That quest is rather impossible to solve without google's help I'm afraid.
The panel's shape with the stuck out center part and the slightly backshifted side panels, together with the narrow lower and wider, round-shaped upper part making the center panel look like a mushroom, point to the right direction of this being a P-39.
The fuel gauge also points into the same direction, being a Liquidometer Corp. type as it has been used on the P-39, albeit with a different scale.
However, a P-39 panel is supposed to look like this:
Now what's the point?
Well, we see that this panel has been modified.
For instance a King (Bendix) KFS 570A transponder unit belonging to a KXP 750A transponder can be seen right to the gear switch:
That's postwar tech, so this is a warbird which apparently saw heavy modifications.
The quest's solution is that this is the cockpit of the P-39Q-20-BE Airacobra s/n 44-3908, some history of this aircraft:
- Constructed as a P-39Q-20-BE. Intended to be shipped to russia (lend-lease), both the Bell dataplate and the russian export dataplate are still in the aircraft.
- 1944 - Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 44-3908.
- 1944 - Converted to a RP-39Q-22-BE.
- Circa November 1944 - Redesignated as TP-39Q.
- Circa October 1945 - Transferred to War Assets Administration, Altus AB, OK.
- 1946 - To A. T. Shuller, Tulsa, OK with c/r N4829N.
- 1946 - To Hoyt Scott, Bristol, IL.
- From 1947 to 1950 - To W. H. Ostenberg, Scotts Bluff, NE.
Rebuilt to single-seat for racing, using modified P-63 cowlings and windscreen.
Registered as NX4829N.
Raced as Bendix racer #15.
Rebuilt and marked for Cleveland Races but did not fly in them. - 1950 - To Paul Eddy, Fostoria, OH.
- 1954 - To Archie Baldocchi, San Salvador, El Salvador.
Registered as N40A. - 1954 - To Ben Widtfeldt, Hayward, CA.
- 1954 - Ferry flight to Hayward, CA from El Salvador.
- Circa 1955 - To Ben Widtfeldt, Hayward, CA with c/r N40A.
- 1957 - Ferry flight to Long Beach, CA from Hayward. Flown by Ben Widfeldt in civil paint scheme.
- From 1957 to 1963 - To Ellis D. Ed Weiner, Long Beach, CA.
- 1963 - To Robert M. Lindquist, Santa Ana, CA.
- From 1963 to 1969 - To Donald D. Randall, Santa Ana, CA.
- up to 1971 - Withdrawn from use. Stored Orange County, CA.
- 1971 - Transported by ground. From Orange County to Van Nuys.
- From 1971 to 1972 - Restored. Rebuilt as racer. Mira Slovak, Van Nuys, CA.
- 1972 - Raced as #21 "Mr. Mennen".
- September 1972 - First post-restoration Flight.
- September 1972 - Flew to Reno but disqualified from racing due to late arrival.
- 29 July 1975 - To Ed Messick and Larry Irvine/Rebco Inc, San Antonio, TX.
- By 1976 - Gun barrels installed, TP-39Q ventral strake and dorsal fin removed.
- By 1976 - Raced as #39. Painted as P-400 with camouflage.
- September 1976 - Raced at Reno, NV.
- 2 October 1979 - Certificate of airworthiness for N40A (P39, 44-3908) issued.
- October 1981 - To Preston Parish/Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI.
- 4 January 1982 - To Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Portage, MI.
Flew in USAAC camoflage, wfu for static display.
Damaged when car struck building causing wall collapse.
Repairs completed, 2001.
Displayed as P-400/USAAC/BW146/20.
The plane by 1950:
Nowadays painted as P-400 "Whistlin' Britches" on display at the
Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan:
Best regards - Mike
Author
Topic: Quest: Guess what is depicted here (Read 1000624 times)
