The P-63 Bell King Cobra

[General Savage]

Yes Alex. It was just a modern color photo I grabbed at random to put with the wording.
Very comprehensive Carl. You are the obvious expert and I'm pleased that I was able to get you to add to the topic with so much knowledge.
Frank Savage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=397VAdFVv3I

[Jim Oxley]

I have to say I'm puzzled as to why so few P-63's saw combat. Especially as they numbered in the thousands in delivery.

It just doesn't seem to make sense.

[General Savage]

That is exactly what I at first thought Jim. In 1943 when this so called lend lease exemption rule was applied, Stalin had his back to the wall and would have sent the 'drover's dog' to fight let alone an advanced fighter that was capable of 410 mph and was armed with a tank killing 37mm canon.
I also find it hard to believe that over 2000 of these planes were sitting idle somewhere.

[Jukka Juutinen]

C-F. Geust wrote:"As mentioned above in the Airacobra section, a number of mid-air disintegration accidents with Airacobras, and in particular A.G.Kochetkov’s narrow escape during a test flight at the Bell Factory in Buffalo, N.Y. with P-63 A-10 Kingcobra 42-68939, led to reinforcement of the rear fuselages of all early Kingcobras (P-63A-10 subtype included) in USSR as required by strength analysis made by TsAGI. Only the later P-63C subtypes (with considerably redesigned tail) fulfilled Soviet g-load requirements as delivered."

The question is what were the Soviet g-load requirements?

[General Savage]

There are so many inaccuracies in Wikipedia. I own up to treating them as gospel.
I suggest that it is up to experts like C-F. Geust to put the record straight and give them better information.