republicaviation

Finished just weeks before the company reshuffled its leadership and became Republic Aviation, this was the last Seversky P-35 produced (s/n 36-430), modified with a fully retractable landing gear, lowered & streamlined canopy, and a lengthened fuselage to incorporate an uprated P&W R-1830 with its two-speed supercharger installation in the aft fuselage. Probably scrapped around April 1942 after testing at Wright Field & NACA (Langley) and unsuccessfully competing for a production contract with the XP-38, 39 & 40. However, the USAAC did continue development of its stablemate, the Republic XP-43, which went on to be developed into the famous P-47 Thunderbolt.

From a book review of "The Flying Greek": "Col Pisanos recounts his combat record, from fighter sweeps and bomber escort missions to dogfighting, flying the Spitfire, the P-47, and the P-51. While flying a P-47 named Miss Plainfield, he scored his first aerial victory on May 21, 1943. By January 1, 1944, he had become an ace. After his tenth confirmed kill, he crash-landed his P-51 in France and spent six months with the French Resistance, successfully evading capture. Because of his exposure to the French operations, the Air Force could not risk his capture again, so he returned to the U.S. and became a test pilot at Wright Field where he also attended the Air Forceʼs test pilot school. Retired in December 1973."

Republic Seabee!