Incorporated February 1931 by Russian-born Alexander P. Seversky (or De Seversky), First World War military pilot who became U.S. citizen 1927. A test pilot and consulting engineer, he established the Seversky Aero Corporation in 1922.
Developed novel amphibious landing gear, promoted by Seversky Aircraft Corporation for fast all metal fighter-type aircraft. Aircraft design owed much to Alexander Kartveli, who developed landplane fighters with retractable landing gear.
In 1935 Seversky established new speed record for amphibious aircraft, and land-fighter development culminated in order for 77 single-seaters for USAAC, designated P-35.
In 1939-1940, following orders for amphibians from USSR and landplanes from Japan, Sweden contracted for 120 export versions of P-35. Several fighter, multipurpose and trainer variants developed, and BT-8 (first purpose-built machine of its class) adopted in U.S.A.. Seversky Executive (2 passengers in cabin behind pilot) won 1937 Bendix Trophy race. In 1939 company offered USAAC XP-41 single-seat fighter.
In October 1939 the company was reorganized as Republic Aviation Corporation. Since de Seversky had made somewhat of a pariah of himself in the USA by selling combat aircraft to Japan, the Army ordered no more P-35s from Seversky. By early 1939, his company had gotten itself into some deep financial trouble. In Apr 1939, while de Seversky was out of the country on a business trip, the board of directors of his company voted him out of office as CEO and changed the name of the company to Republic. The newly-formed company then recapitalized itself and Alexander Kartveli was appointed as vice president and technical director. Having been forced into involuntary early retirement, de Seversky spent the rest of his life writing and consulting, and Kartveli and the Republic company went on to design and produce the famed P-47 Thunderbolt.
Special supercharger evolution for late Seversky fighters led to the famous Republic P-47 Thunderbolt long-range escort fighter/bomber.
1965: Republic Div, Fairchild-Hiller Corp.
1972: Fairchild-Republic Co.
Seversky’s method of assigning c/ns was at best enigmatic and illogical, especially to outsiders—c/n 1 shows up two years after c/n 301, and 301 changed to c/n 35 for one modification, there were found two c/n 2s, and curious large gaps between numbers.
All Aero 