The Airacuda was marked by bold design advances and considerable flaws that eventually grounded the aircraft.

[4] According to Major Alexander De Seversky's 1942 book Victory Through Air Power, the Bell Airacuda "represents a great engineering achievement.

[5] Although capable of aiming the cannons, the gunners' primary purpose was simply to load them with the 110 rounds of ammunition stored in each nacelle.

[5] The crew of five included the pilot and gunners; a copilot/navigator who doubled as a fire-control officer, using a Sperry Instruments "Thermionic" fire control system (originally developed for anti-aircraft cannon) combined with a gyro-stabilised and an optical sight to aim the weapons;[5] and a radio operator/gunner armed with a pair of machine guns stationed at mid-fuselage waist blisters for defense against attack from the rear.

In the event of interception by enemy fighters, the Airacuda was not maneuverable enough to dogfight, while the meager 600 lb (270 kg) bombload was of little use in the intended fighter-bomber role.

The cannons had a tendency to fill the gun nacelles with smoke whenever fired and, additionally, fears persisted as to how the gunners would escape in an emergency, with the propellers directly behind them.

An explosion during a September 1939 test flight made it apparent that the teething engine troubles would not be solved easily.

Marshall Wainwright notes that other sources indicate the first eight aircraft were to originally have been powered by Allison V-1710-13 engines fitted with GE Type B-6 turbo-superchargers (turbochargers).

This is noted in a contract change dated 19 October 1939, which shows that aircraft 38-489 and 38-490 had their turbos, all associated ducting, and controls removed and V-1710-41(D2A) "altitude rated" engines installed instead.

The (D2A) was essentially a -23 with higher supercharger gear ratios (8.77:1 versus 6.23:1), which allowed the motor to develop around 1,090 horsepower (810 kW) up to 13,200 ft (4,000 m) ASL.

[7][8] Initial flight testing by Lt. Ben Kelsey proved the Airacuda virtually impossible to control with only one engine, as the aircraft would go into an immediate spin.

In the event of a failure (and they occurred frequently), the crew was instructed to begin immediate emergency restart procedures, as the aircraft basically shut down.

Because of the tandem seating, it was necessary for Sparks to exit the aircraft first, and in doing so he struck the empennage, breaking his legs – and in the process, freeing the rudder.

The accident investigation concluded that the Airacuda suffered from "inherent defects...[causing] constant maintenance difficulties" and recommended the grounding of the remaining YFM-1s.

[12] Near the end of the type's operational life, the aircraft were flown primarily for photo opportunities and always accompanied by a chase plane for safety.

In early 1942, despite fears of enemy bomber attacks against which the Airacuda was intended, the aircraft were stricken from inventory.

An updated version called the YFM-1A eliminated the side blisters and added externally mounted radiators and turbo-superchargers.