The Boeing P26, often known as the Peashooter, was the first all-metal fighter to enter production
in the United States and is one of the most iconic fighter aircraft from the interwar
period.
It arrived during a time of great transition in aviation development, and as such it incorporated
both old and new ways of thinking.
Its origins can be traced back to 1931, with the Boeing model 248.
The 248 started out as a private venture by Boeing, who were looking to develop a new
type of fighter using their own ideas as well as features that had previously been proposed
by the Army Air Corps.
Design work began in September 1931, and by December of that year the Army became interested
enough to fund the provision of some engines and equipment to build three prototypes.
This came as somewhat of a surprise for Boeing, as they had been labouring under the impression
that funding from the military would be almost non-existent due to the after-effects of the
Great Depression.
That being said, the actual financial contribution – apart from the engines and gear – was
limited to just $1000, so it can still be rightly said that this almost completely remained
a private venture by Boeing at this stage.
The design and construction of the prototypes, which would be designated XP-936, carried
on throughout 1931 and into early 1932.
The aircraft first took to the skies on March 20th of that year, and then the three prototypes
were dispersed for testing.
The first plane went to Wright field for Army evaluation, the second was flown to Anacostia
for the Navy, and the third went to Selfridge Field for service testing.
The results of these tests were excellent, and the Army purchased two of the aircraft
under contract on June the 15th and gave them the new designation XP-26.
This was soon changed to the service designation of YIP-27, and then eventually to the P-26
designation that would carry it throughout its service life.
Boeing had envisioned a far more modern aircraft, but their designers were frustrated by various
external factors – most of which involved penny-pinching Army staff.
As a result of this, the design of the prototype P-26 was a compromise between technology,
budget, and the competing camps of progressive and conservative military thinking.
The aircraft featured an all-metal monocoque fuselage, which was definitely a modern concept
compared to many other aircraft of the time, most of which had a fabric covered fuselage
of metal or wood framing.
However, the rest of its design was less cutting-edge.
The wing was wire-braced, as opposed to the cantilever wings that were beginning to appear
on some other modern aircraft designs.
Its 9 cylinder Pratt & Whitney engine drove a simple two-blade, fixed pitch propeller.
The cockpit was open.
The landing gear was fixed, and the aircraft was remarkably under-gunned, even by late
1920s standards, having only a single 303 calibre machine gun, though there was provision
for a second.
The old-school design did have some benefits, however.
The wire-bracing allowed a for a lighter airframe, and the wires produced less total drag than
the rigid struts that you would find on a biplane.
The fixed undercarriage added drag, but this was offset by reduced weight and reduced structural
complexity, it also provided a strong anchor point for the wires on the underside of the
wings.
The rear section of the undercarriage was a pair of tubular struts that attached to
the front and rear wing spars.
The flying wires were attached to the apex of this arrangement and the landing wheel
pivoted around this apex, with the impact of landing being taken by a shock absorber
that connected the wheel axel to the front landing spar.
After testing was completed, the Army ordered 111 production versions of the aircraft under
the designation of P-26A – also known as the Boeing Model 266.
This was later increased to a total of 136 units, with the additional aircraft being
completed as the P-26B and C variants.
To a casual observer there appeared to be little difference between the P-26 and the
first prototypes, however some significant changes had been made.
It was now powered by an improved version of the Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, which
provided 600hp compared to the 522 hp on the prototype.
The internal wing structure was revised to improve strength and sustained g-loads, further
improving its nimble handling characteristics.
The P-26 also had improved equipment, being the first US military aircraft to be equipped
with a two-way radio, and it also featured wing-mounted floatation devices in the event
of unexpected aquatic incidents.
The armament had also been improved, with a 50calibre machine gun being added alongside
the original 303.
The P-26 could also carry two 100lb bombs or five 30lb bombs.
The first flight of the P-26 took place on the 10th of January 1934, with the initial
batch of 111 units being delivered by the end of June that year.
It would be the primary frontline fighter of the Army Air Corps until 1938, being operated
by 22 different squadrons during this time.
Early service life would prompt some design changes to the P-26.
Originally, the early P-26s had the streamlined headrest of the prototypes.
This was very well and good when it came to drag, however it also meant that if the aircraft
were to flip over on take-off or landing, the pilot’s head would be the main point
of impact.
After an incident when a pilot was killed in this very manner, the decision was quickly
made to raise the headrest by 8 inches and reinforce it, giving it the signature hump
that would become one of the Peashooters most recognisable features.
