Seversky Reborn - Seversky Aviation Corporation and the EF200 Series Fighters
While Alexander Seversky was on a European sales tour in the winter of 1938–39, the Board of Seversky Aircraft Corporation removed Seversky as President. The company would later be reorganized as the Republic Aviation Corporation. Out of options, Seversky struck out on his own.
Unbeknownst to his former Board, while in Europe, Seversky had managed to secure a lucrative contract from the French Armée de l'Air for a development of the Seversky AP-9 fighter. On the basis of that order, a new Seversky Aviation Corporation was formed in March 1939. SAC's base of operations was Miller Field, a former Army Airfield at New Dorp Beach, New York (Seversky shared the field with the NY National Guard's 102nd Observation Squadron until October 1940 when the 'activated' 102nd relocated to Alabama).
Seversky's chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, had elected to stay with Republic. But Seversky was able to lure two visiting Italian engineers to his new firm who would be responsible for the design of what would become the EF200 (Export Fighter, 200 series). Engineers Bob Longhi and Tony Alessio retained the overall layout of the AP-9 but adopted a rearward-retracting Curtiss-style undercarriage. This left more space in the centre section for fuel tanks and, in future, a central bomb rack.
As stipulated by the French contract, the new fighter was to be powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine. To conserve stocks of French-made engines, production aircraft were to be fitted with Rumanian-made IAR 14K engines. To that end, the French would import IAR 14Ks through Marseilles and 'empty' EP200 airframes through St. Nazaire. At a Base de stockage, the airframe and engine would be united while French equipment and armament was also installed.
One Gnome-Rhône 14N was provided for the prototype EF200 which flew for the first time on 15 August 1939. The first hop was a publicity stunt with Seversky's wife, Evelyn Olliphant, at the controls. The aircraft was more thoroughly wrung out by Seversky test pilots later in the day. A few detail changes to the prototype were required by inspectors of the French Air Mission to the United States but production EF200s were already rolling down Seversky's new production lines at Miller Field.