Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Airscrew on November 06, 2002, 10:57:52 AM
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http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/a26i.html
http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/baugher_us/a26-12.html
If we cant have a B-25H or J, how bout the A-26,
We got the Mossie and the 110.
Specification of Douglas A-26B-15-DL Invader:
Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 or -71 air-cooled radials, each rated at 2000 hp for takeoff and 1600 hp at 13,500 feet.
Performance: Maximum speed 355 mph at 15,000 feet. Cruising speed 284 mph. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 8.1 minutes. Service ceiling 22,100 feet. Normal range 1400 miles, maximum range 3200 miles.
Dimensions: Wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 50 feet 0 inches, height 18 feet 6 inches, wing area 540 square feet.
Weights: 22,370 pounds empty, 27,600 pounds loaded, 35,000 pounds maximum.
Armament: Six forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns in nose. Forward-firing armament could be supplemented by eight 0.50-inch guns mounted in four-gun twin packages mounted underneath the outer wing panels. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled dorsal turret. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled ventral turret. An internal bomb load of 4000 pounds could be carried. Maximum total bomb load of 6000 pounds.
Specification of Douglas A-26B-60-DL Invader:
Powerplant: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-79 air-cooled radials, each rated at 2000 hp for takeoff, 2350 hp with water injection.
Performance: Maximum speed 355 mph at 15,000 feet. Cruising speed 284 mph. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 8.1 minutes. Service ceiling 22,100 feet. Normal range 1400 miles, maximum range 3200 miles.
Dimensions: Wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 50 feet 8 inches, height 18 feet 6 inches, wing area 540 square feet.
Weights: 22,362 pounds empty, 26,000 pounds loaded, 41,800 pounds maximum.
Armament: Eight forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns in nose. Three 0.50-inch machine guns mounted in each of the outer wing panels. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled dorsal turret. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-
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Some more A-26 stuff
A new all-purpose nose was installed beginning with the A-26B-10-DL. Initially, the USAAF was undecided about exactly what armament this version should carry. As originally planned, it was expected that the A-26B would be fitted with a variety of alternate solid nose sections, and that one deemed to the best would be selected. Options that were tested on early A-26Bs included one 75-mm cannon to starboard and two 0.50-inch machine guns to port, one 75-mm cannon to starboard and one 37-mm cannon to port, 2 37-mm cannon with one on each side of the nose, or one 37 mm cannon to starboard and two 0.50-inch machine guns to port; four 0.50-inch guns starboard and one 37-mm cannon to port; or four 0.50-inch guns to starboard and two 0.50-in guns to port. Eventually at the end of 1944, the USAAF finally made up its mind and decided that the solid-nosed A-26B would have six machine guns. with 400 rounds per gun. The guns in the two turrets had 500 rounds each.
Beginning with the A-26B-15, the forward-firing armament could be supplemented by eight 0.50-inch guns mounted in four twin packages underneath the outer wing panels.
Five aircraft from the initial Fiscal Year 1941 A-26 production batch were completed as A-26C-DL bombers with transparent noses and two nose guns. These were destined to be the only A-26Cs to be built at Long Beach, all the remaining A-26Cs being built at Tulsa.
The first 500 Invaders (up to A-26B-40-DL) were built at Long Beach. A parallel production line was established at Tulsa, Oklahoma for 500 aircraft ordered on March 17, 1943. The first Tulsa-built A-26Bs appeared in January of 1944. Of the Tulsa-built Invaders, 205 were delivered as A-26Bs with the rest being built as A-26Cs with glazed noses. Most of these Tulsa-built A-26Bs were powered by the Ford-built R-2800-71 engine with a revised ignition system.
Although both the Long Beach and Tulsa plants had started building both Invader versions, it was decided in late 1944 that this was an inefficient arrangement and that it would make better sense for the Long Beach plant to build only A-26Bs and the Tulsa plant to build only A-26Cs. This was indeed done, and the Long Beach plant stopped producing A-26Cs after only five were built.
