FACT FILE - THE UNCONVENTIONAL, BIZARRE BELL AIRACUDA

Larry Bell, founder of the Bell Aircraft Corp., now known as Bell Helicopter, entered the aircraft manufacturing industry with a unique bang. After dropping out of high school in 1912, Bell worked for various aircraft companies, including Martin and Consolidated, before starting his own company in 1935.

Rather than beginning with a conservative, basic aircraft type, he opted to respond to a military contract by proposing one that was so unconventional it bordered on bizarre.

This aircraft was the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, a long-range and heavily armed escort fighter designed as an interceptor and bomber escort. It was part of a newly emerging category of aircraft containing models described as 'virtually impregnable fortresses of themselves, yet maintaining considerable manoverability and striking prowess which the big bombers lack. The design and configuration of the Airacuda was like nothing the industry had ever seen. The twin pusher engines were housed in glazed nacelles, each of which contained a crewmember, for a total of five. While most of the 15 examples built were taildraggers, three incorporated tricycle gear, a cutting-edge aircraft development at the time.

In the fuselage, the pilot was accompanied by two other crewmembers. Seated in close proximity was an individual who handled three duties, copilot, navigator and fire control officer. This multitasking expert was provided with a stowable  control column and pedals to help fly the aircraft and was typically the one in charge of aiming and firing the various gyro-stabilised cannons and machine guns bristling from the airplane. In the back, a third crewmember handled radio communications and manned .50-caliber machine guns mounted in side pods to protect the aircraft from aggressors approaching from the rear. Out in the engine nacelles, the remaining two crewmembers had somewhat simpler tasks.