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	In-Depth Analysis

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	Military variants - Non Prototypes     A-26B Solid nose (6 guns), dorsal turret, ventral turret Later aircraft had modified enlarged canopy and 8 gun nose.   Produced 1943 - 1945 Douglas Long Beach, California (DL)   The A-26B was the production version of the XA-26B prototype. The Army Air Corps ordered three prototype aircraft in mid-1941, each designed for a specific role. The first, XA-26, was a light attack bomber with a clear nose section for a bombardier's compartment. The second, XA-26A, was a night fighter with radar equipment housed in a solid nose. The last prototype ordered, XA-26B, was designed as a ground attack aircraft and featured a solid nose with a 75mm cannon. The Army was pleased with the performance of the XA-26B and ordered the aircraft into full scale production with only relatively minor changes. One notable change was the deletion of the large propeller spinners, which were removed because the engine didn't get sufficient cooling airflow with the spinners in place. Initially, all A-26Bs were to have 75mm cannons mounted in the nose; however, the Air Corps couldn't decide on a standard armament and changed configurations several times. An early concept for the A-26B was to include a modular nose which could be configured in one of several ways, but this proved impractical. Because of the delay in making a decision, early block A-26Bs came off the assembly line with different weapons arrangements and were used for weapons testing. The most common arrangement was a 75mm cannon mounted in the right side of the nose complimented by two .50-cal. machine guns in the left side of the nose. Some aircraft were fitted with either one or two 37mm cannons and up to four .50-cal. machine guns. Testing showed the cannons to have a slow rate of fire in addition to being prone to jamming in flight. Combat reports from operational units showed the cannon to be difficult to maintain also. Because of these problems, the Army Air Corps decided to delete the cannon from production aircraft. The initial replacement arrangement consisted of six .50-cal. machine guns in the nose -- two on the right side and four on the left. In later blocks, the nose armament was increased to eight .50-cal. machine guns arranged in two vertical rows.  The A-26B had many changes and improvements incorporated into the design while in production. Changes were based in part on data gathered after testing various armament configurations built into early block A-26Bs. Combat reports received from operational units also had a great influence on changes. One major change was the decision to use only .50-cal. machine guns and eliminate both the 75mm and 37mm cannons from further production aircraft. There were two primary reasons for this decision. First, the cannon had a relatively slow rate of fire, was prone to jamming, and an inadequate supply of ammunition could be carried for a mission. Second, the logistic support was much easier with a single, very common .50-cal. machine gun -- ammunition and replacement parts were plentiful. The initial standard nose armament configuration consisted of six .50-cal. machine guns, two mounted on the left side of the nose and four more on the right. For ground attack missions, the A-26B could be fitted with four wing-mounted gun pods, each carrying a pair of .50-cal. machine guns. The dorsal barbette (top remote turret) could be used for strafing missions and gave the A-26B a total of 16 .50-cal. machine guns available for ground attack (six nose, eight wing and two turret). Another change incorporated into the A-26 production line was a canopy update. The original design consisted of a heavy canopy framework which limited side, upwards and backwards visibility. An emergency exit hatch was built into the top right side of the canopy; however, since the pilot sat on the left side of the cockpit and the hatch was hinged on the forward edge it was very difficult for the crew to use this hatch for emergency exit in flight (the slipstream would keep the hatch shut). A two-piece bubble canopy, hinged at the outer edge and latching in the middle, replaced the flat top version and solved most of the problems with the original design. Pilot vision was greatly improved and many early production A-26Bs were retrofitted with the new style canopy. The A-26B continued to evolve on the production line as improvements were incorporated into the design. Some early production aircraft were used for testing various weapons configurations. Later block production aircraft included a standard six gun nose and a redesigned canopy. Operational combat unit reports showed the A-26B should be more heavily armed for ground attack missions, so the six gun nose was upgraded to an eight .50-cal. machine gun arrangement. The outboard wings were modified to include six .50-cal. machine guns (three per side). With the wing guns mounted internally rather than in external pods as on earlier block aircraft, the aircraft could increase its firepower with 5-inch rockets mounted on wing racks. With the twin .50-cal. dorsal barbette locked forward, the aircraft had 16 forward firing .50-cal. machine guns, up to 14 5-inch rockets and 4,000 pounds of bombs (6,000 pounds of bombs if bombs were mounted on the wings in place of the rockets). With the end of World War II, all A-26 construction contracts were canceled; however, the plane remained in service as the Army Air Force's primary light attack bomber. In late 1945 Buzz Numbers were introduced and the A-26 was coded AC. The Buzz Number was a two letter code followed by the last three digits of the aircraft tail number. The purpose of the code was to aid in identification of the aircraft when flying at low level. In 1948 the USAF dropped the attack designation and re-designated the aircraft B-26. The Martin B-26 was out of service by this time, so there was no naming conflict. The Buzz Number was changed to BC to reflect the designation change from attack to (light) bomber. The B-26 was the primary light bomber used by the USAF into the early 1950s and saw extensive service in the Korean War. The B-26 was used primarily in air interdiction missions. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks A-26B 1355     Light attack bomber 1355 A-26Bs were built and accepted by the Army Air Force; however, at least 25 more were completed but never delivered to the AAF. These aircraft (on canceled contract AC-21393) were direct delivered from the factory to the Kingman reclamation center (RFC) beginning in October 1945. Serial numbers known are 44-34754 to 44-34775; 44-34777 to 44-34779. (Source: Individual Aircraft Record Cards stored at the AFHRA)  Armament (Typical for early block A-26B): Two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal barbette, two .50-cal. machine guns in a ventral barbette and various combinations of forward-firing weapons: 75mm cannon, 37mm cannon and .50-cal. machine guns, plus provisions for 6,000 lbs. of bombs (4,000 lbs. internal and 2,000 lbs. external on wing racks); (Typical for early/mid block A-26B): Two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal barbette, two .50-cal. machine guns in a ventral barbette, and six forward-firing .50-cal. machine guns in the nose, plus provisions for 6,000 lbs. of bombs (4,000 lbs. internal and 2,000 lbs. external on wing racks), aircraft could be fitted with up to four wing-mounted gun pods each housing a pair of .50-cal. machine guns; (Typical for late block A-26B): Two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal barbette, two .50-cal. machine guns in a ventral barbette (sometimes omitted in favor of an extra fuel cell), eight forward-firing .50-cal. machine guns in the nose, and six .50-cal. machine guns in the wings, plus provisions for 6,000 lbs. of bombs (4,000 lbs. internal and 2,000 lbs. external on wing racks, 14 5-inch rockets could be carried in place of the wing-mounted bombs     Note: Much of the skin around the cockpit was 3/8" or 5/16" thick armour plating called Dural. It was an integral part of the airframe and not an add-on. It was intended for "deflection protection from angular machine gun fire". Standard armor plate was also installed internally in certain select areas for additional protection of the crew and critical systems. There was also insulating blankets situated around the cockpit and bulkhead, that were not bullet proof but were intended to provide some thermal insulation and noise suppression.

