The story
Bell put the Kingcobra's engine behind the cockpit, drove the propeller through a long shaft between the pilot's feet, and gave it tricycle gear and a door on each side like a car. The US Army did not want it as a front-line fighter, so three quarters of them went to the Soviet Union, which loved it. A few hundred became flying targets: the RP-63 Pinball was armoured and lit up when hit by frangible bullets from trainee gunners.
The RP-63 Pinball was a manned target: gunnery students fired breakable bullets at it in flight, and a light in the propeller hub flashed each time they scored a hit.
Quick answers
How do you identify a P-63 Kingcobra?
Nose gear instead of a tailwheel, a car-style door below the canopy, and the exhaust stacks aft of the cockpit rather than on the nose. Looks like a big P-39.
What does a P-63 Kingcobra sound like?
An Allison V-12 with the exhaust stacks behind the cockpit; a harder note than a Merlin.
How fast is the P-63 Kingcobra?
Top speed is 356 kts.
How many people does the P-63 Kingcobra carry?
Typical configuration: Single pilot.
How far can the P-63 Kingcobra fly?
Range is about 390 nmi.
How big is the P-63 Kingcobra?
It is 32 ft 8 in long and 38 ft 4 in across the wings.
When did the P-63 Kingcobra first fly?
Its first flight was in 1942.
How many P-63 Kingcobras have been built?
3,303 built.
What do crews call the P-63 Kingcobra?
The Cobra.
How rare is a P-63 Kingcobra in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first P-63 Kingcobra catch is worth 250 points.
