As the skies over Europe were dotted with searing dogfights and devastating aerial raids, US engineers waged their own battle against each other in a fierce competition to build the next great American fighter, one that could shift the tides of the war.Bell Aircraft was no different, and it aggressively sought to turn its failed P-39 Airacobra design into the basis for a groundbreaking fighter.Months of excruciating days and sleepless nights ensued, resulting in the Bell P-63 Kingcobra, a fast, agile fighter that improved everything from the rejected P-39.However, weeks before being completed, North American unveiled its newest P-51 Mustang variation, one with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine inside its hull, shattering the future of Bell’s new creation in its intended role. Even so, the Kingcobra’s influence in the conflict was far from over. Like its forerunner, it would find a niche under a different air force and flag…