	A-26C   As A-26B, glass nose   A-26C: Attack bomber with glass nose for a bombardier. The glass nose had provisions for 2, fixed, .50 caliber machine guns installed in the right side of the nose. An additional 6 or 8 .50 caliber machine guns were carried in or under the wings.   Produced 1943 - 1945 Douglas Long Beach, California (DL)   The Douglas A-26C was basically the same as the A-26B with the solid nose replaced with a glass nose. The solid nose of the A-26B was designed for ground attack mission and carried machine guns or cannons for this role. The A-26C's glass nose was fitted with a bombardier's compartment and was designed for use as a lead ship for medium attitude bombing missions. On a typical bombing mission, a single A-26C would lead a formation of A-26Bs. When the bombardier in the lead aircraft dropped his bombs, it also signaled the Bs in formation to drop their bombs. The lead ship bombing technique was quite common for light bombers and was also used with A-20s. The glass nose A-20Js and A-20Ks, developed as lead ships, were replaced relatively quickly once the A-26C production began. The development of the A-26C paralleled the A-26B. Most improvements to one model were incorporated into the other (except for the nose compartments). The early production block -Cs had a heavy framework canopy limiting pilot visibility and making emergency escape difficult. A side-hinged clamshell canopy fitted to later models solved these problems. Other improvements included more powerful engines with water injection, a strengthened wing capable of carrying rocket launchers for 14 5-inch rockets or 2,000 pounds of bombs and provisions for internally mounted machine guns within the wings. In 1948 the USAF dropped the attack designation and renamed the aircraft B-26C. The Martin B-26 Marauder was out of service by this time so there was no confusion.   Type   No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks A-26C 1091    Light attack bomber

