Vultee P-66 Vanguard

Vultee Aircraft · United States · first flew 1939 · fighter

The Vultee P-66 Vanguard was an American single-seat radial-engine fighter designed primarily for export, combining good performance with a sturdy, conventional construction. It was ordered by Sweden and diverted to China following the US embargo on arms to non-belligerents after Pearl Harbor.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Smooth streamlined fuselage with inline-style cowling over radial
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

American export fighter with P-36-like radial engine nose
Supplied to China and Sweden
Smooth streamlined fuselage with inline-style cowling over radial

A clean mid-wing monoplane with retractable undercarriage, a large-diameter radial engine with a smooth circular cowling, and the streamlined proportions typical of late-1930s American fighter design; resembles the Curtiss P-36 Hawk in general layout.

Specifications

The Vultee P-66 Vanguard has a length of 8.66 m (28 ft).
It has a wingspan of 10.92 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 547 km/h (340 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1939, the P-66 was ordered by Sweden but most aircraft were requisitioned by the US government after Pearl Harbor and transferred to China under Lend-Lease. Chinese Nationalist forces used them with mixed results against Japanese fighters.

Variants

No significant variants; minor equipment differences between Swedish-contracted and Chinese-delivered batches.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the Chinese Nationalist Air Force during WWII; the small number of Swedish examples never reached their intended customer.

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