Seversky P-35 – Φώτο &; Βίντεο

Teh Σεβέσκι Π-35 was an American fighter aircraft built by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in United States Army Air Corps to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear, and an enclosed cockpit.

The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft developed by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps. It was the first single-seat fighter in the US to feature all-metal construction, retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. The P-35 was a contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, but it did not achieve the same level of success or popularity.
The P-35 originated from the Seversky SEV-3, a three-seat amphibian that was designed by Alexander Kartveli, the chief designer of Seversky. The SEV-3 was modified into a two-seat fighter, the SEV-2XP, which competed in a USAAC competition for a new fighter in 1935. However, the SEV-2XP was damaged during its delivery and had to be rebuilt as a single-seat fighter with retractable landing gear, the SEV-1XP. The SEV-1XP was later re-engined with a Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine and redesignated as the SEV-7.
The SEV-7 won the USAAC competition and was ordered as the P-35 in 1936. However, the P-35 suffered from several problems, such as low engine power, poor maneuverability and outdated armament. The P-35 was soon surpassed by newer fighters, such as the Curtiss P-40 and the Lockheed P-38. The P-35 saw limited combat service in World War II, mainly with the Philippine Army Air Corps and the Swedish Air Force. The P-35 was also the basis for the Seversky A8V, a fighter-bomber for Japan, and the Republic P-43 Lancer, a development that led to the famous Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.