The Army Air Corps P-26, known universally as the Peashooter, marked the end of one era and the start of the next. This Boeing-built pursuit aircraft was the last AAC airplane with an open cockpit, fixed landing gear, and externally braced wings. It was also the first all-metal, monoplane fighter the US armed forces ever put into production. This "modern obsolete" fighter was beloved by pilots, who lauded its speed and maneuverability. For Boeing, the aircraft was a speculative interwar venture. The company began it in the early 1930s without a contract, putting reliance on its experience with the Monomail and B-9 all-metal aircraft. The Army liked it. The P-26 ended the notion that bombers had become too fast for fighters to intercept; its top speed of 234 mph exceeded that of the fastest Martin B-10 bomber. Indeed, initial testing showed that its landing speed was too great, forcing Boeing to install split flaps to slow it down. Because the P-26 had a tendency to nose over, Boeing installed a tall armored headrest to protect the pilot.
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