First All Metal Single Wing Fighter P26 Peashooter Small But Feisty Boeing began development of an all-metal single-wing fighter with an open cockpit and fixed landing gear in 1931. The Army Air Corp ordered 174 of these starting in 1933. With its 600hp. Pratt and Whitney radial engine, the P-26 Peashooter was loved by pilots because of its speed (maximum speed of 234 mph was 15% faster than any biplane) and maneuverability. It set records for both speed and altitude with a 27,400 foot ceiling. In fact, a P-26 flown by a Filipino pilot became the first American fighter to shoot down a Japanese plane in a dog fight. The development of the superior Japanese Zero made the Peashooter obsolete. Many were destroyed at Pearl Harbor and the rest were retired in 1942. Model Features • Rotating Propeller • Display Stand Included • Precision Die-Cast Replica • 1:63 Scale—4.5 Inches Long