Hobbycraft 1/48 P-26 Peashooter

The Boeing-funded project to produce the Boeing Model 248 began in September 1931, with the Army Air Corps supplying engines and instruments. The design included an open cockpit, fixed landing gear and externally braced wings, the last such design procured by the USAAC as a fighter plane. It also saw the introduction of flaps to reduce speeds for landings. The Army Air Corps contracted for three prototypes, designated XP-936, with the first flight on 20 March 1932.

The Boeing XP-936 had a landing problem. Sometimes when landing it would flip forward and because of the short nose it would roll onto its back. This injured many pilots until the unarmored back canopy was replaced with an armored headrest. An additional 25 aircraft were completed as P-26Bs, with Pratt & Whitney R-1340-33 Wasp engines, and 23 P-26Cs had minor changes to carburetion and the fuel system. Both Spain (one fighter) and China (11 fighters) ordered the Model 281 export version of the P-26C in 1936.

The diminutive "Peashooter" as it became affectionately known by service pilots, was faster than previous American combat aircraft, but it was also an anachronism. Although the P-26 introduced a modern monoplane design, worldwide fighter aircraft developments soon outstripped the P-26. The Messerschmitt Bf 109 which had its maiden flight in 1935 was much more representative of contemporary monoplane fighter designs. However, the P-26 was easy to fly and remained in active service for many years until the United States entered World War II.

Two authentic survivors are known to exist. One that has been returned to flying condition with Planes of Fame and the other in the National Air and Space Museum. The one at the USAF Museum is a replica.

It is somewhat surprising that no model company in the years since this was released, has offered a more modern tooling of this aircraft in this scale. Prior to this one, we only had the Aurora kit which was later issed by K&B. Since the tooling for this kit was taken over by Academy for lack of payment, that brand has since reissued it.

This is not a complex kit. There are three grey sprues and one small clear one for the windscreen. One of the grey sprues has the fuselage halves and another has the wings. The third has everything else. The cockpit is well appointed and there is detail on the sidewall portion of the fuselage. The kit provides a separate entrance door so that can be posed open.

Wings are upper and lower halves and if one wants to add the gun camera, holes will need to be drilled for that piece. The engine is nicely detailed and there are a fair number of small exhaust stacks to be glued in place. The cowling is upper and lower halves. I'd recommend not attaching that or the front piece until after they are painted. There is a detail image to assist with attaching the exhaust. Landing gear fairings include the small fairings for the support wires. The kit has the holes for the support wires already drilled out, making attaching them very easy. A detail diagram for those is also included.

Markings are for two planes in olive drab with white tails and yellow wings. The box art plane is the most colorful as was with the 34 PS/17 PG in 1934. The other lacks all the flash and is with the 17 PS/1 PG, also in 1934. The decals are nicely done and should still be viable as this is a 'black box' offering. There are aftermarket if you so wish something different.               

I built this kit back when it was new and used an Aeromaster decal sheet on it. It is still on my display shelves when newer models have been relegated to the box of death. If one takes one's time, a great looking model can be done right out of the box as you can see below. Well worth seeking out this, or the Academy boxing.

May 2025

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