P-39 Airacobra

This is one of 9,500 P-39 Airacobras built at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The aircraft was noted for a revolutionary aircraft design in which the armament was given priority over speed and maneuverability. This resulted in the Airacobra being the only WWII aircraft with the engine behind the pilot to accommodate the 37 MM cannon in the nose. The plane was also one of the first United States military aircraft to have retractable tricycle landing gear.