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Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Bell P-63F-1 Kingcobra for the US aviation tech tree. The P-63F-1 (Bell Model 41) was an improved and final Kingcobra variant after the P-63D and P-63E-1. It differed from them in having an extended vertical tail for better control and a 1,425 hp Allison V-1710-135 engine instead of the similar-powered V-1710-109.
The technical information regarding the P-63F-1 is very limited and difficult to find online. I request your assistance in finding additional sources, and I encourage you to discuss and share your knowledge and findings in the comments on this topic.
History
The P-63F-1 was built similarly to the P-63C and the P-63E, and it was developed as an experimental basis before the end of World War II, followed by the P-63E and P-63D, with several modifications.
The P-63F was the final version 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-39F was powered by an Allison V-1710-135, rated at 1,425 horsepower. They were built with an enlarged vertical stabilizer and rudder for improved longitudinal stability in addition to the ventral fin extension. It also retained the old 37-mm M10 cannon, the larger wing, and the standard car-door canopy.
Only two P-63Fs were built with serial 43-11719 and 43-11722, respectively. The first P-63F (43-11719) flew in April 1945, and apparently, the second P-63F (43-11722) was either terminated or destroyed in late-war or postwar flight trials. Unfortunately, I found no further information for the second P-63F-1. It is uncertain whether the P-63F was built as a production or demonstrator.
These P-63Fs were used to test the tall vertical tail. They were meant for the canceled production P-63E-5, which would be built in large numbers for the Soviet Union if the war continued past May 1945. Postwar cancellations ended further Kingcobra development since they were no longer beneficial to the US Army Air Forces and the Soviet Union. They had the existing fighters that were superior to the P-63 Kingcobras.
The first P-63F with serial 43-11719 survived past the war and was sold to several commercial users. It went through a succession of owners and carried numerous civilian registration numbers. It was raced and used in the air shows for several years before arriving at the final owner, Commemorative Air Force, in 1981.
Tragically, this only surviving P-63F was sadly destroyed on November 12, 2022, in a collision with the B-17G Flying Fortress Texas Raiders, incapacitating all five B-17 occupants and P-63 pilot, at an airshow organized by the Commemorative Air Force in Dallas, Texas.
Specifications
Bell P-63F-1 KingcobraGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 32 ft 8 in (9.96 m)
- Height: ~14 ft 2.4 in (4.3m)
- 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)
- 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-63F-1 could be a potential premium aircraft, as it was the last-built variant of Kingcobra. Performance-wise, the P-63F-1 performs faster than the previous American Kingcobras. It should maneuver better and climb faster than the P-63E-1 due to a larger tail with bigger rudder authority and a fine-tuned power plant. Thus, the P-63F-1 would be a welcoming addition as an event, premium, or squadron aircraft that offers an opportunity for dedicated completionists.
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-63F Kingcobra
- https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=59735
- A rare bird: P-63F Kingcobra - Mississippi Today
- CAF Bell P-63F Kingcobra Re-emerges in Fresh Livery
- 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! 😃