The Republic XP-41 was an almost forgotten link in the P-47 Thunderbolt chain.
Even less well remembered is another prototype developed in parallel with the XP-41, the XP-41D.
The Seversky P-35 was the U.S. Army Air Corps' first all-metal, monoplane pursuit with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. Even if performance was disappointing, it was the first modern aircraft to enter American service prior to W.W. II.
In early 1939, Seversky became Republic Aviation and the firm was approached to develop an even more advanced fighter under the designation XP-41. Republic, hungry for a government contract, came out of a brain-storming session with a few competing concepts.
The company decided not to take chances and assigned engineering teams to the most promising of these and while the B & C teams were floundering, the first team working on the original XP-41 design charged towards the finish line. Almost un-noticed, the D team kept plugging along and was catching up fast.
While the original XP-41 concept that started it all would fly first, the XP-41D wasn't far behind and it was better. The Air Corps' placed an order, but Congress only authorized funding for the initial XP-41. Records were fudged and the money was actually spent on XP-41Ds which Republic christened the Dragoon.
Despite being intended as a high-altitude interceptor, poor time-to-altitude performance led to disgruntled crews calling the hapless prototype the "Draggin'" which soon became "Draggin' A**". However, the Air Corps had committed to a service-test batch of four aircraft which were duly delivered as the Summer of 1939 came to a close.
After the XP-41Ds were run-up at Wright Field, they were flown to Dwight Field in rural Western Pennsylvania. The severe weather this area is known for was seen as a good test for the new planes.
The lead XP-41D's engine seized on take-off and another one crashed en-route. Of the two that survived the flight, one was used as a hangar-queen to keep the other one flying. This lone XP-41D Dragoon provided the sole air defense of nearby Clinton.
Heavily armed for the day with four 15 m.m. cannon in the wings and two .60 caliber machine guns in the nose, the Dragoon certainly looked the part. By October, it was undertaking regular patrols.
The timing was very lucky because before the month was out, a mistaken repeat of a famous radio drama would entirely up-end the country.
Even though public panic was fairly wide-spread across the nation, the U.S. Army Air Corps proved up to the task and chased many reports of unknown, potentially hostile aircraft.
The fact that no Martians attacked Clinton during their invasion is testimony to the potency of this pursuit aircraft.
Sadly, no more XP-41D Dragoons would ever be built as it was soon over-taken by technological advances. This remarkable aircraft's career was brief and ended in utter ignominy, much like Orson Welles. Mr. War-of-the-Worlds-2X was virtually unemployable for years after the 1939 broadcast debacle and was forced to take on projects of decreasing stature as his star waned.
Still, like the infamous auteur, for one shining moment the modern, all-metal Republic XP-41D Dragoon showed potential even if the so-called "experts" insist it all must come from the mind of someone who is quite un-Welles.
Brian da Basher