Boeing
PW-9A
The Boeing PW‑9A was a single‑seat, biplane pursuit aircraft that emerged from the United States Army Air Corps’ 1920s modernization program. Developed as a refined version of Boeing’s earlier PW‑9, the PW‑9A entered service in 1929 after Boeing fitted the airframe with a 420‑hp Wright R‑1820‑G “Cyclone” geared engine, a taller, four‑bay wing, and strengthened landing gear. These upgrades raised the top speed to about 146 mph, extended the service ceiling to 23,500 ft and gave the aircraft a more responsive climb rate, while retaining the agile handling prized in the open‑cockpit biplane layout.
A total of 30 PW‑9As were built, most of them serving with pursuit squadrons at Mitchel Field, Kelly Field and other continental bases. The type’s reliability and ease of maintenance made it a workhorse for pilot training and tactical exercises, bridging the gap between the rudimentary combat planes of World War I and the all‑metal monoplanes that would dominate the 1930s. Its participation in early air‑show demonstrations helped publicize the U.S. Air Corps, and the PW‑9A’s legacy lives on as a key stepping stone that showed Boeing’s capability to produce operational military aircraft, paving the way for later iconic designs such as the P‑26 “Peashooter” and the legendary fighter series that followed.
A total of 30 PW‑9As were built, most of them serving with pursuit squadrons at Mitchel Field, Kelly Field and other continental bases. The type’s reliability and ease of maintenance made it a workhorse for pilot training and tactical exercises, bridging the gap between the rudimentary combat planes of World War I and the all‑metal monoplanes that would dominate the 1930s. Its participation in early air‑show demonstrations helped publicize the U.S. Air Corps, and the PW‑9A’s legacy lives on as a key stepping stone that showed Boeing’s capability to produce operational military aircraft, paving the way for later iconic designs such as the P‑26 “Peashooter” and the legendary fighter series that followed.