P-26A-34 M2

This page is about the American fighter P-26A-34 M2. For other versions, see P-26 (Family).

P-26A-34 M2

P-26A-33

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/4/4f/Cockpit_p-26a_34_m2.jpg

P-26A-34 M2

P-26A-33

USA

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
1.0	1.0	1.0

Class:

Fighter

Research:Free

Purchase:Free

Show in game

Description

In 1932, before testing with the XP-936 was done, the U.S. Army issued a statement for an improved XP-936 for production. Only a year later, the USAAC ordered over 100 examples with the designation P-26A. It was to be fitted with the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-27 Wasp radial engine that also boasted a supercharger. The R-1340-27 made around 500 hp but later variants made 600 hp. P-26As were delivered not long after and proved to be a decently advanced aircraft for its time.

The P-26A-34 M2 Peashooter has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27. Although the P-26 is a monoplane, it has an impressive turn radius but bi-planes are still far better in terms of turning. Unlike the other P-26s, this specific variant of the P-26 has a 12.7 mm machine gun which is a big improvement over the standard 7.62 mm machine gun it replaced. It packs a much larger punch, more range, and takes more time to overheat. It also has the landing flaps which were eventually fitted to all P-26 variants.

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

The P-26 possesses great manoeuvrability for a monoplane thanks to its small wings and low weight. However, its reserve counterparts are biplanes, which are much more manoeuvrable than it. Outturning monoplanes is almost always possible, but outturning biplanes is usually out of the question.

The P-26 is soundly average speed-wise, with many of the reserve biplanes outpacing it. It is still capable of catching some of the slower reserve fighters and many slow low-tier bombers.

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	364	351	8500	18.6	19.7	8.2	8.2	170
Upgraded	387	377		17.7	18.0	18.6	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
1,829 m	600 hp	666 hp

Survivability and armour

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural508 km/h

Gear508 km/h

The P-26 is a typical mid-1930's design, and just like all its contemporaries (other reserve fighters), it does not have pilot armour. However, it is upgraded with self-sealing fuel tanks. The pilot, engine, and fuel are centrally located, but its simple design (no flaps and retractable gear) means that the P-26 has fewer critical components that can be damaged or disabled. One major advantage is excellent visibility to easily spot threats in SB battles.

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

ABfree

RBfree

SBfree

Total cost of modifications3 620

167

Talisman cost190

Crew trainingfree

Experts1 000

Aces10

Research Aces80 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

10 / 10 / 50 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Research: 440 Cost: 19 45 Compressor Wings repair Engine Engine injection Research: 720 Cost: 35 70	Airframe Cover	bmg30_belt_pack Research: 440 Cost: 19 45 bmg30_new_gun Research: 380 Cost: 17 35 Mk.41 Research: 380 Cost: 17 35 bmg50_belt_pack Research: 540 Cost: 25 55 bmg50_new_gun Research: 720 Cost: 35 70

Players should immediately begin researching the flight performance modifications. Being a monoplane, the P-26 severely lacks in turn rate relative to the bi-planes it commonly faces. The acquisition of the flight performance modifications will greatly help P-26 players fend off against enemy bi-planes. After, players should begin researching the 12.7 mm ammunition belt modification. The stock .50 cal belt only has one incendiary round every four rounds which is subpar. Once the modification is researched, this will open up the stealth belt which has one incendiary round every three rounds. After the important modifications are researched, players are generally free to choose what modification they want to research.

Qualify the crew to "Expert," as it is very cheap (1,000 SL). Put crew points to Pilot Vitality and Weapon Maintenance.

Armaments

Offensive armament

Weapon 112.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun

Ammunition200 rounds

Fire rate750 shots/min

Weapon 27.62 mm Browning machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Fire rate1 000 shots/min

The P-26A-34 M2 is armed with:

• 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (200 rpg)
• 1 x 7.62 mm Browning machine gun, nose-mounted (500 rpg)

Both of the P-26's guns are mounted in the nose, preventing gun convergence issues and allowing accurate fire at all ranges.

The P-26A-34 M2 is notably better than the other two P-26s thanks to the addition of a M2 Browning 12.7 mm machine gun. The 12.7 mm Browning becomes the standard armament of American fighters, so learning its ballistics early is advantageous. The 12.7 mm Browning on the P-26A-34 M2 is only able to use the "early" set of belts, which consist mostly of less-effective armour-piercing rounds instead of the incendiary rounds that make the 12.7 mm on later aircraft so powerful. Despite the inferior belt options, it still represents a huge upgrade over the 7.62 mm Browning, which has very poor damage output. The 12.7 mm MG is also very effective in head-on engagements.

The best belt for the 12.7 mm is likely either Universal (if you need tracers) or Stealth (if you can aim without tracers or in Arcade Battles). Default is also viable, although it contains a mostly-useless ball round. These belts have M1 incendiary bullets in them, which translates to a higher chance to cause fire, which is where most of the damage will come from when using machine guns.

The best belt for the 7.62 mm is Universal or Stealth, as both contain a good mix of AP rounds (best damage with rifle-calibre machine guns) and incendiary rounds (a little bit of fire chance).

Suspended armament

List of setups (1)

Setup 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bomb

The P-26A-34 M2 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

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

The P-26 can mount two 100 lb bombs which drop together. These bombs can be used to decent effect against light ground targets, such as AI artillery and player-controlled open-topped tanks. The bombs are pretty weak, and therefore a direct hit will be needed to destroy harder targets such as tanks.

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 - climb above, dive in, attack, and 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 is 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.

A major asset for this P-26 variant is the .50 cal M2 (12.7 mm) upgrade machine gun with 2.5 x the penetration power, making it much deadlier to targets (don't forget it will be on a separate trigger).

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 try to get them to overshoot (never turn); teammates will be essential in this process. Bombs with a 0.5 second delay could work. Other fighters like the German He 51 can be outran, but do not try to turnfight them. 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:

• Decently fast for its rank
• Good armament thanks to the use of a .50 calibre machine gun

Cons:

• Not as manoeuvrable as other fighters at its rank
• 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 one of the oldest planes 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 majority 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 on Christmas 1941, a single squadron defending the Panama Canal Zone, which was removed from service shortly after.

Archive of the 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-26A 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-26A, 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-26As 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 M2 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

P-26A-34 M2 Peashooter ACE - ArnoMedia

See also

Related development

• P-26 (Family)

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Heinkel He 112
• Polikarpov I-16
• Mitsubishi A5M4
• Dewoitine D.500

External links

• [Boeing] History Page - P-26 Peashooter