Douglas A-26B/C Invader Reference Information:
Overview:A High performance medium bomber/attack plane (also referred to as (Ground) Attack Fighter, Close Support Attack Fighter, Light Bomber in roles it filled in WWII) during late WWII, the Douglas XA-26 prototype first flew July 10, 1942, and saw military service from August 1943 until final retirement from Air Guard in 1972. Designed and meant to not only to replace the DB-7/A-20 Havoc, but also the North American B-25 Mitchell and Martin B-26 Marauder light bombers. They flew in the Pacific Theater, the European Theater, Korean War, Vietnam, and small conflicts from Central America, Asia, and Africa. Re-designated the B-26 in 1947 by the USAF when the Marauder declared obsolete. Some converted to business planes for corporate executives and military brass, and, probably most famously, as water bombers to fight forest fires. Quite a few are still around. Nearly 40 are still airworthy. A-26 was hampered by initial development problems, caused reportedly by indecisiveness of the USAAF about armament mix, and a lack of manufacturing equipment.
Three variations of the A26 Invader were initially conceived - a night fighter, a level bomber and an attack variant. The night fighter was not adopted as the Black Widow got that job during WWII.
They began arriving in England in September 1944 for assignment to the 9th Air Force and entered combat two months later on Nov. 19, 1944. Invaders began operations in the Pacific Theater in January 1945. Invaders saw combat for 7 months in the European Theater, and 8 months in the Pacific Theater.
2,448 – 2,452 to 2,502 Aircraft were built (sources vary, and may or may not include prototypes).
The A-26B "solid nose" (aka “All Purpose Nose”) Invader was seen more in WWII, the A-26C "glass nose" with Norden bombsight was also used... Invaders could be converted between the B and C models in the field in a couple hours, and often a B model that got the glass canopy was re-designated a C model.......but not always..... this has led to some confusion about the B and C models in surviving aircraft, A-26 websites, and restoration information.
Originally, the optional wing guns were mounted in gun pods on very early models. The water-injected R-2800-79 engines wing panels with internally-mounted guns, increased tank capacity, and provision for underwing rockets were introduced on the production line with the A-26C-45-DT block, and allowed an additional 2,000 pounds of ord to be mounted on the wings.
Details:
Type: Attack/Medium Bomber
Crew: Three in B model (pilot and navigator/radioman in the cockpit and a gunner). The C model added a co-pilot/bombardier.
SpecificationsLength: 51' 3" (15.24 m)
Height: 18' 6" (5.64 m)
Wingspan: 70' (21.34 m)
Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (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)
PropulsionNumber of Engines: 2
Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" 18-cylinder radial engines; Horsepower: 2000 HP each (1,500 kW)
PerformanceNormal Range: 1400 miles (1,200 nm, 2,300 km)
Maximum (ferry) range: 3200 miles
Cruise Speed: 284 mph
Max Speed: 355 mph (308 knots, 570 km/h) at 15,000 feet
Ceiling: 22,100 feet (6,700 m)
Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 8.0 - 8.2 minutes
Wing loading: 51 lb/ft² (250 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.145 hp/lb (108 W/kg)
ArmamentGuns - typical, late model A-26B
8× 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in the nose
6-8 × 0.50 in M2 machine guns in/under the wings (internally mount or gun pods)
2× 0.50 in M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret
2× 0.50 in M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret (or fuel cell)
Bombs: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)-4,000 lb in the bomb bay and 2,000 lb external on the wings (post A-26C-45-DT block introduction).
C-model typically was built with 2 forward firing .50's, plus 2-twin barbettes and additional guns were added to the wings once delivered for operations in the field. C-models performed as pathfinders and observation aircraft often, and were fewer in production numbers.
Original A-26B from Original Pilot’s Training Manual was listed as having 6 configurations for the "All Purpose Nose" (The B model) –
not counting the original two "4-pack" gun pods option that could be mounted under the wings (before the 6 internal .50's - 3 per wing - were done with/after 45-block).
* 6 -.50s (later upped to 8) – most commonly ordered configuration
* 1 - 37mm and 4 - .50's
* 1 - 37mm and 2 - .50's
* 2 - 37mm’s (gah!)
* 1 - 75mm and 1 - 37 mm (Racks held 20 rounds for manually loaded 75mm)
* 1 - 75mm and 2 -.50's (30 actually ordered and deployed by numbers below....crimminy!!)
Unsure if any of the other configurations were ordered, deployed, or retrofitted in the field later. That was one great thing about the A-26, you could swap nose components in and out in hours. 75mms?? 2 – 37 mms?? Yikes!
Ammo capacity reported to be 500 rounds-per-gun in the barbettes, 400 rounds-per-gun in the nose. Wing guns about the same, but no fixed numbers yet.
75mm had racks for 20 rounds, manually loaded by loader in jump seat in cockpit.
Ordanance:Up to 6,000 lb, consisting of 2 × 2,000 lb max in 2 internal bays, plus 4 underwing hardpoints rated at 500 lb each. Total of 20 hard points, but maximum of 16 could be used at any one time points.
Loadout was generally:
* 4 × 1,000 lb, or
* 8 × 500 lb, or
* 8 × 250 lb, or
* 12 × 100 lb internal
* 4 × 500 lb or 4 × 250 lb under the wings additional typical, 4 X 100 lbs possible
Torpedoes/rockets: 14 × 5 inch rockets under the wings instead of bombs.
(Original Training Guide also lists 2 torpedoes carried internally (doors open), but I don't think it was ever used this way in WWII, since by that time, Axis fleets were mostly done, and an A-26 low and slow for torps is not a good use of that plane.)
Diving Speeds:26,000 lbs gross --- 425 IAS
32,000 lbs gross --- 400 IAS
35,500 lbs gross --- 360 IAS
Fuel capacity Internal 6.056 l, plus provision for 1.173 l if the ventral barbette was omitted (mostly the Pacific theatre) Fuel capacity external 1.741 l in two drop tanks.
Normal fuel consumption at cruise approx 150 GPH
• Main Tanks, 300 gals each
• Aux Tanks 100 gallons each
• Bomb Bay Tank 125 gallons
Total Normal = 925 gallons
• Ferry Tank 675 gallons
Total Ferry = 1600 gallons
• Ventral barbette was dropped for an additional fuel tank with 258.1 Imp gal (310 US gal/1.173 l) in some cases for Pacific operations.
• Option of 460 US gal fuel in two wing mounted drop tanks, 1 hard point each.
The cabin and fuel tanks of the A26 Invader were heavily armored, adding increased protection to the aircraft and her crew.
