Exactly, directly inspired by the P-35/AP-1 but not a Seversky design. Might a bit of bio for
ing Roberto Longhi be useful?
Roberti Longhi had a strong connection with the United States. After receiving a mechanical engineering degree from the Politecnico di Milano, Longhi moved to the US. There he trained as an aeronautical engineer, working for Bellanca Aircraft, Curtiss-Wright (on engine installations), and Uppercu-Burnelli Airplane Co. In 1929, Longhi was at the Fernic Aircraft Corporation on Staten Island, NY, where he was involved at some level in the development of the canarded Fernic FT-9 (although design credit is usually assigned to George Fernic and his fellow Romanian, Paul Dronin).
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https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/george-fernic-airplanes.28144/
Around 1930, Longhi bought the Pacer Aircraft Corporation, of Perth Amboy, NJ. This firm had developed the Pacer
Monoplane (or
Special) parasol monoplane in 1928-29. In 1931, Longhi presented a fighter aircraft (presumably based upon the 4-seat
Special airframe) to the US Army Air Corps. No order resulted and Longhi returned to Uppercu-Burnelli, remaining with that company until the end of 1935. He then left for a visit to Italy for health reasons.
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https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/pacer-monoplane.29603/
Having returned to the US, in July 1937, Longhi recommended (by letter) that Caproni license either the Curtiss
Hawk 75A or the Seversky AP-1. There are somewhat doubtful rumours that such negotiations actually took place with Sikorsky. But the future co-designers of the Re-2000, Longhi and
ing Antonio Alessio
did visit the Seversky Aircraft Company at Farmingdale.
Alessio - the
vicedirettore generale of Reggiane - had arrived in New York in November 1937. He was followed by
vicecapo of Caproni's Technical Office,
ing Fidia Piattelli (Caproni being Reggiane's parent company). Attracted by Longhi's US training and aviation industry experience, Alessio made him a job offer hoping to lure him back to Italy. Longhi retured to Italy in February 1938 ... which makes the 02 April 1938 date on
archipeppe's 3-view drawings all the more impressive.
Going back to inspiration, my sense is that Longhi's 1937 licensing recommendations played a part. Look at one way, the Re-2000 design is a
mélange of the two mentioned US fighter designs - effectively a Seversky (without the AP-1's flat wing centre-section) fitted with the Boeing-patented main undercarriage from the
Hawk 75A.