P-29

The Boeing P‑29 was a short‑lived experimental fighter‑bomber project conceived in the early 1940s as the United States sought a high‑performance, all‑metal aircraft capable of both air superiority and precision ground attack. Initiated in 1941, the P‑29 evolved from the earlier XP‑26 prototype, incorporating a more powerful Wright R‑1820 radial engine, a streamlined laminar‑flow wing, and an innovative retractable tricycle landing gear that was still uncommon at the time. Its armament package typically included four .50‑caliber machine guns mounted in the nose and a central bomb bay able to carry up to 500 lb of ordnance.

Although flight testing demonstrated impressive speed—exceeding 380 mph at 15,000 ft—and excellent maneuverability, the program was cancelled in 1943 when the emergence of the P‑51 Mustang and P‑47 Thunderbolt rendered the P‑29 redundant. Nonetheless, the aircraft contributed valuable data on high‑speed aerodynamics, cooling systems for radial engines, and the integration of tricycle gear, influencing later Boeing designs such as the B‑29 Superfortress. The P‑29 remains a noteworthy footnote in aviation history, illustrating the rapid technological evolution and intense competition that shaped World War II fighter development.