P-26 Peashooter
Encyclopedia
The American
Boeing P-26 Peashooter
, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft
and the first pursuit monoplane
used by the United States Army Air Corps
. The prototype first flew in 1932, and were used by the Air Corps as late as 1941 in the Philippines
.
-funded project to produce the Boeing Model 248 began in September 1931, with the Army Air Corps supplying engines and instruments. The design—which included an open cockpit, fixed landing gear and externally braced wings—was the last such design procured by the USAAC as a fighter aircraft. The Model 248 had a high landing speed, which caused a number of accidents; to remedy this, flap
s were fitted to reduce the landing speed. The Army Air Corps contracted for three prototypes, designated XP-936, with the first flight on 20 March 1932.
The Boeing XP-936 was still tricky to land, however; occasionally, it would flip forward, and because of the short nose it tended to roll onto its back, injuring a number of pilots. The prototype's unarmored headrest offered virtually no protection in such instances; as a result, production Model 266s (P-26As) had a taller, armored headrest fitted.
Two aircraft were completed as P-26Bs with a fuel-injected
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-33
; these were followed by 23 P-26Cs, with carburated R-1340-33s and modified fuel systems. Both Spain (one fighter) and China (11 fighters) ordered the Model 281 export version of the P-26C in 1936.
The diminutive "Peashooter"—as it became affectionately known by service pilots—was faster than previous American combat aircraft, but it was also an anachronism; its wire-braced
wings, fixed landing gear and open cockpit were outdated design features. In Europe, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and Hawker Hurricane
—with enclosed cockpits, retractable landing gear and monocoque wings—both flew for the first time in 1935 and were more representative of contemporary monoplane fighter designs. However, the P-26 was easy to fly, and it remained in service until the U.S. entered World War II.
Deliveries to USAAC pursuit squadrons began in December 1933 with the last production aircraft in the series coming off the assembly line in 1936, designated the P-26C. Ultimately, 22 squadrons flew the Peashooter, with peak service being six squadrons in 1936. P-26s were the front line fighters of the USAAC until 1938, when Seversky P-35
s and Curtiss P-36s began to replace it. A total of 20 P-26s were lost in accidents between 1934 and the start of World War II, but only five before 1940.
Air Corps units using the P-26 were the:
:
The 17th PG became the 17th Attack Group in 1935, and its P-26s were transferred in 1938 to the 16th Pursuit Group (24th, 29th, and 78th PS) at Albrook Field in the Panama Canal Zone
. These P-26s were transferred in 1940 to the 37th Pursuit Group (28th, 30th, and 31st PS) which flew them until they were replaced by P-40s in May 1941. Some continued service with the 32nd Pursuit Group (51st and 53rd PS), but only nine P-26s remained operational in Central America at the start of World War II.
P-26As were also flown by the 3rd PS of the 4th Composite Group, based in the Philippines
. Between 1937 and 1941, 31 were sold to the fledgling Philippine Army Air Corps
.
3rd Pursuit Group, 17th Squadron—based at Chuyung airfield—engaged eight out of 20 Mitsubishi G3M
medium bomber
s from the Kisarazu Air Group sent to attack Nanking. The Chinese Boeing fighters helped shoot down two of the four Japanese bombers destroyed that day without suffering any losses. Subsequent engagements between the Chinese "Peashooter" pilots and pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy
flying the Mitsubishi A5M
"Claudes" were Asia's first ever aerial dogfights and kills between monoplane fighter aircraft. A single P-26 was in service with the Spanish Republican Air Force
during the Spanish Civil War
of 1936-1939, but no aerial kills were recorded with this aircraft; it was shot down in 1936.
By December 1941, U.S. fighter strength in the Philippines included 28 P-26s, 12 of them operational with the 6th Pursuit Squadron of the Philippine Army Air Corps
. Filipino-flown P-26s claimed one G3M and two or three Mitsubishi A6M2 Zeros before the last of them were burnt by their crews on December 24, 1941.
Following Pearl Harbor, only nine P-26s remained airworthy in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1942-1943, the Fuerza Aérea de Guatemala acquired seven P-26s ostensibly by the U.S. government smuggling them in as "Boeing PT-26A" trainers to get around restrictions of sales to Latin American countries. The last two P-26s in service were still flying with Guatemala's Air Force until 1956, when they were replaced with P-51 Mustangs. The P-26's last combat operation was with Guatemala's Air Force during a 1954 coup.
The P-26 was the last Boeing fighter to enter service until Boeing acquired McDonnell-Douglas with production and continuing support contracts for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2002. Between those aircraft, Boeing did produce the experimental XF8B
in 1944 as well as the prototype YF-22
in 1991.
