Douglas A-26 / B-26 Invader

History

The Douglas A-26 Raider is an excellent twin-engine light bomber with origins dating back to World War II. The system has proven to perform well in both day and night flight, hitting targets with a large number of machine guns or dropping bombs, and is equally successful at low to medium altitudes. The type served in the Pacific and European theaters throughout the conflict, and in subsequent global wars, including Korea, Indochina, and Vietnam.

In the end, the Invader served the U.S. Armed Forces for about two decades before being officially retired and out of service -- that's the range of this magnificent aircraft.

Development

The Intruder was designed as early as 1940 and flew for the first time on July 10, 1942 as a pre-production XA-26 prototype. The XA-26 emerged as the successor to the Douglas A-20 Havoc, which had a similar role and design, with a glass nose and 5,000 internal and external ammunition.

Armament includes front 2 x 12.7mm machine guns and a remote-controlled periscope-firing dorsal and ventral turret, each with 2 x 12.7mm machine guns (a very similar arrangement to the A-26C production model). A model was completed and submitted in early 1941, and the contract was completed in June of that year.

The contract initially provided only two prototype types, including the XA-26 light attack bomber and the XA-26A night attack fighter.

The resulting tests revealed some structural problems with the nose gear - it proved prone to collapse - so the assembly was redesigned. Other modifications focused on overheating the engine, removing the original propeller spinners (designed to aid the plane's streamlining) to improve cooling airflow and redesigning the engine cowling for better performance. Overall, the tests proved that the aircraft was designed to be robust and fast.

Handling is considered above average and very sensitive. Unique to the XA-26 is its single cockpit, which does not require a dedicated co-pilot, allowing the fuselage to maintain a sleek shape, like the Northrop P-61 Black Widow and Douglas A-20 Havoc. The XA-26 ordered by the USAF with the serial number A-26 consists of several major variants, but no A-26A production model exists.

Production of the A-26 family has been slow because much of the Douglas plant is tied to previous contract aircraft production. So the A-26 had to wait until 1944 to see the full form.

The XA-26A model was a prototype night fighter and strike platform. This model deserves a special mention because of its special role in introducing the solid nose that covers the search radar system.

A ventral gun mount was developed to compensate for the aircraft's lack of frontal armament, and resulted in a battery of 4 x 20mm guns. Due to the space allocated for the radar system and firearms (and ammunition), the bomb load was only 2,000 pounds. The radio-controlled dorsal turret is retained with its 2 x 12.7mm machine guns. The Northrop P-61 Black Widow beat the XA-26A in night fighters because it was already in production and had the same performance specs as the XA-26A. Power comes from two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 radial engines, each rated at 2,000 horsepower.

The XA-26A only exists in one prototype.

In June 1942, the original contract with the Army Air Corps was modified to include a third aircraft prototype in the form of a single XA-26B example completed at the Douglas El Segundo plant. The aircraft model will fit into the mold of a low-altitude attack aircraft platform with each 2,000-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 engine and 6,000-pound internal/external bomb capacity with a crew of three. Externally, the XA-26B is similar to the XA-26A model series, with a similar solid nose mask, but with a recessed 75mm gun.

In theory, the aircraft proved to be a sturdy weapon, but in practice the cannons were slow to fire and prone to jamming, requiring a lot of maintenance. This forced the Douglas team to try various alternative weapon combinations, including the use of a 37mm cannon or heavy machine gun, or both. Some early production B models rolled off the assembly line to test different weapon loads.

Impressive ideas were covered, but proved sketchy, like a 75mm cannon with two 12.7mm machine guns or a twin 37mm cannon with 4 x 12.7mm machine guns. This development delay eventually led to an early batch of B-series models with 6 x 12.7mm machine guns and a later batch of B-series models with 8 x 12.7mm machine guns, as production of this type had ceased when testing began. Armament followed closely. thereafter. The U.S.

Air Force accepted the draft on June 30, 1943.

The A-26B model series became the production version of the XA-26B, with mounted heavy machine guns assembled in a robust nose assembly, and the Pratt & Whitney R 2800-27 series with a top speed of 350-355 mph Engine, -71 or -79 2,000 hp. Three crew members operate this type, including a pilot, a navigator/loader and a gunner. About 1,355 B-26B model series aircraft were eventually produced, along with 25 others that were never delivered.

Production takes place at two Douglas plants - one in Long Beach, California, and the other in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

These Invader models were eventually followed by the A-26C model with a glass nose and Bombardier manned Norden bombsight, which increased its top speed to 370 mph. Compared to the previous A-26B model, these models were better suited for specialized light attack bombers, which were generally good at machine gun bombing. The A-26C model was built at the same time as the A-26B system.

Early A-26Cs had a framed cockpit, but were later changed to a clamshell glass cockpit, which improved the aircraft's range and emergency exits. The C model was equipped with a more powerful engine, namely 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines, 2,000 hp each, with water injection. The wings are also reinforced to hold up to 14 by 5 inches rockets or 2,000-pound bombs. The wings were slightly modified to accommodate 6 x 12.7mm wing machine guns to compensate for the lack of penetration caused by the removal of the nose armament along with the B model.

1,091 A-26Cs were delivered.

The A-26C variant differed in being the "pilot ship" of the fixed nose A-26B variant. As the lead ship, the A-26C would record its target and drop bombs to signal the following A-26B to do the same. This method of bombing has proven to be commonplace in light bombers such as the A-20 Havoc.

