IWA-003 -- BOEING P-26A PEASHOOTER, 17th PURSUIT GROUP, 95th PURSUIT SQUADRON, MARCH FIELD, CALIFORNIA 1935

The 17th PURSUIT GROUP in 1935, consisted of the 34th, 73rd and 95th Pursuit Squadrons.

These Boeing P-26’s were the most decorated and famous aircraft of their era. The group developed a style of markings which still allowed each squadron to retain its own identity. The main features to the style were the large tapered fuselage flash repeated in reduced scale on the wheels spats, and scalloped trim to the headrest and leading edges of the fin and tail planes.

The 34th applied their markings in black and white.

The 73rd used red and yellow.

The 95th used blue and yellow.

Each squadron retained their own squadron insignia on the fuselage and carried large ID numbers on the upper decking and belly, the upper number being the individual aircraft number and the lower the squadron number.

These colourful P-26’s were sadly only in service with the 17th Pursuit Group for only a year, after which they were transferred to other groups.

The third squadron in the 17th Pursuit Group was the 95th Pursuit Squadron. They adopted light blue and yellow as their squadron colours in the identical style as their sister squadrons.