Bell P-39D Airacobra: After initially seeing duty in the Pacific and European theaters of operation, P-39s were supplanted, then replaced by the P-38, P-47 and P-51. Many of the Bell Fighters made their way to the Soviet Union, while others, like this P-39D, were used in the Unites States. This Airacobra was flown by the NACA in early 1943. Note the engine located in the middle of the fuselage, and the cannon in the propeller spinner.

Bell P-39D Airacobra

Republic P-47B Thunderbolt: The Republic P-47B Thunderbolt was one of the great fighters used by the U. S. Army Air Force in World War II, and crews praised its ability to absorb punishment. This P-47B was used by NACA engineers to study the horizontal tail loads experienced by a fighter during abrupt maneuvers.

P-47B Thunderbolt

Bell XP-39 Airacobra: The Army's XP-39 Airacobra in flight over Langley Field, 1943. The pilot of the cobra sat on the front end of the gearbox with the engine behind him and the propeller shaft passing underneath his legs. The P-39 was one of the first military airplanes with tricycle landing gear.