skip to content
stan runge

#0716

Boeing P-26 Peashooter

🇺🇸 United States ·first flew 1932· fighter

🎖️ military piston retired
10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
  1. 1. P-26 Maloney: Martin Čížek· CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. 2. Boeing P-26A N3378G 23 33-123 DUX 12.07.14R edited-2: RuthAS· CC BY 3.0
  3. 3. Boeing P-26A Peashooter ‘7’ (33-135): HawkeyeUK· CC BY-SA 2.0
  4. 4. Boeing P-26A with the Philippine AF, 1941: SDASM Archives· No restrictions
  5. 5. 3d Pursuit Squadron officers Boeing P-26 Peashooter: United States Army AIr Forces· Public domain
  6. 6. Boeing P26: Unknown author Unknown author· Public domain
  7. 7. Boeing XB-15 with P-26 (16138387371): SDASM Archives· Public domain
  8. 8. Boeing Y1B-9 and P-26 parked (060421-F-1234P-042): U.S. Air Force· Public domain
  9. 9. Boeing Y1B-9A and P-26 in flight (060421-F-1234P-043) (tight crop, contrast stretch): U.S. Air Force· Public domain
  10. 10. Boeing Y1B-9A and P-26 in flight (060421-F-1234P-043): U.S. Air Force· Public domain
Read about it on Wikipedia ↗
Boeing P-26 Peashooter, photo 1 of 10
1/10 Martin Čížek· CC BY-SA 4.0

what is it?

The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" is the first American production all-metal fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane to enter squadron service with the United States Army Air Corps. Designed and built by Boeing, the prototype first flew in 1932, and the type was still in use with the U.S. Army Air Corps as late as 1941 in the Philippines. There are two surviving Peashooters and three reproductions on display, with two more under construction.

How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 8.5 m wingspan

base stats

  • speed 377 km/htop speed
  • size 1,524 kgmax take-off weight
  • built 151made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

  • First flew 94 years ago, in 1932.
  • Top speed is 2.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight
1932-03-20
retired
1956
status
retired
number built
151
role
fighter
origin
🇺🇸 United States
makers
Boeing
engines
1× Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 Wasp / R-1340 Wasp
length
7.2 m
wingspan
8.5 m
height
3.1 m
max take-off weight
1,524 kg
top speed
377 km/h
range
—
ceiling
8,352 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

Sources: Wikidata Q890209, Wikipedia: Boeing P-26 Peashooter (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.

stan runge 704880d source