Seversky SEV-2XP Fighter Prototype

Derived from the Sikorsky SEV-3, the SEV-2XP (2-seat experimental pursuit) was a two-seat fighter. It was powered by a 735 hp Wright R-1820 radial engine, had fixed landing gear in aerodynamic spats and was armed with one .50 in and one .30 in forward-firing machine guns plus an additional .30 in gun for rear defence.

The SEV-2XP was entered in a competition for a new single-seat fighter for the United States Army Air Corps in 1935. It was damaged in transit and returned Seversky’s Farmingdale factory for repairs. In the meantime, Seversky learned that his competition from Northrop and Curtiss had entered single seat aircraft with retractable undercarriage. Accordingly, the SEV-2XP was rebuilt in this configuration and given the company designation SEV-1XP (single seat experimental pursuit).