72122 SEVERSKY A8V1 DICK

The Seversky A8V is an American fighter plane with a classic retractable landing gear, which was flown in 1935. The overall length of the machine, in the A8V1 version, was 8.2 m with a wingspan of 10.97 meters. The drive was provided by a single Wright R-1820 engine with a capacity of 1000 HP. The maximum speed did not exceed 510 km / h, and the weight of the empty plane was approx. 2080 kg. The Seversky A8V was in fact a far-reaching, but still evolutionary development of the Seversky SEV-3 aircraft. Both aircraft differed in the power unit used, length and wingspan, as well as performance, but they shared many design solutions with each other. From the beginning, the Seversky A8V was designed as a long range fighter, primarily intended to perform the tasks of escorting its own bombers. Actually, the only recipient of it was the Japanese Empire's air force, which acquired 20 machines of this type and operated them during the fighting over China at the beginning of the Japanese-Chinese war (1937-1945), but as reconnaissance machines. As an aside, it can be noted that the export of this aircraft to Japan caused considerable controversy and tensions in the USA.