P26A Peashooter US Army Air Corps, Wheeler Field, Hawaii, Dec 1941,

Product description

Die-cast metal with a minimum of plastic. Professionally painted. All markings pad applied for superb results. Canopy slides open. Comes with a pilot that can be removed. 

Boeing’s first and last all-metal monoplane fighter produced for the US Army Air Corps was the P-26. Known as the “Peashooter” there were 111 P-26As produced. The wings were braced with wire instead of wooden struts and this reduced drag and along with a 500 hp engine the aircraft was much faster than the older bi-planes. The mono-wing also meant a higher landing speed so flaps had to be added to slow the aircraft down. It had fixed landing gear and an open cockpit with just a windscreen to protect the pilot.

At the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii the Boeing P-26 Peashooter had been removed from front line duty and replaced by the newer Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-36A. The P-26 duties were now mechanic training, spare parts and hack flights between islands. On December 7, 1941 there were approximately 10 P-26s at Wheeler Field located on the island of Oahu but after the attack six had been destroyed and one damaged. It is thought that two P-26s 
got airborne during the raid but doubt they inflicted any damage.

pecifications for the P-26A

Country of origin – USA

Manufacturer – Boeing Aircraft Company

Role – Fighter

Crew - One

Dimensions
Wing Span - 27 ft. 11.5 in.
Length - 23 ft. 10 in.
Height - 10 ft. 5 in.

Weight
Empty - 2,197 lbs.
Maximum - 2,955 lbs.

Performance
Engine - Pratt and Whitney R-1340-27   (500 hp)
Maximum Speed - 234 mph   (203 knots)
Cruising Speed - 199 mph   (172 knots)
Landing Speed - 82 mph  (71.26 knots)
Range - 360 statute miles   (313 nautical miles)
Service Ceiling - 27,400 ft.

Armament
2 x fixed .30-cal. Machine guns
or
1 x .50 and 1 x .30-cal. Machine gun
up to 200 lbs. of bombs