<article><hdr>Airborne shot of Bell P-63 — P-39</hdr><body>
<hi style=afpcap>Two of the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War were the Bell P-39 Aircobra and the P-63 Kingcobra. The accompanying illustration depicts a P-63 in the foreground, with a P-39 in the rear. The two types were similar, although the P-63 featured a number of improvements including laminar flow wings, an angular tail unit and an uprated engine. Whereas the P-39 evolved during the mid '30s, the P-63 was designed after the US entered World War Two, and was the only fighter aircraft to achieve large scale production before the end of the conflict.</hi>
