A-26 Invader
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also B-26 Marauder
| A-26 Invader | |
|---|---|
 USAAF A-26B-35-DL |
|
| Type | Light bomber |
| Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
| Maiden flight | 10 July 1942 |
| Retired | 1972 |
| Primary users | United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force United States Navy French Air Force |
| Number built | 2452[1] |
| Unit cost | US$242,595[2] |
| Variants | On Mark Executive, Marketeer, and Marksman |
The Douglas A-26 Invader (B-26 between 1948-1965) was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts. A limited number of highly modified aircraft served in combat until 1969. The last A-26 was retired from military service in 1972 by the National Guard Bureau and donated to the National Air and Space Museum.
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[edit] Design and development
The A-26 was an unusual design for an attack bomber of that period, as it was designed as a single-pilot aircraft (sharing this characteristic with the RAF's de Havilland Mosquito, among others). The traditional copilot's seat did not have flight controls, instead, a crew member who served as a navigator and bombardier sat in that position. A gunner operated the defensive armament of remotely-controlled dorsal and ventral turrets. In the "B" model, the navigator also operated the nose armament. The aircraft was designed by Edward Heinemann, Robert Donovan and Ted R. Smith[3]
The Douglas XA-26 prototype (41-19504) first flew on 10 July 1942 with famed test pilot Benny Howard at the controls. Flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling, but there were some problems with engine cooling which led to cowling changes and the removal of the propeller spinners on production aircraft as well as a modification of the nose gear after repeated collapses in testing.[4] The prototype's "flat-topped" canopy was later changed to a clamshell type with greatly improved visibility.[5] The A-26 was originally built in two different configurations: the A-26B had a solid nose, which normally housed six or eight .50 caliber machine guns, while the A-26C’s glass nose contained a Norden bombsight and was used for medium altitude precision bombing. Some aircraft were armed with additional guns in their wings, giving some configurations as many as fourteen .50 caliber machine guns fixed forward.
Two civilian executive versions of the A-26, the Marketeer, and the later pressurised Marksman, were developed from the A-26 by On-Mark of Van Nuys, CA.[6]
[edit] Operational history
[edit] World War II
The Douglas company began delivering the production model A-26B in August 1943. Invaders first saw action with the Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific theater on 23 June 1944, when they bombed Japanese-held islands near Manokwari.[7]
They began arriving in Europe in September 1944 for assignment to the Ninth Air Force, and entered combat two months later on 19 November.
[edit] Postwar era
The USAF Strategic Air Command had the B-26 (RB-26) in service from 1949 through 1950. The US Navy also used a small number of these aircraft in their utility squadrons for target towing and general utility use. The Navy designation was JD-1 and JD-1D until 1962, when the JD-1 was redesignated UB-26J and the JD-1D was redesignated DB-26J.
[edit] Korean War
Invaders carried out the first USAF bombing mission of the Korean War on 29 June 1950 when they bombed an airfield outside of Pyongyang. Invaders were credited with the destruction of 38,500 vehicles, 406 locomotives, 3,700 railway trucks, and seven enemy aircraft on the ground. On 14 September 1951, Captain John S. Walmsley Jr attacked a supply train. When his guns jammed he illuminated the target with his searchlight to enable his wingmen to destroy the target. Walmsley was shot down and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Invaders carried out the last USAF bombing mission of the war 24 minutes before the cease fire was signed on 27 June 1953.[8]
[edit] First Indochina War
In the 1950s, the French Airforce's Bombing Groups (Groupe de Bombardement) including GB 1/19 Gascogne and GB 1/25 Tunisia used USAF-lent B-26 during the First Indochina War.
Cat Bi (Haiphong) based Douglas B-26 Invaders operated over Dien Bien Phu in March and April 1954 during the siege of Dien Bien Phu. In this period a massive use of Philippines based USAF B-26s against the Viet Minh heavy artillery was planned by the U.S. and French Joint Chief of Staff as for Operation Vulture, but it was eventually cancelled by the respective governments.
