Republic P-43 Lancer

Republic P-43 Lancer

The Republic P-43 Lancer was an important transitional fighter for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) during the run-up to World War II, bridging the gap between the aircraft designs of the 1930s and the more advanced fighters that would dominate the skies during the war. Born from the work of the Seversky Aircraft Corporation, the P-43 evolved from the earlier XP-41 and AP-4 designs under the new leadership of Republic Aviation Corporation after Alexander Seversky’s departure in 1939.

Seversky to Republic Aviation:

In September 1939, Alexander Seversky was ousted from his own company, leading to the reorganization of Seversky Aircraft Corporation into Republic Aviation Corporation. Despite the shift in leadership, many of Seversky’s design ideas remained in the new company’s fighter development.

Design and development

The Seversky Aircraft Company, which in 1939 was renamed Republic, created a series of fighters based on the P-35 with its own resources, combining different engines and various modifications. These were: AP-2, AP-7, AP-4, AP-9, XP-41 as well as the naval fighter NF-1 (Naval Fighter 1). The most important of these was the AP-4, which formed the basis for the company’s future fighters. Its most important feature was the use of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-SC2G engine together with a supercharger, thanks to the combination of which it reached 1200 hp. The supercharger was optimized by Boeing, which used it in its new strategic bomber, the famous B-17 Flying Fortress. The supercharger had attracted the interest of many other aircraft companies.

Influence of the XP-41 and AP-4:

The XP-41 and AP-4 were earlier prototypes that laid the groundwork for later Republic designs. The AP-4, in particular, was equipped with a turbocharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engine. Closed cowlings and retractable air chambers were experimented with for streamlining, but this design failed due to excessive engine heat, leading to the adoption of a more standard cowling.

These early designs provided valuable experience with turbofan superchargers, which became critical in later fighters.
Development of the YP-43 Lancer:

A contract was signed with the USAAC in May 1939 to develop a modified version of the XP-41 and AP-4, resulting in the YP-43 Lancer.
The YP-43 retained many features from the AP-4 and XP-41, including the 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 turbofan engine. The wing was redesigned with a graceful elliptical shape, similar to that later used on the P-47 Thunderbolt. The armament was slightly upgraded, with two .50 caliber machine guns in the cowling and two .30 caliber cannons in the wings, although this was still considered light compared to European and Japanese fighters of the time.

Production and testing:

Aircraft related to the development of the P-43
Seversky P-35
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

The first YP-43 (s/n 39-704) was delivered to the Army in September 1940, and the remaining 12 aircraft were delivered by April 1941. Extensive testing was conducted, including a humorous incident where General Mark Bradley attempted to solve ground loop issues by adding a locking tailwheel, only to have the aircraft lock up.
The ground loop problems were eventually alleviated by raising the tailwheel strut and adding a hinge, allowing the tailwheel to partially retract and reduce drag.
Limited success and obsolescence:

While the P-43 was an improvement over the earlier P-35, it quickly became obsolete due to the rapid advances in the air war in Europe. The P-47 Thunderbolt was already under development as the next major fighter for the Republic and the Army.
To keep the Republic production line running until the Thunderbolt was produced, an additional 54 P-43s and 80 P-43As were built, some using funds from the Lend-Lease program. These were primarily intended for China, where they saw action against the Japanese.

Operational use:

While the P-43 Lancer was generally considered unsuitable for front-line combat, it was used for advanced fighter training. Many were later converted for photo reconnaissance missions, with designations such as P-43B and P-43C, and equipped with various camera configurations.
A total of 108 Lancers were sent to China, where they saw combat against Japanese forces, although their performance was generally inferior to the agile Japanese aircraft.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received eight P-43A-1 Lancers for high-altitude reconnaissance, designated serial numbers A56-1 to A56-8. One aircraft was lost in a landing accident.
Despite its relative obscurity, the P-43 Lancer played a vital role in the USAAC’s transition from older aircraft designs to the more capable fighters that would dominate the war later. Unfortunately, none of the Lancers survived the post-war scrapping, leaving the type as an almost forgotten piece of aviation history.

Color camo:

• Dark Olive Drab No. 41: A constant problem for modellers is the fact that many paint manufacturers simply produce one shade of wartime USAAF colors despite the changes that took place after the adoption of the ANA system. As such, any paint labelled simply US Olive Drab leaves itself open to interpretation. For OD 41 there is also the question of whether the aircraft in question is relatively new in theater and hence frenshly painted, or has been considerably exposed. Frankly, I am uneasy about offering recommendations on what OD 41 paint is most accurate and will therefore refrain from doing so; my personal preference among the main paint ranges is Gunze H78 (labelled as the US Army shade) which is neither too brown nor too green. Tamiya XF-62 is also quite dark and green but should be preferred as OD 41 than ANA 613 if one has to choose. Confusingly, Humbrol offers two different but identically-labelled ODs, 66 and 155, with the former being slightly greener and thus prefereable for OD 41. AK Real Colors has a handful of different OD paints of which their OD 41 (RC259) is excellent in my opinion, with an additional Army faded version (RC024) being a good option for contrasting areas like fabric surfaces.
• Neutral Gray No. 43: NG 43 is widely available in most ranges. It’s closest match is FS 36173 (and to a lesser extent FS 36270) which is still slightly cooler than it should be. NG 43 does not have an ANA equivalent, with the color that superseded it (ANA 603) being considerably darker with a subtle blue tint.