Boeing P-26 Peashooter

[evangilder]

I will start this new section off with a post on the Boeing P-26 Peashooter. It was the first American fighter with all-metal skin and a monowing. It first flew in 1932 and was obsolete by the beginning of the war, although several were stationed in the Philippines when it was invaded by the Japanese. The Chinese Air Force Third Pursuit Group flew them in the CBI Theater early in the war and saw combat in 1937 against G3M bombers and even engaging with A5M 'Claude' fighters.

The Spanish Republican Air Force had one P-26 during the Spanish Civil War that recorded no kills before being shot down in 1936.

Philippine pilots scored a kill against a G3M bomber during the invasion of the Philippines. 3 A6M Zeros were also claimed, but they may have been Oscars.

In 2006, a flyable P-26 Peashooter flew at the Chino Airshow. It marked the first time in more than 20 years that a P-26 flew at any airshow anywhere in the world.

[johnbr]

I have always thought it was pretty plane.

[evangilder]

I liked the looks too, but I don't know that I would want to fly one into aerial combat.

[buffnut453]

There was a very interesting thread about the Phillipine P-26s on j-aircraft a while back:

Phillipine Army Air Corps ?

Cheers,
Mark

[timshatz]

Good looks. Has more engineering flair to it than the later, WW2 fighters (where horsepower was king). Saw one on sale at Courtesy some time back. I think they were asking about half a million for it.

[comiso90]

Thats my favorite photo of yours. It would look great with an HDR treatment.

Beautiful.. nice job...

Do you happen to have a photo of the P-26 and a Ryan PT-22 in the air at the same time?

[evangilder]

I don't have that shot, but would love to get one. Then again, there is always photoshop...

[comiso90]

I don't have that shot, but would love to get one. Then again, there is always photoshop...

You can have a zillion photos but there is always one jackass who mentions one you dont have.


There is a good thread on all in between the wars fighters:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/avi...ter-10530.html

.

[davparlr]

I always thought it was too cute to be a fighter, seems more like a toy. That and the P-6E. Both are favorites of mine of interwar fighters.

[daveT]

P-26s on the ramp at Wheeler circa 1937
I love the quite little plane

[evangilder]

Neat stuff, Dave. I am guessing there are more in that photo than there are left that are either airworthy or capable of being so.

[wheelsup_cavu]

I check out Planes of Fames P-26 whenever I go there. I always thought it was a neat little plane.


Wheels

[daveT]

The colors painted on them are just fantasic! The bright yellows, blues reds etc. Before all the aircraft were painted OD green and grey. I miss that.

[evangilder]

Yeah, the high visibility colors make photographing them nice too. They "pop" against the sky.

[vikingBerserker]

I wonder how they were to fly.