P-26A
P-26B
P-26C
Model 281
Republic of China
(US Territory)
Spain
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Boeing P-26 Peashooter
Pea shooter (toy)
The peashooter is a toy version of the blowgun or blowpipe. Its usually a tube that is either to be blow into or has some kind of lastic mechanism which launches its ammo. As the name suggests the normal ammunition is peas , though other seeds, fruits, improvised darts, or wadded up paper can also...
, was the first all-metal production fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
and the first pursuit monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
used by the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. The prototype first flew in 1932, and were used by the Air Corps as late as 1941 in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Design and development
The BoeingBoeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
-funded project to produce the Boeing Model 248 began in September 1931, with the Army Air Corps supplying engines and instruments. The design—which included an open cockpit, fixed landing gear and externally braced wings—was the last such design procured by the USAAC as a fighter aircraft. The Model 248 had a high landing speed, which caused a number of accidents; to remedy this, flap
Flap (aircraft)
Flaps are normally hinged surfaces mounted on the trailing edges of the wings of a fixed-wing aircraft to reduce the speed an aircraft can be safely flown at and to increase the angle of descent for landing without increasing air speed. They shorten takeoff and landing distances as well as...
s were fitted to reduce the landing speed. The Army Air Corps contracted for three prototypes, designated XP-936, with the first flight on 20 March 1932.
The Boeing XP-936 was still tricky to land, however; occasionally, it would flip forward, and because of the short nose it tended to roll onto its back, injuring a number of pilots. The prototype's unarmored headrest offered virtually no protection in such instances; as a result, production Model 266s (P-26As) had a taller, armored headrest fitted.
Two aircraft were completed as P-26Bs with a fuel-injected
Fuel injection
Fuel injection is a system for admitting fuel into an internal combustion engine. It has become the primary fuel delivery system used in automotive petrol engines, having almost completely replaced carburetors in the late 1980s....
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-33
Pratt & Whitney R-1340
|-See also:* Pratt & Whitney Wasp series* Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp-Bibliography:...
; these were followed by 23 P-26Cs, with carburated R-1340-33s and modified fuel systems. Both Spain (one fighter) and China (11 fighters) ordered the Model 281 export version of the P-26C in 1936.
The diminutive "Peashooter"—as it became affectionately known by service pilots—was faster than previous American combat aircraft, but it was also an anachronism; its wire-braced
Flying wires
The flying wires of an aircraft work in conjunction with other wing components such as spars and interplane struts to transmit flight loads. Most commonly used on biplane aircraft they are also used on monoplanes and triplanes.-Purpose:...
wings, fixed landing gear and open cockpit were outdated design features. In Europe, the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
—with enclosed cockpits, retractable landing gear and monocoque wings—both flew for the first time in 1935 and were more representative of contemporary monoplane fighter designs. However, the P-26 was easy to fly, and it remained in service until the U.S. entered World War II.
U.S. Army Air Corps
Seversky P-35
The Seversky P-35 was a fighter aircraft built in the United States by the Seversky Aircraft Company in the late 1930s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-35 was the first single-seat fighter in U.S...
s and Curtiss P-36s began to replace it. A total of 20 P-26s were lost in accidents between 1934 and the start of World War II, but only five before 1940.
Air Corps units using the P-26 were the:
- 1st Pursuit Group1st Operations GroupThe 1st Operations Group is the flying component of the 1st Fighter Wing, assigned to the USAF Air Combat Command. The group is stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. The 1st Operations Group is the oldest major air combat unit in the United States Air Force, being a successor organization...
(17th, 27th27th Fighter SquadronThe 27th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
, and 94th PS94th Fighter SquadronThe 94th Fighter Squadron ' is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 1st Operations Group and stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia....
), Selfridge FieldSelfridge FieldSelfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens.-Units and organizations:...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
; - 4th Composite Group (3d, 17th, and 20th PS20th Fighter SquadronThe 20th Fighter Squadron was most recently part of the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. It operated the F-4 Phantom II aircraft conducting air superiority missions...
), NicholsNichols FieldNichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay City and Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. During the World War II era, it was the location of the Far East Air Force's U.S. 20th Air Base Group. Also, based here was Troop F of the U.S. 26th Cavalry...
and Clark Fields, Philippine DepartmentPhilippine DepartmentThe Philippine Department was a regular US Army unit, defeated in the Philippines, during World War II. The mission of the Philippine Department was to defend the Philippine Islands and train the Philippine Army...
. - 8th Pursuit Group8th Operations GroupThe 8th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 8th Fighter Wing. It is stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and is a part of Pacific Air Forces ....
