Fedor Shikunov, ace pilot, squadron commander of the 69th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment stands on the wing of his plane P-39 Airacobra. The title of Hero of Russia posthumously, in 1996 (Presidential Decree №619 from 02.05.1996), after numerous appeals of fellow soldiers.
Bell P-39 Airacobra – an American fighter of the Second World War period, which was distinguished by an unusual design for its time (the engine was located behind the cockpit and was connected to the propeller by a long shaft).
Half of all issued Bell P-39 Airacobra (more than 4,500 units) were delivered to the USSR under the Lend-Lease Act. The most productive aces flew on the P-39, such as Alexander Pokryshkin, Grigory Rechkalov, Alexander Clubs, Nikolai Gulaev, Fedor Shikunov, brothers Dmitry and Boris Glinka.