Airacobras were used as fighters. here you have a good article daling with early Aircobras in The SSSR (Aircobra Mk I and P-39D): http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/romanenko/p-39/index.htm Recovery of Bell P39Q-15BE 44-2911 (lots of pic's): http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/sheppard/p39/index.htm Monumemt to Soviet and US pilots flying the Sybirian route in Faibanks (Alaska):
The now deceased father in law of a friend of mine who flew P-39's and p-38's had some comments about the 39: He used to say those @#$@% slow, lousy handling planes with the $@#@#%^ noisy, smoking, vibrating engine right behind you and that $#@@%^% shaft between your feet was terrible. You can read more about it on : http://members.tripod.com/warbirdlover/index.htm So i wonder how usefull was it in aerial combat even at low-medium altitudes?
I've always been surprised by Chuck Yeager's endorsement of the P-39 as a good airplane, when almost every other account reads like Ome Joop's post.