(33rd, 35th35th Fighter SquadronThe 35th Fighter Squadron is part of the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea.-History:The 35th Fighter Squadron heritage dates back to 12 June 1917, when the unit activated as the 35th Aero Squadron. Originally an aircraft maintenance squadron, the unit served in France from...
, and 36th PS36th Fighter SquadronThe 36th Fighter Squadron is part of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-Mission:...
), Langley Field, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
; - 16th Pursuit Group (24th and 78th PS78th Reconnaissance SquadronThe 78th Reconnaissance Squadron is part of the Tenth Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. The 78 RS conducts operations from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada in conjunction with their active-duty associates in the Air Force Warfare Center.-Mission:The mission of the...
), Albrook Field, Panama Canal ZonePanama Canal ZoneThe Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
; - 17th Pursuit Group (34th34th Bomb SquadronThe 34th Bomb Squadron is part of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. It operates B-1 Lancer aircraft providing strategic bombing capability.-Mission:...
, 73d, and 95th PS), March Field, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... - 18th Pursuit Group18th Operations GroupThe 18th Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 18th Wing, stationed at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan....
(6th6th Night Fighter SquadronThe 6th Night Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Seventh Air Force, being inactivated at Wheeler Field, Hawaii on February 20, 1947....
and 19th PS19th Fighter SquadronThe 19th Fighter Squadron is part of the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.-Mission:The 19th FS operates the F-22 Raptor aircraft conducting strategic attack, interdiction, offensive counterair , suppression of enemy air defenses, as well as offensive and defensive counterair ...
), Wheeler Field, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
; and - 20th Pursuit Group (55th55th Fighter SquadronThe 55th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-World War I:...
, 77th77th Fighter SquadronThe 77th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force, and is one of the oldest fighter squadrons in the United States military....
, and 79th PS79th Fighter SquadronThe 79th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-History:...
), Barksdale Field, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Overseas deployments
Between 1938 and 1940, P-26s were assigned overseas to supplement Seversky P-35s in two defense units based at Wheeler Field, Territory of HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
:
- 18th Pursuit Group (6th, 19th, 73d, and 78th PS)
- 15th Pursuit Group (45th and 47th PS47th Fighter SquadronThe 47th Fighter Squadron is part of the 917th Fighter Group at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and falls under the operational control of the 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.-World War II:...
).
The 17th PG became the 17th Attack Group in 1935, and its P-26s were transferred in 1938 to the 16th Pursuit Group (24th, 29th, and 78th PS) at Albrook Field in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
. These P-26s were transferred in 1940 to the 37th Pursuit Group (28th, 30th, and 31st PS) which flew them until they were replaced by P-40s in May 1941. Some continued service with the 32nd Pursuit Group (51st and 53rd PS), but only nine P-26s remained operational in Central America at the start of World War II.
P-26As were also flown by the 3rd PS of the 4th Composite Group, based in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Between 1937 and 1941, 31 were sold to the fledgling Philippine Army Air Corps
Philippine Army Air Corps
The Philippine Army Air Corps was created by the Philippine National Assembly's National Defense Act of 1935. By 1940, the corps had around 40 aircraft and 100 pilots, 500 personnel, and six squadrons...
.
Combat service
The first Boeing P-26 to experience major combat operation was the Chinese Model 281. On 15 August 1937, eight P-26s from the Chinese Air ForceChinese Air Force
The phrase Chinese Air Force may refer to one of two modern bodies; a third historical unit can also be referred to as a part:*Republic of China Air Force: The air force of China from 1920 to 1949, operating from Taiwan only post-1949....
3rd Pursuit Group, 17th Squadron—based at Chuyung airfield—engaged eight out of 20 Mitsubishi G3M
Mitsubishi G3M
The Mitsubishi G3M was a Japanese bomber used during World War II.-Design and development:...
medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
s from the Kisarazu Air Group sent to attack Nanking. The Chinese Boeing fighters helped shoot down two of the four Japanese bombers destroyed that day without suffering any losses. Subsequent engagements between the Chinese "Peashooter" pilots and pilots of the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
flying the Mitsubishi A5M
Mitsubishi A5M
The Mitsubishi A5M, Japanese Navy designation was "Type 96 carrier-based fighter" was a Japanese carrier-based fighter aircraft. It was the world's first monoplane shipboard fighter and the direct ancestor of the famous Mitsubishi A6M 'Zero'...
"Claudes" were Asia's first ever aerial dogfights and kills between monoplane fighter aircraft. A single P-26 was in service with the Spanish Republican Air Force
Spanish Republican Air Force
The Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939...
