We're getting the A-26 Invader!......

[tedrbr]

Been browsing a PDF file of the A-26 Invader Pilot's Training Manual, and a few other sites, found a few interesting facts.

Original  A-26 was listed as 6 configurations for the "All Purpose Nose" (The B model) -- not counting the original two "4-pack" (not 3-pack/side I thought) gun pods that could be mounted under the wings (before 6 internal .50's - 3 per wing - were done with/after 45-block).

6 -.50s (later upped to 8)
1 - 37mm and 4 - .50's
1 - 37mm and 2 - .50's
2 - 37mm
1 - 75 mm and 1 - 37 mm  (75mm listed as having a rack to carry 20 75mm shells - nothing yet on 37mm capacity)
1 - 75mm and  2 -.50's  (30 actually ordered and deployed by numbers below....criminy!!)

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?  2-37mm?? Yikes!


Production numbers and details:
# A-26B-5: (30 aircraft), without the camouflage, and with 1 × 75 mm cannon in the nose plus 2 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) machine guns on the left.
# A-26B-10: (55 aircraft), 6 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) guns in the nose, and 2 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) in each of the barbettes.
# A-26B-15: (142 aircraft), 8 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) guns in the nose, and 2 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) in each of the barbettes, plus 4 additional gun packs mounted on the underwing hardpoints, each with 2 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) guns.
# A-26B-16: (2 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-20: (153 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-25: (63 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-30: (75 aircraft), new devised cockpit canopy, to improve sideview from the cockpit.
# A-26B-35: (75 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-40: (100 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-45: (120 aircraft), Powered by 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-79 Double Wasp water injected radials, rated at 2,000 hp (1.491 kW) each, with war emergency power of 2,350 hp (1.752 kW).
# A-26B-50: (109 aircraft), Gun armament revised to 8 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) fixed forward firing in the nose, and 6 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) in the leading edges of the wings in stead of gun packs. Because the nose and outer wing panels were interchangeable with the original units, upgrades were simple. Therefor a lot of older versions could easily and were upgraded to the A-26B-50 armament standard.
# A-26B-51: (6 aircraft), no further specific information, except that the ventral barbette was dropped for an additional fuel tank with 258.1 Imp gal (310 US gal/1.173 l)
# A-26B-55: (121 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-56: (19 aircraft), no further specific information, except that the ventral barbette was dropped for an additional fuel tank with 258.1 Imp gal (310 US gal/1.173 l)
# A-26B-60: (34 aircraft), no further specific information
# A-26B-61: (110 aircraft), no further specific information, except that the ventral barbette was dropped for an additional fuel tank with 258.1 Imp gal (310 US gal/1.173 l)
# A-26B-66: (136 aircraft), no further specific information, except that the ventral barbette was dropped for an additional fuel tank with 258.1 Imp gal (310 US gal/1.173 l)


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.

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.

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. 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

Torpedoes/rockets: 14 × 5 inch rockets under the wings in stead of bombs.  (Original Training Guide also lists 2 torpedoes carried internally, but I don't think it was 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.)

[tedrbr]

A-26C Invader Production numbers

Glazed nose Invader, for bombing purposes. It had duplicate controls, and 2 × 0.50 in (12,7 mm) fixed forward firing guns. The production blocks for the A-26C are identical to the blocks of the A-26B:
•   A-26C-1: (1 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-2: (4 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-5: (30 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-15: (27 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-16: (10 aircraft), no further specific information
•   A-26C-20: (71 aircraft), no further specific information
•   A-26C-25: (187 aircraft), no further specific information
•   A-26C-30: (160 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-35: (200 aircraft), no further specific information
•   A-26C-40: (97 aircraft), no further specific information
•   A-26C-45: (127 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-50: (155 aircraft), for further specific info see the A-26B entry above
•   A-26C-55: (52 aircraft), no further specific information

[tedrbr]

Talk about load out options:

A-26B Invader (50-block or later)

1-75mm (20 rounds) and 1-37mm in nose, 6 - .50's in the wings (400 rounds per gun), 14 - 5 inch rockets on wing mounts, 12 - 100 pound bombs internal.

