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  P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra Serial Number 42-19484  
USAAF
7th AF
15th FG
? FS

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circa December 1943
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c1944

Aircraft History
Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39Q-1-BE Airacobra serial number 42-19484. Disassembled and shipped to Hawaii and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned 7th Air Force (7th AF), 318th Tactical Reconnaissance Group (318th TRG), 72nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (72nd TRS). No known nose art or nickname. On the left cockpit door was painted a pin up girl. On the right side was a single Japanese flag indicating a victory claim.

Frantisek Sredl adds:
"The kill mark refers to those possible pilots for the crash Airacobra: Jim Snyder, George Farina, John Thames or James H. Carlyle. Those 72nd FS pilots had have confirmed victory with Airacobra over Makin Atoll. Pilot Jim Van Nada fought on P-39 "Sad Sack" 42-19510". This P-39 operated from Makin Airfield (Butaritari) during the middle of December 1943 until late April 1944."

Between December 1943 to April 1944 force landed gear up at Makin Airfield (Butaritari), damaging the propeller. Possibly, repaired afterwards.

Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared.

References
Thanks to Frantisek Sredl for additional information

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Last Updated
February 10, 2022

 

Tech Information
P-39
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