The Boeing P-26 Peashooter
was the first all metal mono-wing fighter to be built by the United
States. It first flew in 1932. To make the plane lighter, Boeing used
wires in place of traditional rigid struts used on other aircraft,
reducing drag and weight. Because it was faster and could climb better
than the biplanes of the era, th Army became very interested in these
airplanes and ordered 136 pre-production aircraft. Boeing built 12
different export versions of the P-26, 11 for China and one version for
Spain. There were a group of P-26 Peashooters in the Phillipines when
they were invaded in 1941. P-26s managed to shoot down several Zeroes,
even though the Zero was more advanced and faster. Only 2 original P-26
Peashooters exist today, this one featured here and one at the National
Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian. The P-26 at Wright Patterson
Air Force Base is a replica. This was the first time that a P-26 has
flown anywhere since the mid 1980s. What a treat!
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