Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Boeing P-26 Peashooter

History of the Boeing P-26 Peashooter

The classic American Boeing P-26 "Pea Shooter" appeared between the two wars and was a product of that time. The design of America's first all-metal fighter still incorporates some of the more traditional elements of bygone eras of flight, such as an open-air cockpit and fixed painted rear tow landing gear.

With the transition to more modern systems during World War II (1939-1945), the P-26 was the last American quantitative fighter with these retro elements.

The P-26 started out as a private Boeing 248 with the Model 248. This example was designed around the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 air-cooled radial piston engine, which caught the attention of the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), who were already interested in the type in September 1931.

In just nine weeks, a fully airworthy prototype (XP-936) was completed and made its first flight on March 20, 1932. Three prototypes were eventually created for the program - all for the PWR-1340-21 "Wasp" radial.

The first model was the P-26A, which had higher headrests to protect the pilot in a rollover accident (one pilot was killed in such an accident, prompting a redesign of the structure). 111 were produced as standard with a 600 hp PW-1340-27 engine. Only two were completed in P-26B form, with R-1340-33 fuel-injected radial engines producing 600 horsepower.

The P-26C was followed by 23 prototypes, all equipped with a carbureted R-1340-33 radial engine and a new and improved fuel system. It was exported by Boeing as a Type 281 with 11 prototypes shipped to China and 1 prototype shipped to Spain.

Outside the US, China and Spain, the Peashooter has been used by the Guatemalan Air Force and the Philippine Army Air Force.

In practice, light fighter jets are a favorite among pilots for key qualities such as responsiveness and handling. However, the landing speed is high (about 73 mph) and requires a steady, experienced hand to control the controls, especially when trying to land on uneven runways - split flaps were added to address this question. Still, the P-26 was USAAC's fastest fighter until 1938

The P-26 was an outdated relic by the time Americans officially entered World War II, when modern all-metal fighter jets with enclosed cockpits and retractable landing gear began to appear in abundance. Still, it was especially used by the Chinese against the invading Japanese, and the P-26 did quite well as an interceptor. During the Philippine campaign, the Americans and Filipinos also commissioned P-26 fighter jets as defenders of key areas of the Panama Canal. During the war, Guatemala maintained its P-26 inventory. Over time, the value of the P-26 decreased and was replaced/eclipsed by more advanced mounts.

It continued to provide second-class air service worldwide and flew its last combat-oriented mission (in partnership with Guatemala) in 1954.

A total of 151 such examples were produced. Both the P-29 and the XF7B-1 were offshoots of Boeing's P-26, and engineers tried to develop the product further -- although neither of these planes was successful.