The aircraft designated as the A8V-1 by the Imperial Japanese Navy was an export version of the Seversky 2PA-B3, a derivative of the Seversky P-35. While often associated with the Republic Aviation Corporation due to corporate succession, the aircraft was designed and manufactured by the Seversky Aircraft Company. The P-35 family, from which the A8V-1 originated, first took flight on August 15, 1935. The A8V-1 specifically served as a two-seat fighter and fighter-bomber variant, diverging from the single-seat P-35 baseline.
Production of the A8V-1 took place at the Seversky Aircraft Company facility in Farmingdale, Long Island, New York. A total of 20 2PA-B3 aircraft were supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy under the A8V-1 designation. These aircraft were part of a larger production run of the P-35 family, which included the P-35, 2PA, A8V1, and AT-12 variants, totaling 196 aircraft produced.
Designed under the leadership of Alexander de Seversky, the aircraft incorporated several advanced features for the mid-1930s. It was an all-metal monoplane featuring an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear, characteristics that placed it ahead of many contemporary biplane fighters. Power was provided by a single nose-mounted radial piston engine. While the baseline P-35 reached a maximum speed of 467 km/h (290 mph), the A8V-1 was configured for two crew members.
The corporate history of the manufacturer is marked by a significant transition in 1939. Due to mounting financial losses, the board of directors ousted Alexander de Seversky and reorganized the company as the Republic Aviation Corporation, with W. Wallace Kellett serving as the new president. Republic Aviation continued to operate out of Farmingdale and later produced famous aircraft such as the P-47 Thunderbolt and F-105 Thunderchief before being acquired by Fairchild Aircraft in 1965. The A8V-1 remains a rare example of a pre-World War II American fighter operated by the Japanese military.