Dora Wings 1/48 P63E King Cobra Single-Seat Aircraft Kit

Bell Aircraft's P-39 Airacobra was a very effective fighter once the USAAF had gained some combat experience during WWII. The lack of a supercharger (an interesting political story) made the P-39 ineffective above 10,000 feet, but below that altitude, it could hold its own against the feared A6M Zero. The Russians adopted the P-39 and loved the aircraft, so when they learned that Bell was going to 'supersize' the Airacobra, they wanted to help with the design effort.The XP-39E, which was the prototype for what would become the P-63, featured the all-important superchargers and greater engine power, in addition to its longer fuselage and greater wingspan. While the new design out-performed the P-39, the USAAF didn't consider the P-63 up to the performance levels of the P-51. The Soviets were glad to acquire the majority of them under lend/lease, and Bell paid closer attention to the inputs of the Soviet engineers. For example, the P-63 could not recover from a flat spin (as Bell learned in flight test), so the Soviets had the nose-mounted canon moved forward, which shifted the center of gravity forward and provided more room for additional ammunition. The redesigned P-63 could recover. Features and Options: Nicely detailed cockpit Photo-etched pilot restraints Positionable car doors Positionable ailerons Positionable flaps Positionable rudder Postionable elevators Choice of optional centerline external fuel tanks Optional underwing external fuel tanks Underwing gun pods The kit provides markings for the following subjects: P-63E, 43-11721, USAAF P-63E, 43-11720, USAAF P-63E, 43-11721, USAAF P-63E, N9003R, civilian warbird P-63E, 402, Honduran AF (FAH) P-63E, 401, Honduran AF (FAH)