Seversky P-35
Republic Aviation Corporation · United States · first flew 1935 · fighter
The Seversky P-35 was the first American single-seat fighter to feature both a fully retractable undercarriage and an enclosed cockpit, entering USAAC service in 1938 and representing a major step forward in US fighter design.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.18 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- First US Air Corps fighter with retractable undercarriage and enclosed cockpit
- Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial in a smooth NACA cowling
- Elliptical rudder and tapered semi-elliptical wing — elegant inter-war lines
A sleek low-wing monoplane with a large-diameter radial engine in a long-chord cowl, a gently elliptical rudder, inward-retracting main wheels with partially exposed hubs, and a harmonious tapered wing.
Specifications
- The Seversky P-35 has a length of 8.18 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.97 m (36 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 467 km/h (290 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Alexander de Seversky and his team (including Alexander Kartveli), the P-35 won a 1935 USAAC competition and entered service in modest numbers. It was exported to Sweden as the EP-1 and to the Philippines, where examples were caught by the Japanese attack in December 1941. It formed the direct lineage leading to the P-43 Lancer and ultimately the P-47 Thunderbolt.
Variants
The EP-1 was the Swedish export version; the P-35A was an export model sent to the Philippines. The XP-41 was a further development with a turbosupercharger.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the USAAC and the Swedish Air Force; Philippine-based examples flew against Japanese forces in December 1941 with heavy losses.
Related aircraft
- Republic XP-41
- Republic RC-3 Seabee
- Republic XP-72
- Republic XF-12 Rainbow
- Arado Ar 80
- Blohm & Voss Ha 137
- Breda Ba.65
- Curtiss P-36 Hawk
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.