P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War 2
The first American fighter fitted with a tricyle undercarriage and mid-mounted engine, the P-39 proved less than successful in the hands of its launch customer, the US Army Air Force (AAF).
Hampered by unreliabilty and poor engine performance at high altitude, the P-39 nevertheless served alongside the P-40 and P-38 in the bitter struggle to capture Guadalcanal in 1942/43, as well as seeing much action over the jungles of New Guinea.
This book tells the story of around a dozen AAF aces who scored five kills with the P-39, although this total was far outstripped by the Soviet Red Air Force, whose pilots rated the Airacobra as one of the best lend-lease fighters of the war.
John Stanaway is the author of two best-selling volumes in the Aces series both covering the exploits of the greatest Pacific fighter of them all, the P-38 Lightning. He is also an official historian of the National P-38 Pilots’ Association.
George Mellinger is a member of the Twin Cities Aero Historians and associate of the Russian Aviation Research Group.
Jim Laurier graduated with honours from the Paiers School of Art, Connecticut, in 1978 and has worked as a freelance illustrator ever since.