MDR14425 VULTEE P-66 VANGUARD

The Vultee P-66 Vanguard was an American WWII fighter. The drive was provided by a single Pratt and Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G engine 1,200 hp. The prototype flight took place in September 1939. Serial production was carried out in 1940-1942, in which about 150 aircraft of this type were built. The deck armament consisted of six machine guns: two 12.7 mm and four 7.62 mm. Originally, an airplane The P-66 Vanguard was developed by the aviation company Vultee on behalf of the Swedish government, which was looking for a new fighter plane for its air force. However, due to the embargo imposed by the US government in 1941 on the export of war material to Sweden, the machines did not reach the original recipient and were taken over by the USAAF. However, despite the high maximum speed, airplanes of this type were not very maneuverable and not very maneuverable. In the course of its operational service, they were used to train pilots, and above all, they served in the so-called Flying Tigers in China, fighting against the Japanese. From 1943, P-66 planes were intensively replaced in these units by Curtiss P-40 planes