P-26B-35

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Rank IV USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Tu-1 Pack
This page is about the American fighter P-26B-35. For other versions, see P-26 (Family).
P-26B-35
p-26b_35.png
GarageImage P-26B-35.jpg
ArtImage P-26B-35.jpg
360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/a/a4/Cockpit_p-26b_35.jpg
P-26B-35
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:2 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:2 100 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The P-26 was one of Boeing’s first monoplane aircraft and was quite advanced at its time. It was relatively fast thanks to its all-metal construction and the R-1340, a 9-cylinder radial engine that produced around ~550 HP. It was an extremely successful engine and was quickly innovated from originally making a measly 400 HP to almost 600 HP thanks to better fuels, forged engine parts, and improved cowlings. The P-26B was fitted with a fuel-injected version of the Wasp and landing flaps that greatly reduced the dangerous landing speed from 82 mph (131.2 km/h) to 73 mph (116.8 km/h).

Introduced since the start of the Open Beta Test before Update 1.27, the P-26B-35 Peashooter is a decent aircraft. It has an ok top speed of ~235 mph (377 km/h) which can outrun some bi-planes but, more modern monoplane aircraft are easily able to outrun and catch the P-26B. The P-26B is armed with 2 nose-mounted 7.62 mm machine guns and can drop two 100 lb bombs. It can also turn decently well however bi-planes are far superior in this department. Although the P-26B-35 Peashooter is a very old aircraft, it’s quite capable against relatively newer machines.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 2 286 m377 km/h
Turn time18 s
Max altitude8 500 m
EnginePratt & Whitney R-1340-33
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 369 355 8500 18.6 19.7 9.3 170
Upgraded 385 377 17.6 18.0 16.1 12.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
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 240 ~12 ~8
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 260 < 180 < 340 > 190
Compressor Optimal altitude 100% Engine power WEP Engine power
Setting 1 1,829 m 600 hp N/A

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person
Speed of destruction
Structural508 km/h
Gear508 km/h

The P-26B has no armour protection and all important modules are centrally located, meaning that the aircraft is, much like most of its contemporaries, very fragile. However, this is mitigated somewhat by the scarcity of deadly large-calibre guns at the rank.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB164 → 201 Sl icon.png
RB305 → 375 Sl icon.png
SB211 → 259 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications4 400 Rp icon.png
2 650 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost300 Ge icon.png
Crew training600 Sl icon.png
Experts2 100 Sl icon.png
Aces45 Ge icon.png
Research Aces110 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 40 / 130 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
45 Ge icon.png
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
45 Ge icon.png
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
1 400 Rp icon.png
Cost:
850 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
bmg30_belt_pack
Research:
300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
180 Sl icon.png
45 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 1.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
Mk.41
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
200 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods weapon.png
bmg30_new_gun
Research:
370 Rp icon.png
Cost:
220 Sl icon.png
55 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun
Ammunition1 000 rounds
Fire rate1 000 shots/min
Main article: Browning (7.62 mm)

The P-26B-35 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
Main article: AN-M30A1 (100 lb)

The P-26B-35 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-26B-35 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-26B will be outmatched by enemy fighters; for example, the Japanese Ki-10s will not only turn circles around the P-26B, but will out-climb it and out-run it too. However, the slow German He 51 makes an easy target for a P-26B.

Unlike the P-26A-34 M2, the P-26B-35 does not have a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun. Both fighters are available at the same time and identical in all other regards.

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 fast for a reserve
  • 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.


Archive of the in-game description

In addition to the P-26As they had already received, the USAAC ordered 25 more fighters. Two of them were designated P-26B (Model 266A). These aircraft were equipped with 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340-33 nine-cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected engines.

At first, landing flaps were mounted on the aircraft. Externally, these machines differed from the Р-26A in the absence of a carburettor air scoop and in the modified design of their exhaust pipes and the tail wheel. But in other respects, P-26B fighters were identical to the late variants of the P-26A. Both planes were test-flown in June 1935 and then handed over to the USAAC.

It was planned that all 25 aircraft would be built as P-26Bs, but Pratt & Whitney Company was not able to supply R-1340-33 fuel-injected engines. So, 23 machines of the P-26C variant were produced and equipped with Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 engines, with minor modifications to the fuel system and the carburettor. The first P-26Cs were delivered to the troops in early 1936.

After a year in service, the P-26C planes were equipped with R-1340-33 fuel-injected engines and brought up to the P-26B's standard. They then obtained the update designation.

The P-26 became the first monoplane – and the first all-metal fighter – accepted for service with the USAAC. At the same time, it was the last American fighter with external wing braces, an open cockpit and a non-retractable landing gear system. The Peashooter became the last fighter built on a full-scale basis by Boeing Company.

The P-26 was not in service with the USAAC for very long. After the new P-35 and P-36 fighters were accepted into service, P-26 aircraft were withdrawn from the front lines. At the beginning of the Pacific War, P-26 fighters remained at US military bases on the Hawaiian Islands and in the area around the Panama Canal. 12 planes were handed over to the Philippine Air Force, which was in the process of forming. It was these aircraft that participated in combat operations in December 1941, and they were completely destroyed by the Japanese. The P-26 was officially withdrawn from service in early 1942.


Media

Skins

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

External links


Boeing Aircraft
Aircraft 
Fighters  P-26A-33 · P-26A-34 M2 · P-26B-35
Bombers  B-17E · B-17E/L · B-17G-60-VE
  B-29A-BN
Export  P-26A-34 · B-17G
Captured  ▅B-17E
Helicopters 
Attack  AH-64A · AH-64D
Export / Licensed  AH-64A (GR) · ▃AH-64A Peten · AH-64A Peten · ▅AH-64DJP · ▄AH Mk.1 · AHS
See Also  Tupolev Design Bureau · Westland Helicopters · Fuji Heavy Industries
  For Boeing-built ships, see Boeing Marine Branch

USA fighters
P-26 Peashooter  P-26A-33 · P-26A-34 · P-26A-34 M2 · P-26B-35
P-36 Hawk  P-36A · Rasmussen's P-36A · P-36C · ○P-36C · P-36G
P-39 Airacobra  P-400 · P-39N-0 · P-39Q-5
P-40  P-40C · P-40E-1 · P-40E-1 TD · P-40F-10
P-43 Lancer  P-43A-1
P-47 Thunderbolt  P-47D-22-RE · P-47D-25 · P-47D-28 · P-47M-1-RE · ⋠P-47M-1-RE · P-47N-15
P-51 Mustang  P-51 · P-51A (Thunder League) · P-51C-10 · P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30 · P-51H-5-NA
P-63 Kingcobra  P-63A-5 · P-63A-10 · P-63C-5 · ␠Kingcobra
Prototypes  XP-55
F2A Buffalo  F2A-1 · Thach's F2A-1 · F2A-3
BF2C  BF2C-1
F3F  F3F-2 · Galer's F3F-2
F4F Wildcat  F4F-3 · F4F-4
F4U Corsair  F4U-1A · F4U-1A (USMC) · F4U-1D · F4U-1C · F4U-4 · F4U-4B · F4U-4B VMF-214 · F2G-1
F6F Hellcat  F6F-5 · F6F-5N
F8F Bearcat  F8F-1 · F8F-1B
Other countries  ▃Ki-43-II · ▃Ki-61-Ib · ▃A6M2 · ▃Bf 109 F-4 · ▃Fw 190 A-8 · ▃Spitfire LF Mk IXc