P-26A-33

This page is about the American fighter P-26A-33. For other versions, see P-26 (Family).

P-26A-33

P-26A-34 M2

P-26B-35

360://https://old-wiki.warthunder.com/images/1/17/Cockpit_p-26a_33.jpg

P-26A-33

P-26A-34 M2

P-26B-35

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:2 900

Purchase:700

Show in game

Description

The P-26A-33 Peashooter is a rank I American fighter with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

First funded in 1931 by Boeing, the P-26 Peashooter was ordered by the US Army Air Corps to assist as a monoplane fighter. Early prototypes flown in 1932 had one fatal flaw: the landing speed. The landing speed was too high and it would cause gear failure, leading to crashes. Later models of the P-26 had landing flaps to combat this. The P-26 was designed to be faster and more manoeuvrable than the current biplanes. When WW2 broke out, the P-26 was exported to some of the Allies of the USA, and they were still in use when the USA entered the war in 1941. In 1956, the final pair of P-26 Peashooters were taken out of service and replaced by P-51 Mustangs, therefore retiring the P-26 Peashooter. This air frame was used for nearly 25 years.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 2 286 m377 km/h

Turn time18 s

Max altitude8 500 m

EnginePratt & Whitney R-1340-27

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight2 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 2,286 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	367	357	8500	18.6	19.6	9.2	9.2	170
Upgraded	384	377		17.7	18.0	16.0	12.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
X	X	X	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
508	508	N/A	N/A	N/A	~12	~8

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 260	< 180	< 340	> 190

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,829 m	600 hp	N/A

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural508 km/h

Gear508 km/h

• No armour
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 under pilot, 1 in each wing)

The P-26 is a typical mid-1930s design, and just like all of its contemporaries (other reserve fighters) it does not have pilot armour, but, is upgraded with self-sealing fuel tanks. Pilot, engine, and fuel are centrally located, but its simple design (no flaps and retractable gear) has less that could be damaged. Although a monoplane its speed is average to other reserve fighters, and do not dare turn fight. One major advantage is the excellent visibility from the cockpit to easily spot threats during simulator battles.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB101 → 124

RB151 → 185

SB92 → 113

Total cost of modifications2 980

890

Talisman cost190

Crew training200

Experts1 000

Aces20

Research Aces96 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 20 / 80 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Research: 200 Cost: 60 40 Radiator Research: 200 Cost: 60 40 Compressor Research: 220 Cost: 65 45 Wings repair Research: 250 Cost: 75 50 Engine Research: 250 Cost: 75 50	Airframe Research: 220 Cost: 65 45 Cover Research: 970 Cost: 290 190	bmg30_belt_pack Research: 200 Cost: 60 40 Mk.41 Research: 220 Cost: 65 45 bmg30_new_gun Research: 250 Cost: 75 50

On this early tier of aircraft any upgrade is valuable and easy to come by. In general "Engine" and "Compressor" are good upgrades, likewise for the "Offensive 7 mm belts" and "New 7 mm MGs" unlocks.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The P-26A-33 is armed with:

• 2 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)

Setup 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bomb

The P-26A-33 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• Without load
• 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (200 lb total)

Usage in battles

Like most US fighters, the P-26A-33 Peashooter is a decent energy fighter even though its high lift creates unstable diving characteristics. Despite being a monoplane, the P-26 is not the fastest reserve fighter. In most regards the P-26A-33 will be outmatched by enemy fighters; for example, the Japanese Ki-10s will not only turn circles around the P-26A-33 but will out-climb it and out-run it too. However, the slow German He 51 makes an easy target for a P-26A. P-26 pilots should instead focus on attacking and harassing enemy bombers.

Unlike the P-26A-34 M2, the P-26A-33 does not have a 12.7 mm (.50 cal) machine gun. Because both fighters are available at the same time and identical in all other regards, this makes the P-26A-34 M2 the clearly superior choice. The P-26A-33 should be reserved for Arcade Battles as a backup.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Not controllable 1 gear	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fairly good speed, for a reserve plane
• Stable turning

Cons:

• Slower than some late biplanes
• No armour
• Poor dive characteristics
• Poor energy retention

History

The Boeing P-26 Peashooter was a plane both ahead of its time and quickly made obsolete. First flown in 1932, the P-26 is the oldest plane in the game. It was one of the first all-metal monoplanes adopted into military service in 1933 (in comparison, the He 51 and Ki-10 entered service in 1935), making it one of the fastest fighters in the world at the time, but it suffered from poor flight performance and dangerous landing characteristics. However, as newer fighters entered service around the world, the P-26s advantages diminished and its disadvantages became vulnerabilities. By the time of World War Two, the P-26 was hopelessly obsolete.

The P-26 saw the most of its combat serving in the Chinese Nationalist Air Force during the Second Sino-Japanese War, against Japanese Ki-10s, and notably A5Ms in some of the first all-metal monoplane dogfights. Although it performed admirably in the pursuit role (bomber interception), in air-to-air combat with Japanese fighters, the deficiencies of the model showed.

In US service, the P-26 had a similar record. During the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, the P-26s scored only a handful of air-to-air kills against Japanese attackers. On December 24, 1941, their crews burnt the remaining planes to prevent their capture. Of the one hundred and fifty-one built, only nine airworthy P-26s remained by Christmas 1941, a single squadron defending the Panama Canal Zone, which was removed from service shortly after.

In addition to several replicas, two original aircraft still survive today, including one (serial no 33-123) which has been restored to flying condition.

Archive of the in-game description

A single-seat, all-metal braced monoplane fighter with an open cockpit and non-retractable landing gear in its fairings. It was designed by the design office of the Boeing Company. The XP-936 (Model 248) prototype made its first flight on 20 March 1932. The aircraft was accepted for service with the USAAC under the designation of P-26A. Full-scale production was started at the Boeing plant in Seattle in December 1933. The first production P-26A (Model 266) got off the ground in January 1934. The P-26A had a 550 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 nine-cylinder, air-cooled engine equipped with a Hamilton Standard two-bladed, controllable-pitch metal propeller. The P-26A's armament consisted of two synchronous 7.62 mm Browning M1 machine guns with 500 rounds each. The machine guns were mounted below the forward fuselage, and they fired through the arc of the spinning propeller. A C-3 gun sight was fitted in front of the cockpit. A G-4 gun camera could be installed over the right wing's centre section. Under the centre wing sections, an A-3 bomb rack that could carry either two 100 lb (45 kg) high-explosive bombs or five 30 lb (14 kg) fragmentation bombs could be mounted. Externally, production P-26As differed from prototype machines in their wing panels with elliptical tips and short landing gear fairings. Changes were introduced into the wing design, and a radio set was installed. An antenna mast was mounted on the starboard side, in front of the cockpit. The first P-26A fighters were transferred to the 20th Fighter Group located at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The P-26 was nicknamed the Peashooter by pilots. Operational pilots praised the fighter's great flight characteristics, such as its rate of climb and excellent manoeuvrability. Pilot complaints included poor forward visibility during taxiing and takeoff, as well as by landing difficulties. Taxiing out to the start line in the S-curve became a standard Peashooter manoeuvre to reduce the takeoff accident rate.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-26A-33 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Related development

• P-26 (Family)

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Polikarpov I-16
• Mitsubishi A5M4
• Dewoitine D.500

External links

• [Boeing] History Page - P-26 Peashooter