P-26A-34

This page is about the American fighter P-26A-34. For other versions, see P-26 (Family).

P-26A-34

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/5/53/Cockpit_p-26a_34.jpg

P-26A-34

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

MARKET

Description

The P-26A-34 Peashooter is a premium gift rank I American fighter with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was available during the 2014 Thanksgiving sale as a reward for buying two discounted packs and during the 2015 Independence Day event as a prize in a tournament. It has also been obtainable in the Warbond shop in the trophy chest from September 2018 to November 2020.

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	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

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 (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,828 m	570 hp	621 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural508 km/h

Gear508 km/h

• No armour
• Fuel tanks in fuselage and wing roots

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB384

RB187

SB141

Crew training450

Experts3 000

Aces45

Research Aces220 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 20 / 40 / 130 %

2 × 100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Compressor Wings repair Engine	Airframe Cover	bmg30_belt_pack Mk.41 bmg30_new_gun

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 12 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The P-26A-34 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-34 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

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

Usage in battles

Generally, to do well in the P-26 never, ever turn fight, as it has a huge turning radius compared to other reserves. Ideally practice "Boom & Zoom" tactics, that is climb above, dive in, attack, climb up again for a new attack. Also, use the "Stealth" ammunition belt, it is the hardest hitting belt for this aircraft and targets will not see where you are, giving you another second or two advantage. Stealth is harder to use, but it's worth it. While a mediocre at best reserve fighter, it is a very good ground attacker carrying 2 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs with 24.5 kg of TNT each, which is effective against even some Rank 3 tanks and Rank 2 ships.

Qualify the crew to "Expert", it is very cheap and invest Crew XP points in Pilot Vitality (i order to be able to resist injury) and Weapon Maintenance, good to take and give damage.

Study your opponents, this is critical on how to counter them as there is no single way to counter all targets. The Japanese Ki-10 and Soviet I-15 are this aircraft's greatest threats, if they get on your six evade like crazy and hope they overshoot (never turn); teammates are also very helpful. Bombs with 0.5 seconds delay could work. Others like the German He 51 you could outrun them, but do not turn. With higher BR units you may be just able to outmanoeuvre, but the best is constantly scan the sky for threats. Other rank 1 aircraft vary in threat level. Besides fighters, attacking bombers is a viable option, however, be mindful of defensive turrets as there are a few 12.7 mm machine guns and 20 mm cannons out there.

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:

• Potent machine guns for a rank I plane
• Snappy roll rate
• Decent turn rate
• Small target much like the Soviet I-16

Cons:

• Performance scales poorly. Should generally be replaced as soon as more advanced planes become available
• Slow compared to contemporary monoplane fighters
• Engine and fuel fires are next to impossible to extinguish due to wooden/canvas construction and lack of self-sealing fuel tanks
• Fragile, especially to high-explosive rounds from enemy autocannons
• Machine guns have a slow rate of fire

History

In-game description

Many problems were revealed when the P-26's operation began. Due to its narrow landing gear tread and a landing speed too fast for its time, the aircraft was prone to nose over. When this happened, the pilots often lost their lives, although the planes themselves were not seriously damaged. As a result, the fuselage spine fairing was redesigned. Its height was increased by 20 cm, and the reinforced structure could endure a load of more than 12 tons if hit. The 29th production P-26А was the first to obtain this enlarged fuselage spine fairing, and the planes already produced were modified directly on the front lines.

New wing flaps allowed the aircraft's landing speed to be reduced. The plane was also equipped, in the event of an emergency landing on water, with two inflatable sacks occupying the containers in the wing roots. Beginning at the 26th production aircraft, this equipment became standard for the P-26А, but it was not installed on the aircraft already produced. There is no documented evidence that this system was ever used for its intended purpose, but one aircraft crashed after the raft kit opened spontaneously during flight.

P-26Аs produced later had reinforced armament: one synchronous 7.62 mm Browning M1 machine gun to the left of the fuselage and one synchronous large-calibre 12.7 mm Browning M2 .50 cal machine gun to the right. The magazine capacity of the large-calibre machine gun was 200 rounds.

A combined total of 111 machines of the P-26A variant were produced. The 20th Fighter Group was the first in the USAAC to be armed with Peashooters. It was followed by two more: the 1st Fighter Group based in Selfridge, Michigan, and the 17th Fighter Group at March Air Force Base, California. At various times, P-26s were operated in 22 USAAC fighter squadrons.

Peashooters were flown by many pilots who later occupied high positions in the USAAF and then in the USAF, including Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, future Commander-in-Chief of the USAF.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the P-26A-34 from live.warthunder.com.

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

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

External links

• <nowiki>[Boeing</nowiki] History Page - P-26 Peashooter]