This did not completely alleviate the risk to the pilot, and as such the P-26 was used
mainly at airbases that had firmer runways, often in the drier southwestern states and
Hawaii.
Another change to be made was the addition of flaps.
Army pilots were dissatisfied and sometimes downright alarmed by the Peashooter’s high
landing speeds.
Primitive but effective split-flaps were added.
They were powered hydraulically by a pump on the engine, however the provision was also
made for them to be manually operated in the event of engine failure which would require
a glide-in landing.
These flaps were added to all P-26As in service and were included in all subsequent models
still being built at the factory.
In 1934 an order for a further 25 aircraft was placed.
Two of these were completed as the P-26B and the rest as the P-26C.
The P-26 was the first to be built with wing flaps from the outset, and it was also the
first model to be fitted with a fuel injection system.
The changes to the aircraft led to Boeing re-designating them as the model 266A.
The P-26C was also built with wing-flaps as standard, but at first they still featured
the original fuel carburettors and only minor changes to the rest of the fuel system.
However, after promising results from the P-26b, the C variants were converted to also
feature the new fuel injection system.
Some P-26 aircraft, 12 in total, were built for export, designated as the Boeing Model
281, and indeed these would be the first to see combat.
One was sold to Spain, and the others went to China.
The Spanish aircraft would be shot down before earning any kills of its own, but the Chinese
aircraft had a little more success, albeit after a rough start.
Prior to the sale, a demonstrator model was shipped over to China.
The aircraft impressed the Canton government, however it failed to get support from Kuomintang
officials because of a fatal accident during a demonstration flight.
Ten fighters were ordered by Canton and arrived in January of 1936.
Due to the political situation in the region during this time, a topic that’s complicated
enough to give most historians a mild headache, these aircraft would eventually wind up in
the service of the Central Government after a series of defections from the Cantonese
Provincial Air Force.
All ten aircraft would eventually wind up there, being organised into the 17th Squadron
of the 3rd Air Group based near Nanking, their previously white airframes being repainted
in the standard olive camouflage used by the Central Government.
In this guise, the 281 would get its first taste of combat.
On the 15 and 18th of August they would shoot down two Japanese bombers during the battle
of Shanghai, and they would shoot down a further six on the 20th with only one of the Model
281s suffering minor damage.
Between August and October, the aircraft would engage in various skirmishes, however they
were to few in numbers to make any significant impact and the lack of spare parts severely
hampered their effectiveness after the first month.
Due to this, and the gradual emergence of more modern Japanese fighters, all model 281s
would be retired by the end of 1937.
The P-26 had been withdrawn from frontline service by the time America entered the second
world war, being replaced by the Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-36.
Some had been sold to the Phillipenes, however, and this is where they saw some heated action
in the opening stages of the Pacific war.
A lot of these aircraft would be destroyed on the ground in the first Japanse attacks,
but two of them operated by the 6h pursuit squadron became the first to shoot down Japanese
aircraft, shooting down a bomber and three Zeroes.
Two of those Zeroes were shot down by Captain Jesus Villamor, who would be awarded the Distinguished
Service Cross and Oak Leaf Cluster for his exploits.
The last Peashooters to see operational service would do so with the Guatemalan air force.
Guatemala had purchased some aircraft directly from the Air Corps when the first were being
retired from service in 1937, and the rest were purchased from Panama during the second
world war.
Almost twenty years after first entering service, the Peashooter would see its last military
operations during the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’etat.
Despite not seeing a huge amount of combat during its operational life, and despite being
rather quickly eclipsed by more modern designs, the Peashooter has solidified itself as a
favourite amongst many aviation enthusiasts – myself included.
A part of this can no doubt be attributed to its appearance, being one of the most striking
monoplane designs of the early 30s.
Much like the I-16 it almost resembled a racing aircraft more than a fighter, with its barrel-like
shape and dominating radial engine.
The P-26 also featured some of the most colourful paint schemes to grace interwar aircraft.
Their exact origins are unknown, but many US squadron featured its own distinctive design.
The 34th Pursuit Squadron, known as the Thunderbirds, used red and white.
The 73rd Squadron, used red and yellow, and the 94th squadron used red and blue.
Two surviving peashooters, both P-26As, can be seen today, along with several beautiful
replicas.
The two originals had both served with America and had then been sold to Guatemala in 1943.
One of these Peashooters, serial number 33-123, has been restored to an airworthy condition
and returned to the skies for the first time in 2006.