The Republic P-43 Lancer was developed by Republic Aviation Company as an American single-engine low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft. In 1940, it was initially delivered to the United States Army Air Corps. It was introduced in 1941 and was used by the United States Army Air Corps, as well as the United States Army Air Forces, Chinese Nationalist Air Force, and Royal Australian Air Force. The aircraft was produced from 1940 to 1941 with a total number of 272 Lancers built.
In March 1940, the P-43 prototype took to the air for the first time. It was designated as YP-43 powered by a fourteen-cylinder R-1830-35 engine. Aircraft deliveries started from September 1940 to April 1941. Initial testing showed that the aircraft was greatly prone to yawing while performing takeoff and landing rolls that led to the modification of the tailwheel. From May 16 to August 28, 1941, production versions with the designation P-43 Lancer were delivered.
The P-43A version is a single crew fighter with an external length of 8.7 meters, an external height of 3.6 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.3 meters. It has a tail height of 4.3 meters and a wheelbase of 5.6 meters. The wingspan is 11 meters and the wing area is 20.7 square meters. It has an empty weight of 2,713 kg, a gross weight of 3,365 kg, and a maximum takeoff weight of 3,837 kg. The maximum payload is 300 kg and the fuel tank capacity is 218 US gal.
The aircraft is powered by a single Pratt and Whitney R-1830-49 engine. It is a fourteen-cylinder two-row supercharged air-cooled radial engine with two overhead valves per cylinder, a single-speed General Electric centrifugal-type supercharger, a two-barrel Stromberg carburetor fuel system, an air-cooling system, and an epicyclic reduction gear. The engine produces a maximum takeoff thrust of 1,200 hp.
The Lancer has a maximum speed of 309 knots and a travel range of 560 nautical miles. It can fly up to 35,990 feet and can climb at a rate of 2,500 feet per minute. The P-43A version could be loaded with four 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns located in the wings. It is also armed with a centerline hardpoint for a drop tank or up to a maximum of 91 kg of bombs.
