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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Bell 12/13/15/23/26/24/33/43 / P-39 Airacobra / P-63 Kingcobra
    Latest Model:P-39Q-20-BE Airacobra
    Last Military Serial:44-3887 USAAF
    Compressed ID:Bell P-39Q-20-BE sn 44-3887 USAAF
    Latest Owner or Location:National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a P-39Q-20-BE.

    Circa January 1944

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-3887.

    1944

    Converted to a RP-39Q-22-BE.
    Two seat operational training version with armament removed.

    Circa 1945

    Redesignated as TP-39Q-5-BE.

    1946

    Declared surplus.
    Stored in Illinois.

    From 1947 to 1966

    To Jack B. Hardwick/Hardwick Aircraft Co, El Monte, CA.

    1947

    Transported by ground.
    Transported from Illinois by truck.

    By 1966

    Restored as a P-39Q-20-BE.
    Restored to single-seat configuration.

    July 1966

    Ferry flight. Delivered to United States Air Force Museum, Patterson Field (East Side), Dayton, OH.
    Flown from El Monte, CA by Jack Hardwick.
    View the Location Dossier

    By 1968

    Markings Applied: 3887

    July 1971

    Transported by ground. Delivered to National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    By 1977

    Markings Applied: 31, 43887
    Painted as a P-39D flown by Lt. Leslie Spoonts of the 57th Fighter Squadron on Adak Island during the Aleutians Campaign.

    13 June 1977


    Photographer: Peter Nicholson
    Notes: P-39Q Airacobra as displayed in the USAF Museum in the Summer of 1977.

    By 1991

    Markings Applied: 31, 17073

    16 July 1996


    Photographer: Mike Henniger
    Notes: Photographed at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

    4 December 2006


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    17 May 2018


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Print Sources
     U.S. Military Out of Service 2010 by Andy Marden
    Internet Sources
     National Museum of the United States Air Force
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Warbirds Directory, 6th Edition (2013) by Geoff Goodall
    Individual Contributors
     Glenn Chatfield
    Mike Henniger
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