P-39 Airacobra "Hell's Bells"Bell P 39 Airacobra airplane model. The P 39 was one of America's first line pursuit planes in December 1941. It made its initial flight in April 1939 at Wright Field and by the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 600 had been built. Its unique engine location behind the cockpit caused some pilot concern, but this proved to be no more of a hazard in a crash landing than with an engine located forward of the cockpit. The Airacobra saw combat