The legendary American heavy fighter YFM-1 Airacuda almost murdered its crew.

In 1935, ??t?? ????s ?? w??kin? ??? M??tin ?n? C?ns?li??t?? ?i?c???t c?m??ni?s, L?w??nc? D?l? B?ll ???n??? ?n? ?? his ?wn, th? B?ll Ai?c???t C??????ti?n. Tw? ????s l?t?? ? ???t?t??? ?? th? c?m??n?’s ?i?st milit??? ?i?c???t, th? B?ll M???l 1, ?ls? ??si?n?t?? YFM-1 Ai??c???, w?s ????? t? ?l?. It w?s ? h??v? int??c??t??-?i?ht??, ? ??m??? ??st?????, wh?s? ??si?n w?s in m?n? w??s ? ???ic?l ?????t??? ???m m?inst???m ??????ch?s ?? th? tim?. It ???t???? ? n?m??? ?? ??si?n s?l?ti?ns th?t h?? n?v?? ???n ?s?? in ?i?c???t in??st?? ??????. S?m? ?? th?m w??? n?v?? ?s?? in ?n? ?i?c???t ??t?? Ai??c??? ?ith??.

Th? Ai??c??? h?? ? v??? sl??k ?n? ?v?n “??t??istic” ??si?n, c?m????? t? m?st Am??ic?n ?i?c???t th?t w??? in s??vic? ?t th? tim? ?? th? YFM-1’s m?i??n ?li?ht ?n S??t?m??? 1, 1937. It w?s ??w???? ?? tw? 1,150-h? Allis?n V-1710-13 12-c?lin??? li??i?-c??l?? ?n?in?s ??ivin? th???-?l??? ?????ll??s ????n??? in ? ??sh?? c?n?i????ti?n. Th? ?????cti?n ?i????m?s w??? ???i???? with sli?htl? ?i?????nt v??si?n ?? th? Allis?n V-1710 ??w?? ?l?nt, th? V-1710-23 ?n? 1710-41.

A?v??tis?? ?s ? “m??il? ?nti-?i?c???t ?l?t???m” ?n? “th? m?st ????l? thin? in th? sk?,” th? YFM-1, wh??? FM st??? ??? “?i?ht??, m?lti?l?c?,” c???i?? ? wh?l? ??tt??? ?? ??ns. T? ?????t? th?m it h?? ?n ?n?s??ll? l???? ??? ? ?i?ht?? c??w ?? ?iv?. With th? ??sh?? ?????ll?? ??cin? ??ckw???, th? ???? ???t ?? ??ch ?n?in? n?c?ll? h?st?? ? M??s?n 1.46in M4 c?nn?n. In ?n ????n??m?nt ?ni??? t? th? Ai??c???, th? n?c?ll?s ?ls? h?st?? ??nn?? c?m???tm?nts. H?w?v??, th?s? ??nn??s w??? n?t s????s?? t? ?i?? th? c?nn?ns, which w??? n??m?ll? ?????t?? ?? ? ?i?? c?nt??l ???ic?? sittin? insi?? th? ??s?l???.

Whil? th? ??nn??s sittin? insi?? th? n?c?ll?s c??l?, i? n?c?ss???, ?im th? ??ns ?s w?ll, th?i? k?? t?sk w?s sim?l? t? ??l??? th? c?nn?ns with ?mm?niti?n. Giv?n th?t th? c?nn?ns w??? l????? with m???zin?s c?nt?inin? ?nl? ?iv? ???n?s ??ch, th??? w?s ??it? ? l?t ?? w??k ??? th?m t? ??. S?, it w??l? ??????l? ?? m??? ?cc???t? t? c?ll th?m l?????s, ??th?? th?n ??nn??s.

Th? ?th?? Ai??c??? c??w m?m???s incl???? th? ?il?t, th? c??il?t, wh? w?s ?ls? th? n?vi??t?? ?n? ?i??-c?nt??l ???ic??, ?n? th? ???i? ?????t?? sittin? in th? mi?-??s?l???, wh? ?ls? ?i??? tw? ???wnin? m?chin? ??ns ???m th? si?? ?list??s in th? ?v?nt ?? ?n ?tt?ck ???m th? ????. Th? ?i??-c?nt??l ???ic?? ?ls? h?? ?t his ?is??s?l ? ???isc??? ?n??? th? ?i?c???t’s n?s? t? ch?ck ??? ?n?m? ?i?ht??s ??????chin? ???m ??hin? ?n? ??l?w.

Lik? m?n? ??l?, ?nc?nv?nti?n?l ??si?ns, th? Ai??c??? w?s ?l????? ?? n?m????s ????l?ms. Th??? w?s, in ??ct, ? v??? l?n? list ?? iss??s:

All th?s? ????l?ms w??? ???tt? ?vi??nt in th? ???t?t???. Still, B?ll ??t th? ??-?h??? ??? ? ?????cti?n ??n ?n? m?n???ct???? ? ??z?n ?i?c???t ??tw??n 1938 ?n? 1940. Th?s? ???i???? ?n? s??????n ?? th? Unit?? St?t?s A?m? Ai? C???s (USAAC). H?w?v??, ?ct??ll? ?l?in? th?m w?s ? v??? ?i??ic?lt ?n? ?nc??t?in ??sin?ss ?n????l?? ?m?n? ?il?ts. M?int?n?nc? w?s ?lw??s ? ????l?m, t??. H?nc?, th? Ai??c???s s??nt m?st ?? th?i? tim? ????n???, ???nin? th? nickn?m? ?? “h?n??? ????ns.”

Onl? tw? ?i????m?s w??? l?st ?n? ?n? m?n kill?? in ?cci??nts inv?lvin? th? Ai??c???, ??t ?iv?n th? sm?ll n?m??? ?? th? ?i?c???t ?????c??, ?v?n th?t w?s ? w????in? n?m???. G?n???ll?, th? ??ti? ?? v??i??s ?cci??nts ?n? inci??nts t? th? n?m??? ?? ?l?in? h???s w?s t?? hi?h. S?, th? ?????cti?n s??n c??s?? ?n? th? Ai??c???s ?l????? in s??vic? w??? ?h?s?? ??t ?? ???l? 1942.