    The Vanguard was designed to use common tooling and assemblies from other Vultee products then on the drawing board. The version that evolved into a fighter design was called the Model 48. It was flown in September 1939, but proved to require a redesign of the cowling, and the new version (known as the Model 48X) was first flown in February 1940. This version also incorporated a number of other enhancements, resulting in an order for 166 by Sweden in 1940. 

Before any production aircraft could be delivered to their Swedish customer, the US government placed an embargo on the export of military aircraft to Sweden, fearing that they might fall into Axis hands. Although the British had earlier rejected the Vultee fighter for their own use, they agreed to take over 100 of these aircraft under Lend-Lease as Vanguard Is. RAF serials BW208 through BW307 were assigned to these aircraft. The Vanguard I was considered as being unsuitable for combat use by the RAF, but it was considered appropriate for advanced training use by units based in Canada.

In early 1941, Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalist Chinese forces were being hard-pressed by Japanese air attacks, and were in desperate need of more combat aircraft. So dire was their need that they were willing to accept just about anything that had wings. On May 19, 1941, the British government agreed to release its Vanguards for supply to Chiang Kai-Shek's Nationalist Chinese forces. The 144 Vanguards were given the USAAC designation P-66 and were assigned the serial numbers 42-6832 thru 42-6975.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there was complete panic on the west coast of the USA. The Japanese fleet was expected to show up off Santa Barbara at any moment. In anticipation of a Japanese attack, some forty to fifty P-66s originally intended for China were hastily impressed into USAAC service and issued to the 14th Pursuit Group for use in the emergency defense of southern California. The pilots of the 14th Pursuit Group actually liked their P-66s, and they described the P-66 as being a very good aerobatic aircraft. Test pilot Gil Clark thought that it was the best aircraft he had ever flown, being much better than the Curtiss P-36. However, the cockpit layout was rather poor, and the aircraft was not sufficiently robust for a fighter. In addition the P-66 had an disconcerting tendency to ground-loop, some 15 examples being lost to this sort of accident.

Eventually, the US west coast was regarded as being sufficiently secure that the Vanguards were eventually released from USAAC service and allowed to be transferred to China. The first shipment of P-66s left for China in February of 1942, the last aircraft being delivered by August. They went first to Karachi (at that time in India) where they were assembled, tested, and ferried to China.

The combat record of the Vanguard in China is rather undistinguished. The actual number of Vanguards which actually reached China is uncertain. Several were lost during tests in India and others were lost while enroute to China. Others remained unairworthy at Karachi. About twelve Vanguards were on station at Kunming with the 7th Fighter Squadron of the 23rd Fighter Group, but they saw little use. Two Chinese squadrons based at An-Su saw combat action with the Vanguard from August 1943 onward. Many Vanguards were destroyed on the ground during Japanese attacks. The Vanguard had an unfortunate resemblance to the Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 *Oscar* and Nakajima Ki-44 *Tojo*, and several Vanguards were shot down by Chinese forces by mistake.



Vultee P-66 Vanguard

Type:           single-seat fighter
Crew:           1
Armament:       four 0.30 cal machine guns
                two 0.50 cal machine guns

Specifications:
        Length:         28' 5" (8.66 m)
        Height:         9' 5" (2.87 m)
        Wingspan:       36' 0" (10.97 m)
        Wing area:      197 sq. ft (18.30 sq. m)
        Empty Weight:   5235 lb (2375 kg)
        Max Weight:     7384 lb (3349 kg) max at takeoff

Propulsion:
        No. of Engines: 1
        Powerplant:     Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 Twin Wasp radial
        Horsepower:     1200 hp

Performance:
        Range:          950 miles (1529 km)
        Cruise Speed:   290 mph ( 467 km/h) at 17,000 ft
        Max Speed:      340 mph ( 547 km/h) at 15,100 ft
        Ceiling:        28,200 ft (8595 m)



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Thanks to Steve Day HR F4u 3dz model and Flying Tiger for the F4u skin.