	B-26B   Armament: Two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal barbette, two .50-cal. machine guns in a ventral barbette (sometimes omitted in favor of an extra fuel cell), eight forward-firing .50-cal. machine guns in the nose, and six .50-cal. machine guns in the wings, plus provisions for 6,000 lbs. of bombs (4,000 lbs. internal and 2,000 lbs. external on wing racks), 14 5-in. rockets could be carried in place of the wing-mounted bombs

	JD-1   US Navy version with 1 A-26B (44-34217) and 1 A-26C (44-35467) In 1945, the US Navy acquired one USAAF A-26B and one A-26C for testing. They were assigned the designation XJD-1 and were given the Bureau of Aeronautics numbers of 57990 (ex A-26B-45-DL 44-34217) and 57991 (ex A-26C-40-DT 44-35467). Subsequently, in the immediate postwar years the Navy acquired 150 surplus A-26s for use by land-based utility squadrons as target tugs. Some of the early deliveries were from a batch of Invaders that had been ordered by the Royal Air Force but never delivered, but most of the planes were ex-USAAF Invaders from postwar stocks that were now deemed to be surplus to requirements. The JD-1s were operated well into the 1960s by seven US Navy utility squadrons (VU-1, VU-2, VU-3, VU-4, VU-5, VU-7, and VU-10) as target tugs, drone directors, and general utility aircraft. Those that were modified as drone directors were redesignated JD-1D. As a teenager back in the 1950s, I remember seeing them operate from the Chincoteague Naval Air Station on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. In 1962, the surviving JD-1s were redesignated UB-26J in accordance with the new Tri-Service designation system. The JD-1D drone directors became DB-26J.

	B-26K Counter Invader   With the success of the YB-26K test program, the USAF ordered 40 B-26s converted to B-26K standards. The production B-26K differed from the prototype in a few areas. First, the Pratt & Whitney engines were changed to the R-2800-52W from the R-2800-103W of the YB-26K. The prop spinners installed on the YB-26K were deleted for the production K model. The six .50-cal. machine guns mounted in the wings were removed also. The B-26K still retained a considerable firepower with eight .50-cal. machine guns in the nose, 4,000 pounds of bombs carried in the bomb bay and up to 8,000 pounds of mixed ordnance carried externally on eight wing pylons. A $12.6 million dollar contract was signed with On Mark Engineering Co. and the 40 aircraft were converted in 1963 and 1964. The aircraft were assigned 1964 serial numbers, although all were originally built in the early 1940s.  The B-26K conversion program was completed in 1964 when the last of 40 B-26s rolled out of the On Mark Engineering hangars in California. The B-26K was designed for counter insurgency missions in Southeast Asia. The USAF needed an aircraft to seek and destroy supplies moving towards and into South Vietnam from the north. The B-26B had been used up until 1964 when structure problems forced the withdrawal of the aircraft from combat. Because of the urgent need for counter insurgency and interdiction aircraft, the USAF began using A-1E Skyraiders for these missions and the B-26Ks were not used in combat until 1966. Between 1964 and 1966, the B-26Ks were assigned to special operations squadrons (SOS), air commando squadrons (ACS) and composite fighter squadrons. The K models were basically combat trainers during this period. In 1966 the USAF decided to base a squadron of B-26Ks in Thailand for use in the panhandle area of Laos in support of operation Steel Tiger. Since the Thai government restricted USAF bombers from using its bases, the designation of the aircraft was changed to A-26A, even though no changes were made to the aircraft or its mission. The B-26Ks were initially delivered in glossy Green over Grey paint scheme, but this quickly changed to the two Greens and Tan over light Grey or Black. National insignia was either totally eliminated for those operating in Thailand, or made very small and in Black. Type No. Built / Conv'd     Remarks B-26K 40    Counter insurgency aircraft Armament: Eight .50 cal. nose machine guns, eight wing pylons capable of carrying 8,000 lbs. of mixed ordnance and 4,000 lbs. of bombs internally

