Bell P-63 Kingcobra Flight Demonstration- BIG ALLISON SOUND!

This is a nice video of a flight demonstration of the Palm Springs Air Museum's Bell P-63A Kingcobra. Not the greatest aircraft of WWII, but a significant one nonetheless, especially to the Soviets. This is one of the most wicked looking fighters of all time, in my honest opinion. This thing also really scoots off the runway despite the reduced, low-octane-fuel power settings that need to be used these days!

This is typical, everyday (well, not quite) SoCal, USA warbird activity, ha! We are very, very lucky out here, and I certainly appreciate it!

The Allison engine really never achieved a high state of development during WWII like the Rolls Royce Merlin. There were major problems, even several years into the post-war era. The Allison soldiered on into the early 1950s in the F-82 Twin Mustang and actually became a real solid powerplant by then, but by that time, who really cared anyway?

That is the Palm Springs Air Museum's chief pilot Jim Dale at the controls.

Enjoy the video!
- octane130 -

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• WWII
• WW2
• P-63
• Kingcobra
• P-51
• Mustang
• Spitfire
• Duxford
• Warbird
• P-47
• P-38
• Thunderbolt
• B-17
• B-24
• Travel
• Ferrari
• Porsche
• U2
• crash
• Jet
• Jets
• Destination
• Training
• Charter
• motorcycle
• Harley
• France
• Germany
• UK
• Hotel
• Commercial
• Canada
• Canadian
• Airbus
• Rating
• Instrument
• License
• Northrop
• EADS

[BikerRussell]

Does the gear reduction from the crankshaft occur at the engine or just after the cockpit? If it where after the cockpit it would allow more room for the pilot? Just a thought...

[octane130]

@BikerRussell : The reduction gear case is all the way up in the nose, just a few inches behind the propeller.

[octane130]

The driveshaft is right on top of the cockpit floor, between the pilot's legs. A thin piece of sheet aluminum covers it. It looks like the transmission hump on the floor of your car, only much smaller (only 3"-4" wide).

[UNSClead1]

what is airport ID for Palm Springs Air Museeum?

[octane130]

The ID is PSP

[wisdomstar1981]

man nothing beats the sound of ww2 war bird

[carlosmurphy4u]

Outstanding, very rare airplane.

[VitaminC440]

BEAUTY!!!

[squizzoo]

Nothing like a drive shaft under your "package".

[kolbpilot]

@apatheticempathy Hell, I've never seen one. Not in Virginia.

[Stuckey57]

Always was a sharp looking aircraft!

[apatheticempathy]

Never see enuff P-63's or P-39's at airshows these days.

Thank you for posting this ... one has to love that odd mid engine set up.

Such a unique ww2 aircraft ! TY TY and TY ~

[oiseautempete]

Nice and modern aircraft, realy nice sound, and i think he was most easyer to handle at ground with they tricycle landing gear: many many accident (landing or take of) with all other fighter with tail dragger gear (bad ground control and bad forward visibility).

The Russian pilot like it and found it very efficient...

[Greenhornet270]

Great Post one of my favorite planes of WW2 (along with the P-39)

[kolbpilot]

The P-51 gets all the glory, some deserved, other somewhat inflated. Many wonderful airplanes from that period from all sides. America in particular, was on its game when it came to flying and the P-63 is a perfect example. No machine can do it all.

[wildcatactual]

Great sound.

[penetriergott]

Wonderfull!!!!