[edit] Service with the USAF in Southeast Asia
The first B-26s to arrive in Southeast Asia were deployed to Takhli RTAB, Thailand in December of 1960. These unmarked aircraft, operated under the auspices of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, were soon augmented by an additional 16 aircraft, 12 B-26Bs and Cs and 4 RB-26Cs under Operation Mill Pond. The mission of all of these aircraft was to assist the Royal Lao Government in fighting the Pathet Lao. The repercussions from the Bay of Pigs invasion meant that no combat missions are known to have been flown, though RB-26Cs operated over Laos until the end of 1961. The aircraft were subsequently operated in South Vietnam under Project Farm Gate.[9] The only other deployment of B-26 aircraft to Laos prior to the introduction of the B-26K/A-26A, was the deployment of two RB-26C aircraft, specifically modified for night reconnaissance, deployed to Laos between May and July 1962 under Project Black Watch. These aircraft, initially drawn from Farm Gate stocks, were returned upon the end of these missions.[10]
The aircraft from Laos participated in the early phase of the Vietnam War with the U.S. Air Force, but with Vietnamese markings as part of Project Farm Gate. Though Farm Gate operated B-26B, C, and actual RB-26C, many of these aircraft were in fact operated under the designation RB-26C, though they were used in a combat capacity.[11] During 1963, two RB-26C were sent to Clark AB in the Philippines for modifications, though not with night systems as with those modified for Black Watch. The two aircraft returned from Black Watch to Farm gate were subsequently given the designation RB-26L to distinguish them from other modified RB-26C, and were assigned to Project Sweet Sue.[10] Farm Gate's B-26s operated alongside the other primary strike aircraft of the time, the T-28 Trojan, before both aircraft types were replaced by the A-1 Skyraider.[12] The B-26s were withdrawn from service in 1964 after two accidents related to wing spar fatigue.
In response to this, the On Mark Engineering Company of Van Nuys, California was selected by the Air Force to extensively upgrade the Invader for a counterinsurgency role. The first production flight of the B-26K was on May 30, 1964 at the Van Nuys Airport. On Mark converted 40 Invaders to the new B-26K Counter-Invader standard, which included upgraded engines, propellers, and brakes, re-manufactured wings, and wing tip fuel tanks, for use by the 1st Air Commando Group. In May 1966, the B-26K was re-designated A-26A for political reasons and deployed in Thailand to help disrupt supplies moving along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Two of these aircraft were further modified with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR system) under project Lonesome Tiger, as a part of Operation Shed Light.[13]
[edit] Bay of Pigs Invasion
In April 1961, B-26s provided from U.S. military stocks were flown by Cuban exiles during the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. [14]
[edit] Africa in the 1960s
CIA mercenary pilots that may have been the same Cuban exiles flew them against "Simba" rebels in the Congo Crisis who were supported by Cubans, the Communist Chinese and the Soviets.[citation needed] The first production B-26K Counter-Invaders were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base for use by the CIA in the Congo Crisis.
The Portuguese Air Force acquired Invaders for use in Angola.
Biafra used two provisionally armed B-26s in combat during Nigerian Civil War in 1967, flown among others by Jan Zumbach.
[edit] Variants
The large majority of the A-26/B-26 Invader's production run of 2,452 were early A-26Bs and A-26Cs.
- XA-26
- Serial no. 41-19504 served as the prototype for the series; initially flown with dummy armament
- XA-26A
- Serial no. 41-19505 served as a prototype night fighter with a crew of two-pilot and radar-operator/gunner
- XA-26B
- Serial no. 41-19588 was a prototype "solid-nosed" attack variant with crew of three: pilot, gun loader/navigator (in front cockpit) and gunner in rear.
- A-26B
- Attack bomber. Production totals: 1,150 A-26Bs were built at Long Beach (A-26B-1-DL to A-26B-66-DL) and an additional 205 were built at Tulsa (A-26B-5-DT to A-26B-25-DT).[15] Redesignated B-26B in 1948.
- TB-26B
- Unarmed variant converted from B-26B for training purposes.
- VB-26B
- Unarmed variant converted from B-26B for administrative purposes.
