Seversky
A one-legged Russian war ace built the US Army’s first modern monoplane fighter and Bendix-winning racers, sold fighters to Japan, and was thrown out of his own company, which became Republic.
Seversky: the company and the aircraft that made its name
A Russian ace on Long Island
Alexander de Seversky had flown for Russia in the First World War and lost a leg. In 1931, in the United States, he founded Seversky Aircraft, staffed largely by Russian and Georgian emigrés. Its chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, would later design the P-47 Thunderbolt. The first aircraft, the SEV-3 amphibian, flew in June 1933 and became the BT-8 trainer; 30 were ordered, and it proved badly underpowered.
The P-35 and the racers
In 1936 Seversky won the Air Corps fighter competition with the SEV-1XP, and 77 P-35s were ordered. It was the first single-seat USAAC fighter with all-metal construction, retractable gear and an enclosed cockpit, though only 76 were delivered. Racing versions won the Bendix Trophy in 1937 and 1939, and Jacqueline Cochran won it in 1938 in an AP-7, setting a women’s speed record. Seversky also sold 20 two-seat 2PA fighters to the Japanese Navy, which used them in China.
Ousted, and Republic
Sales to Japan made the Air Corps unhappy, delivery was slow, and by April 1939 the company had lost $550,000. The board forced Seversky out and in September 1939 renamed the firm Republic Aviation. Sweden’s EP-106 fighters were seized under the 1940 embargo and sent to the Philippines as P-35As, where they were outclassed in December 1941. Kartveli’s next design, built by Republic, was the Thunderbolt.
Seversky in numbers
The company
- In short
- Founded 1931
- Founded by Alexander de Seversky
- Russian and Georgian design team incl. Alexander Kartveli
- Loss of $550,000 by April 1939
- Renamed Republic Aviation, September 1939
Production
- Best known for
- P-35
- SEV-3 amphibian and BT-8 trainer
- P-35 fighter: 76 for the USAAC
- 2PA two-seat fighter: 20 to Japan
- EP-106 for Sweden, taken over as P-35A
- Bendix-winning racers
Today
- Now
- Merged into Republic
- Republic built the P-47, F-84 and F-105
- Republic later merged into Fairchild
The numbers
- P-35 delivered
- 761937–1938
- P-35 order value
- $1,636,250 for 77 aircraft plus spares1936
- Company losses
- $550,000to April 1939
Every notable Seversky aircraft
| Aircraft | Role | First flight | Built | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seversky SEV-3 | Three-seat amphibian | 1933 | Retired | First Seversky design, by Kartveli | |
| Seversky BT-8 | Basic trainer | 30 | Retired | Underpowered; replaced by the North American BT-9 | |
| Seversky P-35 | Fighter | 76 | Retired | First modern monoplane fighter of the USAAC | |
| Seversky 2PA / A8V | Two-seat fighter | 74 ordered | Retired | 20 to the Japanese Navy, 2 to the USSR, 52 ordered by Sweden; Swedish batch mostly taken over as AT-12 Guardsman | |
| Seversky EP-106 / P-35A | Fighter for Sweden | 120 ordered | Retired | 60 seized for the USAAC and sent to the Philippines | |
| Seversky AP-4 / P-43 Lancer | Fighter | 272 | Retired | Ordered from Seversky, built after it became Republic; 108 went to China |
Seversky aircraft in the world’s air forces
2 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Seversky types. 0 of them still have one in service.
| Air force | In service | Formerly flown |
|---|---|---|
| Colombian Aerospace Force | Seversky P-35 (2PA Guardsman) | |
| Swedish Air Force | Seversky EP-106 (J 9) |
Where Seversky built, who led it, what it achieved
Factories
- Farmingdale · Farmingdale, Long Island, New York — Later Republic’s main plant
People
- Alexander de Seversky · founder — Russian WWI pilot who lost a leg; forced out in 1939
- Alexander Kartveli · chief designer — Later designed the P-47
- Jacqueline Cochran · racing pilot — Won the 1938 Bendix in a Seversky AP-7
Records and firsts
- Bendix Trophy won by Seversky aircraft in 1937, 1938 and 1939
- Women’s air speed record, Jacqueline Cochran in the AP-7, 1938
Seversky, year by year
Seversky Aircraft founded
SEV-3 amphibian first flight
30 BT-8 trainers ordered
Order for 77 P-35 fighters
First P-35 delivered
Cochran wins the Bendix in an AP-7
Seversky forced out after $550,000 losses
Sweden orders first EP-106 fighters
Company renamed Republic Aviation
EP-106s taken over by the USAAC as P-35A
Before and after Seversky
Everything people ask about Seversky
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Around Seversky
Every fact, checked
Verified 2026-10-03.