During production, a number of improvements were introduced on the line. The oil cooler inlets on the wing leading edge were redesigned. The dorsal turret was modified to eliminate empennage buffeting. Initial combat reports from the field had complained about poor visibility from the cockpit, especially to the side. In order to improve visibility, the original flat-topped cockpit canopy which opened upward on the right side of the cockpit was replaced by a raised canopy opening in clamshell-fashion in two separate frameless transparent elements hinged at the sides of the fuselage. The canopy was a bit narrower on the pilot's side of the aircraft than it was on the copilot's. The new canopy enabled the pilot to see over both engine nacelles and towards the tail surfaces and it made it possible for him to check whether both main landing wheels were down. This new canopy was at first hand-built and fitted to a few early aircraft, but was introduced as standard equipment beginning with the A-26B-30-DL block.
Beginning with the A-26B-45-DL block, the engines were switched to Ford-built R-2800-79 with water injection, raising the war emergency power to 2350 hp.
The forward-firing armament of the early A-26B was found to be insufficient, especially in the Pacific theatre. Beginning with the A-26B-50-DL production block, a new eight-gun nose was fitted, and six internally-mounted 0.50-inch guns were mounted in the outer wing panels so that bombs or rockets could be carried underneath the wings. However, the eight-gun nose and the internal wing guns were often retrofitted to earlier A-26B versions, so the mere presence of these features cannot be used as a positive identification feature.
In aircraft destined for service in the Pacific (-51-DL, -56-DL, -61-DL, and -66-DL), the remotely-controlled ventral turret was replaced by a 125-US gallon auxiliary tank for extra range.
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looks mean dont it,.........:)
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HO me baby,...
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Feel those G's
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Screw the a26 untill we have a complete a20!
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bah!, A-26 is prettier, faster, and deadlier than the A-20 it replaced...
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Bad thing about A26's is they suffer wing failure from heavy wing loading... Just like it's little brother the A20.
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Eee-Gads! What a monster! (Yes, please:D)
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No, not another US buf/strike plane untill we get some stuff for Japan, Russia and Italy please, it is a cool plane though.
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No, not another US buf/strike plane untill we get some stuff for Japan, Russia and Italy please
I agree. And is there market for this type of planes? I don't see the A-20 or the Boston III getting much use.
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The invader brings back some Air Warrior memories ;)
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that thing was a brute - no wonder it was still in use during vietnam (what other WWII plane was?). great combination of speed, payload & armament - no wonder the wings suffered - look at the size of the engine nacelles relative to the wings.
adding it or the P-61 (which could survive a high g pullout after a divebomb run - w/ the A-26 you get a level bomb site or the 8 x 0.50 nose, but not both) would light up this board with complaints just like the La-7
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well lets see,lots of them in vietnam,,there was the f4u corsair,,,, c47,,,,f6f hellcat,,,,tbm,,,,b25's,,,,spitfire,,,,,you will find most ww2 planes were still in use during vietnam,,,we had so many of them,,we had to use them all up some how ,,,they used the he111 in spain till 1967,,lol,,,,,just goes to show we dont faze out old stuff that fast,,lol
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...i had no idea - i've seen a lot of viet nam combat footage, but never ant of those birds (admittedly i might not recognize a C-47 as well as the rest) - i know corsairs were in combat in central america in the late '60s (aircraft recognition during the soccer war musta been a 8itch)... USN Privateers (modified B-24s) are still in use as fire retardant bombers (one would think they would be more valuable as warbirds...guess not)
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yup,,every plane i mention were in vietnam,,,and then some,,,i didnt think f6f hellcats were there,,but we used them,,and so did the british in vietnam,,,,c47 was used alot!! ,,you never heard of the c47s in vietnam?,,,they were kick butt!!,,they had 2 vulcan cannons on some of them,,,they were tuff damn planes,,i wish we had them in here like that,,i guess they could lay out the forest for miles,,,,,,and f4u's and spitts,,p51 mustangs,,,we were still using lots of prop planes
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there is the very real possiblility that you are confusing viet nam war w/ CBI
¦¬þ
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no,,im not,,you can go check on it if you like,, you never heard of c47s with puff the magic dragons on them?,,just like the cobra's had,i guess they were very devistating,,lol,,every plane i said there was in vietnam,,i am not confused on this matter,,lol i know my war history pretty good:)<~~and im not saying that you dont ethere.,,,,but im just suprized you never heard of the deadly c47s in vietnam:)
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Puff WAS a c47, with multiple miniguns mounted inside.
