Seversky developed the P-35 in 1935 to compete in a bid to win a competition announced by United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) for a new single seat fighter. After some delays he eventually won the competition receiving an order for 77 planes in 1936. However, not very satisfied with the P-35, the USAAC decided to place the next order in 1937 to Curtis. Instead Seversky modified the P-35 with a stronger engine into P-35A and went on a European tour in 1939 to try to sell it there. In Sweden he succeeded to receive an order for 15 planes on 29 June. A second order for a further 45 planes was placed on October 11 followed by an order for another 60 in January 1940.
The P-35A received the Swedish Air Force designation code J9, J being Jakt (Fighter). The first 60 planes was delivered in crates under increasingly difficult circumstances during the beginning of WWII. The planes were mounted at Centrala Flygverkstaden Malmslätt (CVM) (Central Aircraft Workshop Malmslätt). The next 60 planes were never delivered due to the U.S. weapons embargo. They were instead diverted to the US Army Air Corps and some 45 were sent to the Philippines to the Far East Air Force. When the Japanese attacked the P-35A was severely outclassed and suffered many causalities.
In Sweden the J9's replaced the J8's Gloster Gladiators at F 8 air base at Barkaby in Stockholm. In spite of heavy usage during WWII defending Swedens neutrality there were few accidents and by the end of the war there were still 51 planes in service. In 1945 more than 30 planes were re-based to F 11 air base in Nyköping where most of them were converted for reconnaissance service but keeping their J9 code. Some of the planes were later sent to F 20 in Uppsala and F 2 at Malmslätt. In 1946 they were taken out of active service and used for training and liaison duties. The last seven was decommissioned in September 1952.
There's only three surviving P-35's left in the world.
Seversky P-35A at plasticfantastique.com:
