The Consolidated P-30 was a 1930s two-seat fighter plane produced for the United States Army Air Corps. It first flew in 1934 and remained in service as a trainer until 1942. The airplane was powered by a single 700 hp engine that could propel it to 275 mph, even though cruise speed was closer to 215 mph. It had an effective range of 508 miles, and could climb to 28,000 feet, although cruising altitude was around 15,000 feet. The P-30 was armed with twin .30 inch machine guns that fired through the propeller, along with a single flexibly-mounted .30 inch machine gun in the rear cockpit. It could also carry 170 lbs worth of bombs. It was also significant because it was the first fighter in United States Army Air Corps service to have retractable landing gear, an enclosed and heated cockpit, and an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger.
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