There's another American medium bomber that saw action in every theater of the war. Unlike the others; it was good enuff to continue service clear thru the Vietnam war; and is right now, today; flying in active service fighting fires. No other WWII aircraft has had such a long and distinguised service life. This bird is in fact a refinement of the A20 Havoc.
The Invader.
The culmination of a dream of aeronautical engineer and designer, Ed Heinemann of Douglas Aircraft, the A-26 incorporated most of the then "state of the art" technological advances, primarily the new laminar flow wing. Other innovations regarding power plants and armament caused it to be labeled by some as "the fastest and most potent and heavily armed aircraft to emerge from WW II".
With a maximum diving speed of 420 MPH and a three ton load of various armaments, (i.e., 500 lb. bombs, napalm, firebombs, rockets, etc.) a talented and dedicated crew (pilot, navigator and gunner) could cause to come to pass the very purpose of war, which is, on the most basic level - "to kill people and break things".
There's eight 50 caliber machine guns mounted in two vertical rows of four each, three in each wing outside of the engines, and two more in a rear top turret that could be remoted to his control, the pilot had available at his fingertip trigger some sixteen guns firing at the same instant. The rear gunner usually had two each in his two remote turrets.
To couch that lethal potential in very simple terms: You could put sixteen forward firing 50 caliber guns, with some five to six thousand rounds of armor piercing ammunition into a single target in about sixty seconds. It was the personification of WWII "firepower", something the USAF would not be able to duplicate till the Warthog showed up 25 years later. (that'll put the binders on the cannon-hawgs!
Powered by two 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 air-cooled radial engines, its substantial bomb load and firepower (which, at one time included a 75 mm canon in the nose), the Invader could waltz away from most fighters at well beyond 350 MPH at sea level.
Just the ticket for fast attacks on AH fields; this 'buff' would be able to turn and fight rather than run and gun.
Yes; I know this one has been done (poorly) in another sim... but this plane NEEDS to be here. This one will be a welcome relief for fighter pilots that can't stand the thought of driving a 'conventional' bomber to help the cause; and it's a good transition plane for bomber pilots who profess to 'suck' in fighters.
Hang