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
of 1936-1939, but no aerial kills were recorded with this aircraft; it was shot down in 1936.
By December 1941, U.S. fighter strength in the Philippines included 28 P-26s, 12 of them operational with the 6th Pursuit Squadron of the Philippine Army Air Corps
Philippine Army Air Corps
The Philippine Army Air Corps was created by the Philippine National Assembly's National Defense Act of 1935. By 1940, the corps had around 40 aircraft and 100 pilots, 500 personnel, and six squadrons...
. Filipino-flown P-26s claimed one G3M and two or three Mitsubishi A6M2 Zeros before the last of them were burnt by their crews on December 24, 1941.
Following Pearl Harbor, only nine P-26s remained airworthy in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1942-1943, the Fuerza Aérea de Guatemala acquired seven P-26s ostensibly by the U.S. government smuggling them in as "Boeing PT-26A" trainers to get around restrictions of sales to Latin American countries. The last two P-26s in service were still flying with Guatemala's Air Force until 1956, when they were replaced with P-51 Mustangs. The P-26's last combat operation was with Guatemala's Air Force during a 1954 coup.
The P-26 was the last Boeing fighter to enter service until Boeing acquired McDonnell-Douglas with production and continuing support contracts for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2002. Between those aircraft, Boeing did produce the experimental XF8B
Boeing F8B
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Allen, Francis. "Last of the Line: Boeing's XF8B-1 Multi-purpose Fighter." Air Enthusiast No. 55, Autumn 1994.* Donald, David, ed. "Boeing Model 400 ".Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.* Green, William. "Boeing...
in 1944 as well as the prototype YF-22
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
in 1991.
Surviving aircraft
- P-26A c/n 1899 33-123, Currently on display by the Planes of Fame Museum located in Chino, CaliforniaChino, CaliforniaChino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
. This aircraft was sold to the Guatemala AF in 11 May 1943 and flew as FAG 0672 until it was retired in 1957 when it was recovered by Ed Maloney. Once flown regularly with the registration N3378G, the museum's P-26 was placed on static display in the mid 1980s to protect it. In 2004, the decision was made to again fly the P-26, and a restoration was begun to return the P-26 to flying condition. This was completed in spring 2006, with the aircraft having made its first appearances at the museum's May 2006 air show.
- P-26A c/n 1911 33-135, is in the collection of the National Air and Space MuseumNational Air and Space MuseumThe National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It was established in 1976. Located in Washington, D.C., United States, it is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and...
. This aircraft was originally assigned to the 94th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and was one of the P-26A sent to the Canal ZoneCanal ZoneCanal Zone may refer to:* Panama Canal Zone, the former United States territory* Suez Canal Zone, the informal zone around the Suez Canal in Egypt...
. It was sold to the Guatemala Air Force in 11 May 1943 and flew as FAG 0816 until it was retired in 1957 when it was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The aircraft was restored by the United States Air Force, and was on display at the US Air Force Museum in the markings of the 34th Attack Squadron, until 1975 when it was returned for display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
Replicas
- P-26A, A replica is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
in Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
- it is painted as the commander's aircraft of the 19th PS / 18th PG, stationed at Wheeler Field, Hawaii in 1938. The San Diego Air and Space Museum is making a replica of an early model to Boeing plans with the original design "streamlined tailwheel" and without flaps and the crossover exhaust that were later additions. In addition, Mayocraft Inc., completed final assembly in September 2006 and has now begun taxi-testing a near-100 percent scale tribute to the Boeing P-26.
- P-26C, two aircraft are being built by Golden Age Aeroplane Works, Seymoure, Indiana.
Variants
XP-936- Three prototype aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Corps, powered by a 525 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-21 Wasp. First flight: 20 March 1932.
P-26A
- Single-seat fighter aircraft, powered by a 600 hp R-1340-27; 111 built.
P-26B
- Single-seat fighter, powered by a fuel-injected 600 hp R-1340-33; two built.
P-26C
- Single-seat fighter, with a carburated R-1340-33 and a modified fuel system; 23 built.
Model 281
- Export version of the P-26C; 11 built for China, one built for Spain, 12 built.
Operators
Republic of China
- Chinese Nationalist Air Force – (Nationalist China, 1930s)
- Guatemalan Air ForceGuatemalan Air ForceThe Guatemalan Air Force is a small air force composed mostly of U.S.-made aircraft throughout its history....
– (Until 1957)
(US Territory)
- Philippine AACPhilippine Air ForceThe Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
– (Until 1941)
SpainSecond Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
- Spanish Republican Air ForceSpanish Republican Air ForceThe Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939...
United States
- United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...