August 12, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Re: Thoughts on Seversky’s book Victory Through Air Power
de Seversky Alexander P. Victory Through Air Power. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1942
Early in my essay I discuss some of the newer American aircraft
mentioned and shown in photographs in Seversky’s book. I am not sure
whether or not the photograph of the P-47B facing page 242 is the first XP-47B prototype
or the engineering prototype of Dec. 1941 or the production prototype of March 1942, and if
one of the latter, whether or not those were also designated as “XP-47B” or as “P-47B.”
For now, I am playing it safe and calling it the P-47B as the book does,
even though I correctly name the XB-19 (the book calls it B-19) and
also name the XF4U-1 Corsair prototype (called “Vought Sikorsky air-
cooled Navy fighter” in Seversky’s book) and the XSB2C-1 Helldiver
prototype (called “Curtiss dive-bomber” in Seversky’s book). I want my
essay to be as accurate as possible, so if anyone can look at the
photographs in the book and identify whether or not it is the XP-47B I’d
be much obliged. If it helps any, the book was apparently released to the
public in April or May of 1942, and discusses world events up to March 1942.
I haven’t seen this exact photograph anywhere online although I have seen
some of the photographs of other aircraft in the book. The P-47B photograph is
on the page of photographs after page 242.
Thanks, TBG