Bell P-63 Kingcobra Fighter

The American P-63 Kingcobra fighter, built by Bell Aircraft, is a genuine machine produced in 1944. According to the museum, this aircraft was found on the island of Shumshu in the Kuril chain. Its green fuselage carries a red star and the red tactical number "08".

The Kingcobra was developed from the P-39 Airacobra fighter and kept its unusual layout: the Allison V-1710 engine sits behind the pilot's cockpit, and a 37 mm cannon fires through the propeller hub. The first prototype took to the air on 7 December 1942. About 2400 Kingcobras went to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease; they were ferried via Alaska and the Bering Strait along the ALSIB air route.

Shumshu is the northernmost island of the Kuril chain; in August 1945 it saw the fighting of the Kuril landing operation. The museum catalogue records the aircraft in parts: this entry covers the fuselage with the V-1710 engine installed.