Finding visuals...
  • The Locator
  • Airframes Database

    Social media...
    Follow AV on facebook
    Follow AV on Twitter @aerial_visuals
    Follow the AV YouTube Channel

    Site navigation...
  • Home
  • Desktop Calendar
  • The Racers
  • FAQs
  • About Aerial Visuals
  • Comment on this Dossier

  • Search For Airframes Now
    Search - Index - Gallery - Reports - Lists - AV Needs You!

    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Bell 12/13/15/23/26/24/33/43 / P-39 Airacobra / P-63 Kingcobra
    Latest Model:P-63A-10-BE Kingcobra
    Last Military Serial:42-70255 USAAF
    Construction Number:33-131
    Compressed ID:Bell P-63A-10-BE sn 42-70255 USAAF...
    Latest Owner or Location:Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, Paul Garber Facility, Silver Hill, Maryland

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE
    If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

    UPLOAD A PHOTO
    If you have a photo of this airframe to share then use the photo upload tool.

    The Airframes Database depends on user contributions to stay current.
    If you have any news about this airframe or photos which you would like to share please do so
    by using the links above.
    The more you and others share the better the database becomes!

    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a P-63A-10-BE.

    23 September 1944

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 42-70255.

    25 September 1944

    Transferred to Wright Field, Vandalia, OH.
    Transferred here for modifications.

    1944

    Markings Applied: Edythe Louise
    Pilot Wilbert Dickmeyer named the aircraft after his fiance Edythe Louise Hoelting.

    Circa November 1944

    Transferred to Army Air Force Cold Weather Detachment, Ladd Field, AK.
    Flown from several bases in Alaska.

    From April 1945 to October 1945

    Withdrawn from use.

    October 1945

    Ferry flight. Delivered to US Aircraft Section, Air Materiel Command, Freeman Field, Seymour, IN.
    Set aside for proposed USAAF aviation museum.

    22 May 1946

    Ferry flight. Delivered to 803rd Special Depot, Orchard Place Airport, Park Ridge, IL,.
    Placed in storage area with 173 hrs total flight time on airframe.

    22 May 1946

    To Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, Park Ridge, IL.
    Aircraft stored at Park Ridge.
    View the Location Dossier

    1960

    To Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum, Paul Garber Facility, Silver Hill, MD.
    View the Location Dossier

    10 June 1991


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    Notes: At the NASM Paul Garber Restoration Facility.

    1999

    William Dickmeyer, who named the plane in 1944, toured the Garber Facility with his wife Edyth Louise: he was allowed to sit in the cockpit.


    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.

    Credits
    Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...

    Print Sources
    U.S. Military Out of Service 2010 by Andy Marden

    Internet Sources
    Indiana Military Organization
    Smithsonian, National Air and Space Museum
    Warbirds Directory, 6th Edition (2013) by Geoff Goodall

    Individual Contributors
    Glenn Chatfield
    Mike Henniger

    Tell Others About this Airframe Dossier
    Forum Link: [URL=https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=9186][IMG]/home/users/web/b1393/nf.aerialvisuals/public_html/AV/Support/Logo_20x20.jpg[/IMG]Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Bell P-63A-10-BE Kingcobra, s/n 42-70255 USAAF, c/n 33-131[/URL]
    Direct Link: https://www.aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=9186

    Copyright 1993-2025 m.AerialVisuals.ca
    The Aerial Visuals pages are best viewed with a screen at least 800 pixels wide.
    In case you are wondering Aerial Visuals is a huge fan Google Chrome. If you do not have Chrome installed why not?
    Aerial Visuals requires cookies and Javascript to function correctly. Please ensure these features are enabled in your browser.
    Aerial Visuals is powered by Netfirms.