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| The P-26 Peashooter was Boeing's first and last production monoplane fighter. Some 111 P-26A, 2 P-26B and 23 P-26C were built for the USAAC. The type had monoplane wings, the outer panels of which were externally braced with front and rear wires. The centre-section spars were constructed of steel with ribs and skin covering of aluminium alloy. Split-type trailing-edge flaps were later added to P-26A and were manually operated from the open cockpit. The semi-monocoque fuselage was also of aluminium alloy construction. A fixed, heavily trousered landing gear was fitted and power was provided by a 447kW Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 or -33 radial engine. Armament comprised two forward-firing machine-guns of 7.62mm and/or 12.7mm calibre and two 55kg or five 15kg bombs could be carried.
Although never used in action by the USAAC, ex-Army P-26 acquired by the Philippine Air Force fought the Japanese during World War II and the 11 Model 281 export fighters for China must also have seen action against Japanese forces. In addition Panama and Guatamala received ex-USAAC P-26 and Spain received an export model.
 | A three-view drawing (1693 x 1337) |
| CREW | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 x P+W R-1340-27, 440kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 1340 kg | 2954 lb |
| Empty weight | 996 kg | 2196 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 8.5 m | 28 ft 11 in |
| Length | 7.3 m | 24 ft 11 in |
| Height | 3.2 m | 11 ft 6 in |
| Wing area | 13.9 m2 | 149.62 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 377 km/h | 234 mph |
| Cruise speed | 322 km/h | 200 mph |
| Ceiling | 8350 m | 27400 ft |
| Range | 1000 km | 621 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 2 machine-guns, 2 x 45kg or 5 x 14kg bombs |
| Bob Alexander, e-mail, 16.01.2016 22:29 A "Pea Shooter" was recently added to the Seattle Museum of Flights Great Gallery. reply | | David DeMeyer, LTJG, USN, e-mail, 10.02.2015 22:33 Fabulous web-site! reply | | robert gerlaugh, e-mail, 07.12.2014 04:31 Believe the head rest was reinforcd and heightend to protect pilots. This plus flaps made landings much safer reply | | Marty Wise, e-mail, 17.07.2011 16:54 Reason for the Peashooter tag ?
Due to 7.62mm / 12.7mm armament
A great fighter, now have !:48 scale model of the Bolling
D.C aircraft. reply | |
| | neiyi, 21.06.2011 06:11 To Earl Metzel, I say that one of these was donated to the Air Museum in Washington DC; and hangs from the ceiling there, in US markings reply | | Marshall Jennison, e-mail, 31.05.2011 05:15 We went to the Cleveland Air Show when I was about 6 or 7(1936?) and I saw some lined up and never forgot them. reply | | chuck lloyd, e-mail, 09.12.2010 05:05 I wish to thank Jerry Orr for all the help he has given me. I am building a 1 /3 scale p26 and I what it to be the best scale plane out here from the automotive dash light to the goodyear stream line tires. with the help from jerry and others I thank you. Chuck reply | | Durkee, e-mail, 26.11.2010 16:56 I remember an air show at Bishop airport in Flint MI. in 1933. There were six there from Selfridge Airbase in Mt. Clemens MI. near Detroit. They had trouble starting one of the planes, had to wind a very long rope with a sock over the prop to start it. They normally had a large shot gun like shell fired to turn the engine over and mag start. reply | | Jackie, 08.08.2010 04:41 The P-26 Peashooter is one of the first monoplanes in the world. Lightweight and easy to fly, it remained in service for many years until the United States entered the war. reply | | JERRY ORR, e-mail, 18.05.2010 21:27 version that does have later added flaps and tail wheal. We have been at it for over 10 years. We are building it to Boeing plans just like the did in the early 1930s. Boeing sold them to the Army for $9999. Come down to the basement and see how much we have done. reply | | JERRY ORR, e-mail, 18.05.2010 21:20 There are only two original P-26s left in the world. One is in the Smithsonian and one in Chino California at the Planes of Fame museum. THEY FLY THEIRS IN THEIR AIRSHOWS. It sounds like it is tearing the air apart with short stacks and a very long propeller for that engine. I am building one at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. We are building an early reply | | Al Mohle, e-mail, 06.02.2010 21:57 I was a Major Engineer w /Boeing in Seattle during WWII and looking thru the photo books on the P-26 I seem to remember seeing photo's of two (2) 50 cal. forward firing machineguns. reply | | Nelson Eskey, e-mail, 18.01.2010 20:17 The P-26 that the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va.(militaryaviationmuseum.org) has is a replica built by volunteers at Nate Mayo's "Mayocraft". I understand it had about 20hrs. on it before the museum bought it last summer, and is said to fly very well. You can "Yahoo" Mayocraft and watch several You Tube Mayocraft P-26 videos covering construction start to flights. reply | | Tim Matthews, e-mail, 31.08.2009 19:40 The Military Aviation Museum here in Virginia Beach VA recently acquired a Peashooter in restored condition - it really flys - the aviator has to be pretty skinny to fit inside the cockpit. A beautiful classic aircraft. reply | |
| | Bill Braden, e-mail, 14.07.2008 06:18 These may have been the first fighters with fuel injection, made by ExCello. reply | | Brian Dawson, e-mail, 08.04.2008 17:51 Bar none, the most awesome looking airplane ever built. Art deco meets aerobatic blood. The example at Wright Pat is phenominal. From pure performance stats, it is certainly lagging the big muscle of later generation fighters, but I'd rather watch one perform at an airshow than an F15. I wish somebody would build a replica to fly on the circut. reply | | Aero-Fox, 13.03.2008 01:55 The P-26 is possibly my favorite fighter aircraft ever. Heck, it was in service for over two decades, they have those classic fixed landing gear, and are small, light an maneuverable. Can't beat a classic... reply | | Augusto de Leon Fajardo, 20.06.2007 06:41 I remember the ones left by the US army to the Guatemalan Air Force (sold for $1 each as PT-26; that is, trainers, to allay political misgivings. They were very maneuvrable, and were named "mosquitos" locally, because the peculiar sound made by their motors. They were still in service by 1954, twenty one years after entering service in the US...
To Earl Metzel, I say that one of these was donated to the Air Museum in Washington DC; and hangs from the ceiling there, in US markings reply | | earl metzel, e-mail, 02.03.2007 20:08 how many are left in the world and displayed reply |
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