Quote:
Originally Posted by Kutscha
What was this protection on the P-39? Certainly you don't mean the thin aluminum fuselage skinning.
What cannon would that be?
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No, I don't mean the duraliminium skin. I mean the armoured bulkhead referred to by Shores below, and I believe there was armour protection to the oil cooler, but here I am out of my depth. I am referring to a design that could have been improved for CAS.
To quote Shores: "the engine was situated behind the pilot .... in this position it was considerably less vulnerable to ground fire than in the usual nose position, where instead armour plate had been installed.... It was its ability to double as an extremely effective ground attack aircraft which particularly endeared it to the Russians' hearts..."
How about the 40-mm fitted to the Hurricane IV?