Aircraft History
Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U. S. Army. The model of this Airacobra is unknown but was either a P-39F, P-39K-1, P-39N or P-39Q. The serial of this Airacobra is unknown.

Wartime History
This aircraft was disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled. Assigned to the 5th Air Force to either a Fighter Squadron (FS) or Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (TRS). No known nose art or nickname.

Mission History
This Airacobra crashed at Banak on the north coast of New Guinea, to the west of Boiken. Today, the crash site is located near the village water supply.

Wreckage
The shattered remains of the tail section, propeller hub, landing gear legs and a few other scattered pieces of wreckage are all that remains. Nearby is a single machine gun and the 37mm cannon.

Justin Taylan adds:
"According to local memory, this aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Kairuru Island and flew smoking and on fire to the coast of New Guinea and crashed at this location. This Airacobra has a Aeroproducts hydraulic propeller, indicating it was either a P-39F, P-39K-1, P-39N or P-39Q model. Based on the location of the crash site, this Airacobra is most likely a 5th Air Force P-39N Airacobra or P-39Q Airacobra that crashed during late 1943 or 1944. Possibly, it is associated with a Missing In Action (MIA) American pilot."

References
Erection and Maintenance Instructions For Army Model P-39 Series page 12A, 13, 18-19, 30
"P-39F, P-39K-1, P-39N-O, P-39N-1 and P-39Q-1 airplanes employ an Aeroproducts hydraulic propeller"

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Last Updated
January 31, 2018