Bell QF-63G-1-BE Kingcobra Pinball 45-57295
(United States Air Force - ) Bell QF-63G-1-BE Kingcobra Pinball , on display in December 1965, at Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, with the USAF History and Traditions Museum collection. Built as an RP-63G-1-BE Kingcobra and re-designated QF-63G-1-BE in 1948 The RP/QF-63Gs were manned live-fire targets for Bomber gunners, firing frangible bullets. From 1943, the P-63 was used as a manned live-fire target for bomber gunners, fitted with specially reinforced surfaces, against which frangible bullets (made of lead and plastic) could be fired. In August 1944, under contract No.AC29318, Bell converted five P-63As. All armament and internal armour was removed. All skinning was replaced by thicker metal sheet, the upper fuselage air-intake was replaced by a clam-shell intake and the canopy was armoured (38mm windshield and 25mm side-screens). Not less than 110 microphones were buried under the skin. A light hidden in the propeller hub flashed each time a bullet hit the aircraft and each hit was recorded on an automatic counter located on the instrument panel.
These aircraft, designated RP-63A-ll-BE, were powered by the V1710-93 engine with water injection and had their internal fuel capacity increased to 126US gal. The first of them flew for the first time on 1 September, 1944, with Robert M. Stanley at the controls and they became quickly known as the Pinballs. The hub light was hardly visible and additional lights were installed around the rear fuselage. A first batch of ninety- five aircraftu was ordered in due course. These were designated RP-63A-I2-BE. A second production batch concerned two hundred RP-63C-2-BEs which were powered by the V-1710-117 and had 1, 487.71b of armour. A third and last batch totalled thirty-two RP-63G-I-BEs with the V1710-135 and 2, 164.91b of armour. Additional contracts for 420 more RP-63Gs were cancelled
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25mm 38mm Additional Armament Automatic Batch Bullet Bullets Buried Cancelled Canopy Capacity Concerned Contract Contracts Controls Converted Designated Fired Fitted Flashed Flew Fuselage Gunners Hardly Hidden Increased Injection Installed Intake Internal Kingcobra Lackland Less Manned Microphones Ordered Pinball Propeller Quickly Re-designated Recorded Reinforced Removed Replaced Skinning Specially Surfaces Target Targets Thicker Thirty-two Totalled Traditions Usaf Visible Windshield
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