	A-26A Counter Invader The spec was the same for the B-26K The B-26K entered combat with the 609th Special Operations Squadron, from bases in Thailand. This led to one final designation change. The Thai government was unwilling to let the Americans operate bomber aircraft from its air bases, so the B-26K became the A-26A, reusing the designation once allocated to the Invader night fighter ( A for attack )

	FA-26C-26C 1945, night reconnaissance aircraft with cameras and radar   The FA-26C was a reconnaissance conversion of the A-26C. Between 1945 and 1947, the F (secondary) prefix letter was assigned to aircraft when the primary mission was changed to reconnaissance. In this case, an A-26C modified for the reconnaissance role was re-designated FA-26C. Beginning in 1930 and prior to 1945, the F designator was used as a primary prefix for reconnaissance aircraft. For example, a P-51, built as a photo recon aircraft, was designated F-6 (not FP-51). Only a few A-26Cs were modified for reconnaissance duties. Modifications typically involved removing all guns and installing cameras throughout the aircraft. Additionally, an aircraft intended for night reconnaissance was equipped with photo flash bombs. Some aircraft were also modified for electronic reconnaissance with the installation of radar and signal intelligence gathering equipment. In 1948, the USAF dropped the F designator for reconnaissance aircraft and replaced it with the R designator. The F designator was reassigned to fighter aircraft. At the same time, the A (attack) designator was dropped and the A-26 was reclassified as a bomber. Thus the FA-26C was re-designated RB-26C. With the start of the Korean War in June 1950, the USAF had very little tactical reconnaissance capability. As a result, the USAF ordered more RB-26C conversions for night reconnaissance duty. Type No. Built / Conv'd    Remarks FA-26C -    Reconnaissance conversions * The A-26C was re-designated B-26C in 1948 after the USAF dropped the attack designation.  Armament: None -- some FA-26Cs were equipped with photo flash bombs for night photography

	RB-26C   1948 redesignation of FA-26C   RB-26L was assigned to two RB-26Cs (serials 44-34718 and 44-35782) that were modified in 1962 for night photography missions The RB-26 designation was used beginning in 1948 after the USAF dropped both the attack (A) and reconnaissance (F) designations. All FA-26s still in service were re-designated as RB-26s. Limited numbers of B-26Bs and B-26Cs were converted for use as reconnaissance aircraft. The gun turrets were removed and the bomb bay adapted to carry additional equipment depending on the intended mission. For example, night reconnaissance aircraft were fitted with a photo flash "bombing" system. The converted aircraft generally used the simple RB-26 designation, although aircraft fitted with a bombardier's (clear) nose could be RB-26C, while the solid nose type was the RB-26B. When the Korean War began in June 1950, the Air Force had an urgent need for tactical night reconnaissance aircraft. The 162nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was moved from Langley Air Force Base, Va., to Japan and began flying missions in August 1950. During the first year of the war, RB-26s flew 2,305 effective sorties. The RB-26 retained a limited offensive weapons capability when rockets or bombs were loaded on wing racks and during the first year of the war, 342 tons of bombs were dropped and 120 rockets were fired. The RB-26 remained in service into the mid-1950s when it began to be replaced by more advanced jet-powered reconnaissance aircraft like the RB-57A and RB-66B. Type No. Built / Conv'd     Remarks RB-26C -    Reconnaissance conversion * The A-26C was re-designated B-26C in 1948 after the USAF dropped the attack designation. Armament: None, usually. Some aircraft were equipped with wing racks holding either rockets or bombs. The bomb bay could be loaded with photo flash bombs for night photography.

