part of Bell’s Kingcobra project in 1944-1945 as an attempt to secure the US Army Air Forces contract to continue their development of improved Kingcobra. The P-63E-1 restored the ventral fin extension, a feature omitted from the P-63D. The P-63E-1 differed in having an Aeroproducts propeller and an increase in the internal fuel capacity by an additional 28 US gallons.
According to some sources, a 20-mm T31 cannon with 175 rounds could be alternatively used and installed in the P-63E-1. I am unable to find the additional information to verify this claim.
Thirteen P-63Es were built and completed for the flight trials in early 1945. Bell managed to secure a contract for a production of 2,900 to 3,000 P-63Es. These additional P-63Es would become the P-63E-5 with the bubble canopy and other modifications. Some of these were planned to be delivered to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease program. However, at the end of the war in Europe, the production of newer P-63E-5 Kingcobras was canceled and terminated.
After World War II, five out of the 13 P-63Es built were delivered to the Honduras’ air force in the late 1940s. Some P-63Es survive and remain as museum aircraft.
Specifications
Bell P-63E-1 KingcobraGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
- Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
- Span: 39 ft 2 in (11.9 m)
- Wing Area: 255 sq ft (23.69 sq m)
- Propeller Type: 4-bladed constant-speed propeller
- Powerplant: Allison V-1710-109 liquid-cooled piston engine
→ 1,425 hp (1,048 KW)- Empty Weight: 7,300 lb (3,311 kg)
- Gross Weight: 9,400 lb (4,264 kg)
- Max. Takeoff Weight: 11,200 lb (5,080 kg)
Performance
- Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.15 (0.25 kW/kg)
- Critical Altitude Speed: 410 mph @ 25,000 ft (660 km/h @ 7,620 m)
- Wing Loading: 36.86 lb/sq ft (180 kg/sq m)
- Time to Altitude: 7.6 minutes to 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
- Service Ceiling: ~39,000 ft (11,887 m)
- Combat Range: 725 miles (1,167 km)
- Max. Range: 2,150 miles (3,460 km) w/ external ferrying tanks
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 x 37-mm M10 cannon (58 rounds) or 1 x 20-mm T31 cannon (175 rounds)
- 4 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (900 rounds)
- Bomb:
- 3 x 500-lb M64 bombs
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
I made this suggestion to request more World War II-era vehicles for War Thunder. I feel the P-63E-1 could be a potential tech tree aircraft, as it was the last production variant of Kingcobra, but it was too late to see the action by the end of World War II. Performance-wise, the P-63E-1 performs better and faster than the previous American Kingcobras, thanks to the uprated power plant with an improved supercharger. Thus, the P-63E-1 would be a certainly welcoming addition to the P-63 Kingcobra family for US Aviation in War Thunder.
See Also
- P-39 Airacobra in Action (1980)
- P-39 Airacobra In Detail & Scale 63 (1999)
- Crowood Aviation Series Bell P-39 Airacobra (2000)
- Bell P-63E Kingcobra
- Bell P-63 Kingcobra
- Bell P-39 Airacobra & P-63 Kingcobra
- Bell P-63 Kingcobra - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