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This aircraft was the last biplane fighter design to be produced by this company and was perhaps one of the best-looking fighter biplanes ever produced by any manufacturer.
The aircraft it was replacing had been held back at the factory for tests. This new aircraft was completed with an entirely new monocoque aluminum fuselage, new tail surfaces, a new nose, new landing gear, and a turbosupercharged and geared engine. A three-bladed propeller was fitted. The nose was much sharper and more pointed than that of the predecessor, giving a much more aerodynamically-clean appearance. The cooling radiator was mounted on the underside of the fuselage between the landing gear legs, just as it was on the predecessor. The wings had the same design, but were of all-metal construction rather than wood. However, the wings still had a fabric covering.
Although this aircraft was the fastest biplane fighter yet produced and had an improved altitude performance, the USAAC recognized that the era of the biplane fighter had finally come to an end.