GV Hunter!  

[whiteman]

Thought of this post when i saw the theard about voting a new aircraft in. lots of good info and is the plane i'lll vote for.

[-SR-]

Good Idea.

BTW. It seems Tedrbr likes the vader.


-SR-

[Ghosth]

I think this would be a great addition.

Lightly perk the big cannon versions, but give us one 8 forward firing mg's model unperked.

[Odee]

Originally posted by Krusty
You rotten SOB!!!! I clicked on this thread actually allowing myself to believe it!!!

Well, the bait must be good, you've hooked one already

* Removes hook, line and sinker from throat

Sorry, if I could talk at the moment, you would be hearing my scream from D.C. to Texas just by stepping outside.

Oh well, at least MicroSloth will have my beauty ride available....  

[tedrbr]

A-26 Invader sez

Vote For Me!

[Odee]

Originally posted by tedrbr
A-26 Invader sez

Vote For Me!

Done did....

[whiteman]

Well, since it's out of the running it's back on my wish list.

[Ack-Ack]

Originally posted by Ghosth
I think this would be a great addition.

Lightly perk the big cannon versions, but give us one 8 forward firing mg's model unperked.

The thing with the cannon version is that there aren't any records of them actually being produced other than the prototype version, which at the time was approved but then later the USAAF cancelled the cannon nose configuration for the standard 8 .50 cal nose package.  I couldn't find any records of the units that had the A-26 in the PTO or the ETO using the cannon equipped A-26s.  Those units described using either the glass nose configuration or the 8-12 .50 gun nose package.

Just because the initial design might have called for a 75mm in the nose, doesn't mean it actually carried one and therefore should have that option in AH.  That would be like a P-38 driver asking to have a 37mm cannon instead of the 20mm because the design specs said the P-38 could carry the 37mm, even though there wasn't one produced with that cannon.


ack-ack

[tedrbr]

From the production numbers, the A-26B-Block-5's, with 30 aircraft delivered, without the camouflage, and with 1 × 75 mm cannon in the nose plus 2 × 0.50 inch (12,7 mm) machine guns on the left.  
http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbirds/ww2htmls/douga26.html

Those Block 5's were delivered to front line units in the ETO, and PTO for combat evaluations:

Changes were also coming in from the combat fronts. Four early production aircraft were rushed to the Fifth Air Force during mid-1944 for combat testing with the 13th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, in New Guinea. The pilots flying the aircraft (A-26B-5-DLs) really liked the A26's high speed and response to throttle settings but when the under wing .50caliber gun packs were added, they were a bit dismayed by a 25 mph drop in speed due to the extra drag. Also, in the Pacific environment, they found that the bottom turret was unnecessary. Maintenance personnel found the easily removable panels that Douglas had designed into the Invader really helped during in-field maintenance but the hot and humid climate did cause trouble with fuel selector values, air filters, and the electrical system.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3901/is_200208/ai_n9104030/pg_6

 It was combat testing like this, and experiences with the Mitchells, which at that time were replacing their 75mm's in the field for banks of .50's as well, which led to the dropping of the 75mm requirement from the Invader.  
It also led to Six in-wing .50's rather than the gun pods, the 8 X .50's in the nose over the 6 earlier design, and the canopy redesign.

The Block-5's just did not see wide spread operational use.  Most early Invaders were easily retrofitted to the Block-50's specs, once they came about later.


Personally, I think the 75mm in-game will be as of limited use as it was in the war.  Slow, manually loaded 75mm, that could not be reloaded while the plane was pulling G's.  Most 75mm equipped planes like the B-25 were later fitted with banks of .50's firing API rounds, as they proved to be more versatile and effective.