P-39 Airacobra World War 2 fighter aircraft

thingiverse

The P-39 Airacobra was a unique mid-engine WWII fighter aircraft with relatively poor performance at high altitudes due to its unsupercharged Allison engine, but it saw acceptable service in the Pacific and Eastern front theaters when flown by Soviet pilots through the Lend-Lease program. The pilot sat in front of the engine, which drove a shaft under the feet to the propeller. This design was primarily chosen to fit an Oldsmobile T9 37mm cannon in the nose, similar to those used on light tanks at the time. The -Q5 variant of the Airacobra also featured four 12.7mm (.50 caliber) M2 machine guns: two mounted in wing pods and two above the 37mm cannon in the nose. It wasn't a top-performing aircraft, but its 37mm cannon gave it an edge against ground targets and any aircraft unfortunate enough to fly into its sights. The P-39 used a tricycle landing gear system, which was relatively rare at the time. Read more about this fascinating technological achievement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_P-39_Airacobra I acknowledge that my model isn't perfect, but I've captured the essence of this aircraft very closely. If you'd like to edit or remix it, I've included the SketchUp source file. I also haven't printed it yet; it might work better to break it down into parts. I'll cut it up and re-upload it if necessary. Edit: After cutting it up, I laid out the parts in four groups for printing. You'll need supports for the wing gunpods and tail section, but it should be straightforward. Printer Settings: * Printer: Wanhao Duplicator i3 * Rafts: Doesn't Matter * Supports: Yes * Infill: 20%+ Post-Printing Be cautious when removing support material around the guns and wingtips.