	CB-26B/C    Cargo transports   When the A-26 was removed from combat service after World War II and again after the Korean War, some aircraft were converted for transport or liaison duty. All defensive armament was removed and, depending on the intended mission, various changes were incorporated into the aircraft. These aircraft were primarily used as squadron "hacks" -- an aircraft assigned to a combat unit for use in various support functions. The aircraft was generally designated CB-26B although some were designated TB-26B (trainer) or VB-26B (staff transport). Type No. Built / Conv'd     Remarks CB-26B* -    Transport conversion * The A-26B was re-designated B-26B in 1948 after the USAF dropped the attack designation  Armament: Two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal barbette, two .50-cal. machine guns in a ventral barbette (sometimes omitted in favor of an extra fuel cell), eight forward firing .50-cal. machine guns in the nose and six .50-cal. machine guns in the wings plus provisions for 6,000 lbs. of bombs (4,000 lbs. internal and 2,000 lbs. external on wing racks), 14 5-inch rockets could be carried in place of the wing-mounted bombs

	DB-26B/C    Drone control (RPV) conversions   In the mid-1950s some B-26Bs were modified as drone director aircraft. All guns were removed and special drone mount points were added to the wings to enable special pylons to be added. The aircraft was intended to test new air-to-air missiles by providing a target drone for live fire tests. Additionally, the aircraft was used in support of combat crew training by providing aerial targets for pilot proficiency training. The Ryan Q-2A Firebee was the standard drone carried on the DB-26B. These director aircraft began service in the late 1950s and continued through the 1960s before being replaced by more modern aircraft capable of carrying larger drones. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks DB-26B* -     Drone director conversion * The A-26B was re-designated B-26B in 1948 after the USAF dropped the attack designation Armament: None (DB-26B carried two Q-2A Firebee drones)

	EB-26B/C    Aircraft used for missile guidance research   One B-26B was used for testing drag and braking chutes and designated EB-26B (exempt). This aircraft was extensively modified for this test program and had a very unusual configuration. For a typical test, the EB-26B would accelerate up to landing speeds and deploy the test chute to determine its effectiveness. Since the aircraft didn't need to actually fly, major modifications were done to make the aircraft as light as possible and therefore decrease the amount of time and runway needed to get up to the necessary test speed. The most obvious modification was the removal of the wings outboard of the engine nacelles. For this reason the aircraft was nicknamed "Wingless Wonder." Further weight savings were gained by removing all armament and even the landing gear doors. A test apparatus was fitted to the tail section and varied based on the type of chute or deployment mechanism being tested. For example, if a new aircraft design called for a downward opening drag chute compartment, a mockup was built and fitted to the EB-26B for testing. Other tests compared different types and sizes of chutes for stability and effectiveness. The EB-26B was used as a test aircraft throughout the early 1950s. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks EB-26B 1     "Wingless Wonder" test bed Armament: None