The precursor to the AC130...
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Originally posted by WldThing
The invader brings back some Air Warrior memories ;)
AH needs the Blood Pig!
It would be a great (perked) bomber in the MA and would give the 1944-45 LW fighters in AH something contemporary to shoot at in historic set ups.
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well lets see,lots of them in vietnam,,there was the f4u corsair,,,, c47,,,,f6f hellcat,,,,tbm,,,,b25's,,,,spitfire,,,,,you will find most ww2 planes were still in use during vietnam,,,we had so many of them,,we had to use them all up some how
Don't forget the B-17; they were used in Vietnam to drop people and supplies behind the VC lines. The B-17s were painted black, and were chosen because they "didn't look like an American plane". Amazing how things change in a couple decades.
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Puff WAS a c47, with multiple miniguns mounted inside.
well,,puffs are the guns on it,,, they called the c47 the puff,,,because,,,it had the vulcan cannon<~~all so called puff the magic dragon used on the cobra attack choppers,,, and a10 warthogs now daysDon't forget the B-17
i didnt:),,thats why i said you will find most ww2 planes being used in vietnam,,,it is funny how long we used them old work horses:D
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Damn, not only did my thread get hi-jacked but I'm going to add to it.
Hyena, your just a little off on your descriptions
It was called AC-47 "Spooky" Gunship, carried 7.92mm mini guns not Vulcan cannons. I believe the vulcan cannon came later on the AC-130, which also had a 105mm 20mm, 40mm and several 9mm mini guns.
Anyway back to the AC-47,
The idea for the gun ships came from an Air Force officer, Captain Ronald W. Terry, who had seen DC-3s delivering mail and supplies to remote jungle areas in South America. The aircraft would circle in a steep pylon turn, lowering a bucket on a long rope. The bucket would orbit in a tight circle, suspended from the cargo door, and someone on the ground placed mail in it. Captain Terry suggested adapting this procedure to warfare situations by replacing the rope with a line of machine gun fire.
They tried the idea with ten, 30 caliber machine guns mounted in a C-47. The idea worked and the Air Force replaced the machine guns with three General Electric, six barrel, rotating mini-guns, reminiscent of the Civil War Galting guns. These 7.62 mm guns were capable of covering every square foot of a football field with one round, in one minute.
AC-47 gun ships had three window-mounted electrically operated 7.62 mm machine guns, positioned on a 12 degree angle in the fourth, fifth and sixth port windows. Sometimes these ships flew with the forward half of the cargo door removed and another gun installed in the opening.
The Puff carried 21,000 rounds ( 2,000 pounds of ammunition)and three 7.62mm mini-guns with a fast (6,000 rounds per minute) or slow (3,000 rounds per minute) rate of fire, with 7 crewmembers (2 pilots, 1 navigator, 2 gunners, 1 load master and 1 flight engineer), it operated typically at 3,000 ft., 130 knots airspeed, without armor or escorts and carried 24 to 56 5-million candlepower flares, manually thrown out the door.
From 1964 to 1969, the AC-47s successfully defended 3,926 hamlets, outposts or forts. They fired over 97 million rounds and killed over 5,300 enemy soldiers. No outpost or village under gunship protection was ever lost to the enemy. AC-47s provided murderous firepower to protect helicopter landing zones and flew over the eerie, nighttime jungle, dropping flares on Viet Cong positions.