- A-26C
- Attack bomber with transparent nose housing the navigator/bombardier, crew includied pilot and co-pilot (dual-controls provided) and the provision for a flight engineer/gunner in a "jump seat" behind the cockpit. Armament included two forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns on the starboard fuselage. A total of 1,091 A-26Cs were built. 1,086 of them were built by Tulsa (A-26C-16-DT to A-26B-55-DT) and only five by Long Beach (A-26C-1-DL and A-26C-2-DL).[15] Redesignated B-26C in 1948.
- RB-26C
- Unarmed photo reconnaissance variant converted from B-26C; it carried cameras and flash flares for night photography. Designated FA-26C prior to 1962.
- TB-26C
- Unarmed variant converted from B-26C for training purposes.
- XA-26D
- Serial no. 44-34776 prototype for the proposed A-26D attack bomber with uprated Chevrolet manufactured R-2800-83 engines, and late model A-26B armament of eight 0.50-inch machine guns in solid nose and six 0.50-inch guns in the wing[16]; series of 750 A-26Ds was cancelled after V-J Day.
- XA-26E
- Serial no. 44-25563 prototype for the A-26E attack bomber. As with the XA-26D but with an A-26C-type glass nose[17]; a contract for 2,150 A-26E-DTs was cancelled following V-J Day.
- XA-26F
- Serial no. 44-34586 prototype for a high-speed A-26F powered by two 2,100 hp R-2800-83 engines driving four-bladed propellers with a 1,600 lb.s.t. General Electric J31 turbojet installed in the rear fuselage. The prototype reached a top speed of 435 mph but the series was cancelled as performance gains were not sufficient.
- A-26Z
- Unofficial designation for a proposed postwar production version of the A-26. It was to have a more powerful version of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine and was to be fitted with such features as a raised pilot's cockpit canopy, an improved cockpit arrangement and wingtip drop tanks. If produced, the unglazed nose version would have been designated A-26G and the glazed nose version A-26H. However, in October 1945, the USAAF concluded that there were enough A-26 aircraft to meet postwar needs, consequently, the "A-26Z" version was not produced.
- JD-1
- US Navy version with one A-26B (44-34217) and one A-26C (44-35467) redesignated during World War II, postwar, 150 surplus A-26s for use by land-based utility squadrons as target tugs and later, drone directors (designated JD-1D) and general utility aircraft. In 1962 the JD-1 and -1D were redesignated UB-26J and DB-26J respectively.
- YB-26K
- On Mark Engineering prototype for refurbished attack bomber; modifications included rebuilt, strengthened wings, enlarged tail assembly, new R-2800-103W engines with reversible propellers/propeller spinners, dual controls, wingtip tanks, newer avionics and increased hardpoint/armament enhancements.
- B-26K
- On Mark Engineering conversions of 40 B-26Bs or TB-26Bs with two B-26Cs and a single JB-26C; changes included fitting of 2500 hp R-2800-52W engines with no propeller spinners and the six wing guns deleted. During operations in Vietnam, in May 1966, the aircraft were reassigned the old attack designation of A-26A. According to a "Wings" (Discovery Channel) documentary, the B-26 was redesignated the A-26, because Thailand would not allow bombers to fly from their airfields, but they would allow attack aircraft to do so. The A-26As were retired when they had reached the safe limits of alloted flying time.
- RB-26L
- Two RB-26Cs (44-34718 and 44-35782) modified for night photography missions.
- B-26N
- Unofficial designation applied to B-26s operated by the L'Armee de l'Air in Algeria as night fighters. These aircraft were modified B-26Cs fitted with AI Mk X radar taken from obsolete Meteor NF.11 night fighters, two underwing gun packs each with two M2 Browning machine guns and SNEB rocket pods.[18]
[edit] Operators
Biafra
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
France
Guatemala
Indonesia
Nicaragua
Peru
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
South Vietnam
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
[edit] Survivors
[edit] Specifications (A-26B-15-DL Invader)
Data from McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m)
- Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.64 m)
- Wing area: 540 ft² (50 m²)
- Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg)
- Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" radials, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 355 mph (308 knots, 570 km/h)
- Range: 1,400 mi (1,200 nm, 2,300 km)
- Service ceiling 22,000 ft (6,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
- Wing loading: 51 lb/ft² (250 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.145 hp/lb (108 W/kg)
Armament
- Guns:
- 8× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose
- 6× 0.50 in M2 machine guns in the wings
- 2× 0.50 in M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret
- 2× 0.50 in M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret
- Bombs: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)-4,000 lb in the bomb bay and 2,000 lb external on the wings
[edit] Popular culture
- Two A-26 fire bombers (No. 57- N9425Z and No. 59 - N4818E) were prominently featured in the 1989 Steven Spielberg film, Always.[19] The flying for the movie was performed by well-known movie pilot Steve Hinton[20] and Dennis Lynch,[21] the owner of the A-26s.