	RB-26B/C    Reconnaissance conversions   One B-26B was used for testing drag and braking chutes and designated EB-26B (exempt). This aircraft was extensively modified for this test program and had a very unusual configuration. For a typical test, the EB-26B would accelerate up to landing speeds and deploy the test chute to determine its effectiveness. Since the aircraft didn't need to actually fly, major modifications were done to make the aircraft as light as possible and therefore decrease the amount of time and runway needed to get up to the necessary test speed. The most obvious modification was the removal of the wings outboard of the engine nacelles. For this reason the aircraft was nicknamed "Wingless Wonder." Further weight savings were gained by removing all armament and even the landing gear doors. A test apparatus was fitted to the tail section and varied based on the type of chute or deployment mechanism being tested. For example, if a new aircraft design called for a downward opening drag chute compartment, a mockup was built and fitted to the EB-26B for testing. Other tests compared different types and sizes of chutes for stability and effectiveness. The EB-26B was used as a test aircraft throughout the early 1950s. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks EB-26B 1     "Wingless Wonder" test bed Armament: None Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 radials of 2,000 hp each Maximum speed: Approx. 150 mph (aircraft could not fly) Span: N/A (outer wings were removed) Length: 50 ft. 8 in. Height: 18 ft. 6 in. Serial number: 44-34137 (originally A-26B-45-DL)

	TB-26B/C    Target-tugs and advanced trainers with dual controls   Some B-26Bs were converted to trainer aircraft and re-designated TB-26B. The modifications included removal of all offensive and defensive weapon systems and the addition of dual controls for aircrew training. The USAF used the TB-26Bs as trainers and transports throughout the 1950s. Some TB-26s were transferred to the Air National Guard and remained in service into the early 1970s. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks TB-26B -     Trainer conversion

	VB-26B/C    VIP transports   The VB-26B was a B-26B modified for use as a staff transport. All armament was removed and the interior converted for passenger and light cargo transport missions. The aircraft was relatively small and would typically be used as a personal transport for a high ranking staff officer, as a squadron 'hack' aircraft and used for various liaison duties. Type No. Built / Conv'd      Remarks VB-26B -     Staff transport

	UB-26J   1962, redesignation of JD-1   The Douglas A-26G and A-26H were designations assigned to design studies done for an improved version of the A-26B/C. The G model was based on the solid nose design of the A-26B (and XA-26D) while the H model was based on the bombardier (glass) nose A-26C (and XA-26E). At the end of World War II, production plans for the D and E model Invaders were canceled. The Douglas proposal for the improved G and H model A-26 was submitted to support peace time needs; however, the Army Air Forces had sufficient numbers of A-26Bs and Cs and did not order the G and H models into production. No prototypes were built of either aircraft. Two features of the Douglas design were wing tip fuel tanks and a raised cockpit for increased pilot visibility. These features would be incorporated into the B-26K project more than 15 years after the cancellation of the A-26G/H project. The B-26J designation was assigned to U.S. Navy JD-1s still in service in 1962 when the tri-service naming scheme went into effect. The Navy obtained 150 surplus A-26Cs from the Army and converted them for use as target towing and utility aircraft. In 1962 all JD-1s still in service were re-designated UB-26J. Some JD-1s were adapted for use as drone director aircraft and given the designation JD-1D. In 1962 these aircraft were re-designated DB-26J. Type No. Built / Conv'd     Remarks A-26G 0    Improved A-26B A-26H 0    Improved A-26C B-26J -    Re-design'n of U.S. Navy JD-1

	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.

	B-26N   Unofficial designation applied to B-26s operated by the French Air Force (Armée 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.

	RB-26L - RB-26C 1963, night reconnaissance aircraft used in South Vietnam

	JB-26B/C    Permanent conversions for testing

	RB-26K    B-26K, 1964-1969, designation after glass nose change for night reconn

	XJD-1 - A-26B /  A-26C  1945, prototypes for US Navy testing

	DB-26J   1962, redesignation of JD-1D

	Invader B.MK 1- A-26C   1944, order for RAF

	RB-26L Two RB-26Cs (44-34718 and 44-35782) modified for night photography missions

	GA-26C ( ground training aircraft ) No data available

	KA-26A ( tanker ) No data available

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