Bell XP-63 'Kingcobra'

Description

Manufacturer:	Bell
Base model:	P-63
Designation:	XP-63
Nickname:	Kingcobra
Designation System:	U.S. Air Force
Designation Period:	1925-1947
Basic role:	Pursuit
Status:	Experimental

Specifications

Not Yet Available

Known serial numbers

41-19511 / 41-19512

Recent comments by our visitors

Guy E. Franklin  Deatsville, AL

The XP-63 Ser No. 41-19511 flew for the first time on December 7, 1942. This was the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and the significance of that date was not lost on anyone. The XP-63 was fitted with a 37-mm hub cannon and two nose 0.50-inch machine guns (the underwing guns were not fitted). Weights were 6054 pounds empty, 7525 pounds gross, and 10,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 5 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. As anticipated, the XP-63 exhibited a performance that was much better than that of the P-39. A speed of 407 mph was attained at sea level during early testing. On January 28, 1943, the XP-63 prototype was lost in an unfortunate accident. Test pilot Jack Woolams was just about to bring the XP-63 in for a landing after a routine test flight when he found that the landing gear wouldn't extend. He circled the airfield for several hours to burn off excess fuel. By the time he was ready to attempt a belly landing, the sun had set. Woolams mistook the runway side lights for end lights and put the XP-63 down in a field of small trees. Woolams walked away from the accident, but the XP-63 was damaged beyond repair. The wreck was later shipped to Wright Field for ground-based gun firing tests. The second prototype (41-19512) flew for the first time on February 5, 1943. It did not have much better luck. During a test flight on May 25, 1943, the Allison engine threw a rod at altitude, and the cockpit filled up with smoke. Test pilot G. E. "Gus" Lundquist was forced to parachute to safety, and 41-19512 was destroyed in the ensuing crash. 04/02/2007 @ 05:27 [ref: 16073]