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ Winchester 2004, p.74.
- ^ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
- ^ a b Francillon,Rene J (1979). "McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920". UK: Putnam.
- ^ Mesko 1980, p.5.
- ^ Winchester 2004, p. 75.
- ^ AirSceneUK (2004). The Last Marksman. Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
- ^ 1999 kensmen.com, "June, 1944" (43rd Bomb Group Association website) Access date: 2 August 2007
- ^ Military.CZ A-26
- ^ Troung, Albert Grandolini and Cooper, Tom. 13 November 2003. Laos, 1948-1989; Part 1. Access Date: 6 November 2007
- ^ a b Smith 1966. p. 7.
- ^ Smith 1966. p. 6.
- ^ Mesko, 1987. p. 26-8
- ^ Volume I Operation Shed Light Study Report, 1966. p. 1C-55, 59.
- ^ Prados, John. President's Secret Wars. New York: William Morrow, 1986. ISBN 0-688-05384-X.
- ^ a b Baugher
- ^ Mesko, 1997. p. 18
- ^ Mesko, 1997. p. 18
- ^ Baugher, Joe. 26 August 2006. Invader in Service with L'Armee de l'Air. Access Date: 7 November 2007
- ^ Farmer, James H. "The Making of Always." Air Classics, Volume 26, No. 2, February 1990.
- ^ Filmography - Steve Hinton. IMDB [1] Access date: 13 March 2007.
- ^ Filmography - Dennis Lynch. IMDB. [2] Access date: 13 March 2007.
[edit] Bibliography
- Francillon, J.R. "The Douglas Invader Story". AirEnthusiast Seven, July-September 1978. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press Ltd., 1978.
- Gallemi, Francis. A-26B/C Invader (Warbird Profile 1). Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada: Aries Publications, 1994.
- Hagedorn, Dan and Hellström, Leif. Foreign Invaders, the Douglas invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine service. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 1994.
- Johnsen, Frederick A. Douglas A-26 Invader. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press, 1999. ISBN 1-58007-016-7.
- Mesko, Jim. A-26 Invader in Action (Aircraft Number 37). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1980. ISBN 0-89747-093-1.
- A-26 Invader in Action (Aircraft Number 134). Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1993. ISBN 0-89747-296-9.
- VNAF, South Vietnamese Air Force 1945-1975. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1987.
- Mikesh, Robert C. "Flying the Invader: Pilot Notes for the Douglas A-26" AirEnthusiast Seven, July-September 1978. Bromley, Kent, Pilot Press Ltd., 1978.
- Smith, Mark E. USAF Reconnaissance in South East Asia (1961-66). San Francisco, CA: Headquarters, Pacific Air Force, Department of the Air Force, 1966.
- Thompson, Scott. Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press Ltd., 2002. ISBN 1-86126-503-4.
- Thompson, Warren. B-26 Invader Units over Korea. Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-84176-080-3.
- Volume I Operation Shed Light Study Report. Washington, DC: Headquarters, DCS Research and Development, Headquarters, United States Air Force, 1966.
- Winchester, Jim. "Douglas A-26 Invader." Aircraft of World War II. London: Grange Books, 2004. ISBN 1-84013-639-1.
[edit] External links
- National Museum of the USAF: Fact Sheets : Mid-World War II Attack Aircraft
- Hill Aerospace Museum: Douglas A-26 "Invader" Information
- AirForceHistory: B-26 Bomber, Martin or Douglas?
- A Date with Danger, Airman, May 2001
- Hurlburt AFB: Fact Sheets: A-26 Counter-Invader
- Hurlbert AFB: A-26 Counter-Invader
- A-26 Lady Liberty - Confederate Air Force
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