Bell P-76

The Bell P-76 was the proposed designation for a production model derivative of the XP-39E, a single-engine American fighter prototype of the Second World War. On 26 February 1941 the United States Army Air Corps placed a contract with Bell for two prototypes meant to improve on earlier P-39s, above all their poor high-altitude performance, with a new lower-loading wing of greater span, a redesigned tailfin and a more powerful engine in place of the Allison V-1710. Three prototypes were built, each with a differently redesigned tailfin. Since the Continental engine was not available at rollout, they flew with a two-stage supercharged Allison variant. The prototypes performed well and 4,000 P-39Es were ordered, but the order was postponed so that Bell could build the Boeing B-29 under licence, and the type never entered production, although many of its features appeared in the P-63 Kingcobra.