The A-26C variant eventually replaced the purpose-built A-20 Havoc lead ships (A-20J and A-20K) in this role.

RB-26B and RB-26C represent unarmed photographic reconnaissance models improved from existing B-26B and B-26C models, respectively, while trainer B-26s are identified as TB-26B and TB-26C. VB-26B holds an administrative role. Post-war production Invaders would emerge from the proposed A-26Z configuration, which would encompass both the fixed-nosed A-26G variant and the glass-nosed A-26H variant. These have never been produced.

The US Navy used some Douglas Raiders in limited roles and designated them as JD-1 series target tugs. The drone director was known as the JD-1D, which in 1962 was renamed the UB-26J and DB-26J, respectively.

The YB-26K was a heavily modified version of the B-26B that later became the B-26K "Anti-Intruder" and was eventually renamed the A-26A again. The two-person aircraft was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W 2,500 hp water jet engine and served in the Vietnam War.

Design

The design of the A-26 Invader is typical of light attack bomber designs during World War II. The fuselage has a streamlined design, including the cockpit, bomb bay and gun locations. The nose of the B-26B is a "solid" nose when using the 6 or 8 x 12.7mm machine gun assembly. The glass nose on the A-26C model shows the use of bombardier/navigator and bombsight controls in place of the nose-mounted cannon. Traditionally, a crew of three intruders included the pilot, navigator/radio operator, and gunner, the latter of which operated the rear and belly turrets.

The C model features a bombardier/navigator crew member and two nose-mounted 12.7mm machine guns. The airframe turned out to be a well-assembled structure, as many intruders were known to suffer significant damage, but their crews returned to their bases.

Even fully loaded with bombs, it can fly with a single engine. The empennage is conventional, with a recognizable circular vertical fin extending from the upper part of the rear fuselage.

Armed

The A-26B Invader excels in armament. More striking are the batteries for the 6 x 12.7 mm (0.50 caliber) heavy machine gun (early Block A-26B model), all located in the nose box. Later Block B-26Bs had a total of 8 x 12.7mm machine guns on the nose. This assembly enables the invader to carry out devastating strafing fire on enemy ground targets, often with devastating results, by combining the concentrated force of six to eight heavy machine guns into a single hot-lead focal point.

In addition to the nose armament, two 12.7mm machine guns were housed in a dorsal turret, and the other two were housed in a ventral turret. The ventral turret was sometimes removed in order to increase the fuel cell. The intruder can also carry 8 underwing machine guns and 6 12.7mm machine guns (three on one side) mounted on the leading edge of each wing, as well as blister mounts on the sides of the fuselage - all focused on forward firing Location. A single shot of all the machine guns would throw the entire plane back violently, and the crew should think about their own safety.

In all, one A-26 can carry up to 22 x 12.7mm machine guns and up to 6,000 rounds of ammunition.

The lethality of the Douglas Raider is further highlighted by its ability to carry 4,000 to 8,000 pounds of internal and external ammunition in the form of dropped bombs or 8 to 14 x 5" rockets (the latter mounted externally under 8 or 14 wings) pylon) - can be fully deployed with 16 missiles in place of drop tanks and wing bombs In fact, the intruder is known to be able to carry a larger bomb load than the larger Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, adding an additional 165 gallons Drop fuel tanks under the wings, increasing the aircraft's range by 300 miles The C-Type Intruder with a glass nose has 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in the nose and a 2 x 12.7mm artillery system in each turret, but adds 6 The wing machine gun increases the forward firepower.

Operational Services

Deliveries of the A-26 in B-26B model form began in August 1943, and the system immediately became the fastest American bomber of World War II. The system was used in various roles along the European and Pacific fronts throughout the conflict. The A-26 served with the Fifth Air Force in the Pacific Theater and entered service for the first time on June 23, 1944. European delivery and deployment to the Ninth Air Force in September 1944, the first combat operation took place two months later.

The Raiders served until the end of the war, when many served in the U.S. Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command in the postwar world. The U.S.

Air Force dropped the "Attack" designation for the aircraft in 1948 and officially renamed the Raider the B-26 (not to be confused with the WWII-era Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber).

The A-26B and A-26C were augmented June 25, 1950 with at least 37 aircraft for the upcoming Korean War. The 3rd Bomber Group (8th, 13th, and 90th Squadrons) were some of the first units deployed in the conflict, launching from Japanese bases against targets on the peninsula.

Later that year, the group's strength increased to 90 aircraft. These intruders can be relied on to operate at low altitudes in the dark, maneuvering over and around North Korea's dangerous mountains. Invaders would destroy thousands of enemy vehicles by the end of the war, totaling approximately 232,000 flight hours and nearly 20 million rounds of 12.7mm ammunition. Initially, invaders stationed in Japan were supposed to provide U.S. citizens with fire cover during their evacuation from the South Korean capital, Seoul.

But on June 29, 1950, the plane hit the North Korean target directly as required. The B-26 proved to be an invaluable asset in disrupting supply lines on known roads where intruders could direct their fire to unarmored targets first.

Tactics changed with operational experience, and intruder aircrews learned to bomb precisely moving targets they might have attempted with weapons on previous missions. The invaders targeted airfields with equal enthusiasm, using their impressive bombing (including napalm) as well as their machine guns and rockets against targets of opportunity.

The A-26 itself proved successful in night missions, although the enemy undoubtedly proved resilient and able to change its flight pattern on the ground in response to American attack patterns.