Seversky's fighter aircraft

The man had an interesting life and a bright engineer. Pilot wwi shot down lost his leg but flies again to arguably become Russia's third leading ace. Comes to America becomes s air consultant for the military. Starts his own company and designed the P35. The P35 was not built in large numbers as the army had chosen the P40 as their main fighter. Swedens orders of 15/45/60 were his largest. But with war looming the army impressed the last order before it could be shipped. 45 of the planes sent to the Philippines. The commander of the air forces wanted to disperse the planes sending some to auxiliary fields and hiding planes in the jungle at the edge of the fields, but McGarther refused. The Japanese caught most of planes out in the open and destroyed most of the planes on the ground. Some P35s got into the air and shot down some planes including zeros. The planes returned rearmed refueled and took off to attack the invasion fleet. 16 planes took off but eight turned back having engine problems one lost when the engine failed completely. The eight planes attack the enemy fleet and the squadron commander was lost when his plane came apart in the explosion of a ship. The planes returned to base the Japanese attacked again now eight planes left they fought on the order to bstaan air field as they came in to land Bataan AA shot down six of the planes thinking they were Japanese. The last two fought on even flying to a near by island and rescued two men. Strange the plane was made with a hatch for people to squeeze into the fuselage and some even had a window for the passengers to look out. The last two P35 along with two other fighters were ordered out. The P35s had claimed 60 enemy planes having lost a few in actual combat all others destroyed on ground or friendly fire. Seversky loses his company to his investors and the new Rebublic aircraft company makes the P43 a improved XP41. The plane was the biggest but the fastest. Each new design got bigger but the wing design stayed the same some narrower and longer but most the same the 41 and 43 the wings were the same. It was great that Republic when to the full folding landing gear and self seal fuel tanks abandoning the wet wing as it had too many maintenance issues. The 43 was already looking like the famous plane it would become, the P47 the largest and heaviest of all the family but the fastest and most powerful of fighter aircraft the usaf had. I think I read Seversky goes back to Europe and ends up designing planes for a company that of course is based on his P35 later a couple of other countries make copies of his plane. The Swedish kept his plan in frontline service till 1947. Too bad if he had kept his company what other planes could he have done. Although all his planes and Republics were all based on his original P35.

 

Well, if you did not hve the cummuinst party papers they never let your fanilu know what happened to you. So mny men joined the party for that reason. Other wise greae are known amd brave man. Whrve some examples who lost a leg or two and returned to action . Douglas Bader, Hans Ulrich Rudel.