Upon witnessing the wrath that the AC-47 brought down on the VC attackers that night, he reported that visual effect of the tracers, 1 in every 5 rounds or 20 per second, gave the appearance of dragon's breath. He also tied the roar of the guns into the description. Upon reading the account in the Stars and Stripes, the CO of the 1st Commando Squadron exclaimed "Well, I'll be damned! Puff, the Magic Dragon." from a child's song recently popularized in the U.S. by the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Captured VC documents later told of orders not to attack the Dragon as weapons are useless and it will only infuriate the monster.
Later gunships included the Spectre (AC-130), Shadow (AC-119G) and Stinger (AC-119K) with increases in airspeed, armor, altitudes, and computer aided guns. The 57 AC-47s stripped away the enemy's advantage of picking out friendly positions to strike and overrun at night.
There was a AC-47 named "Puff" I believe it was the first one made, they field modified a C-47 and if I remember right they used a gunsite from a A-1 Skyraider mounted on the pilots left so he could aim the plane.
Also more C-47's in Vietnam
In April 1962 a unique group of 30 USAF pilots were detailed to serve with the South Vietnamese Air Force in its C-47 squadrons. This permitted the VNAF to release some of its own experienced pilots to form new units for its rapidly-expanding air arm. A second group of 30 USAF pilots replaced the first group in the spring of 1963 and flew with the VNAF until the project ended in December 1963.
These 60 USAF pilots flew VNAF C-47s for flare drops, airborne assaults, airborne resupply, psychological warfare leaflet drops and loudspeaker broadcasts, and constantly-increasing cargo and troop movements. During the 20-month period they were on loan, they flew approximately 25,000 hours with the VNAF, making a significant contribution to its expansion. During the period of Dirty Thirty operations, 97 Air Medals and 2 Distinguished Flying Crosses were awarded.
The term "Dirty Thirty" was originated because of the round-the-clock duty hours which required them to wear their flying suits constantly. This once resulted in a passing comment about "one of those dirty pilots" and the term "Dirty Thirty" was born.
AirScrew
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a quick peek
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oohh ya thats right,,it was a smaller caliber gun,,,and from what i read it was a pretty mean machine,,lol,,but no less the c47 was there:) i forgot the cobra had a 20mm cannon vulc,,,lol just was saying there are more ww2 planes in vietnam then most people think,,even the p47 was there:P
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Punt, I still want the A-26, Please, someday?
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"I agree. And is there market for this type of planes? I don't see the A-20 or the Boston III getting much use."
There is a market for the A26! The A-20 and Boston can't get the job done, so they are not used.
A26's were quite popular in AW. B-25's worked nice too.
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A-26 and B-25 are a must.
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Special Twin "Bun Gun" nose package on the A-26.
:D
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i'd rather see the twin barrel version
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just the look of that thing says "HO me.....i dare ya!"
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Originally posted by Andijg
Special Twin "Bun Gun" nose package on the A-26.
:D
must scare of enemy pretty quick :D
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I know this a little late for this posting ....But let an "ole warrior" sing you a song....Puff the Magic Dragon, A bird of days long gone,Came to fly the evening sky, in a land called Vietnam...That old bird pulled my bacon out of the fire more than once.
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This was on of my prefered birds in Air Warrior, and I was somewhat surprised not to see it here.
But I have to agree with the other folks not wishing to see it here. There is a shortage of non allied attackers.
I would love to see the Vader though. As I said, this is one of my prefered birds.
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OK, just to set the record straight.....there were a few wwII vintage aircraft (such as the A-26, and the C-47) still in use during the Vietnam war. However, the idea that fighters such as the Mustang, Hellcat, and Spitfire were still in frontline use by major western powers such as the U.S. and Britian is absurd. It is a facthat the P-51 ceased even National Guard and Reserve service in 1957, and I believe that the Navy and the Brits stopped using their prop fighters around the same timeframe. You may be confusing Vietnam with Korea in which most WWII aircraft were still in service along with the new jets. Also, the French used the F-8F Bearcat (a close descendant of the Hellcat) during their stint in Vietnam in the 1950s. If anyone has any questions, I am willing to do some research on a time permitting basis.
1Lt Joel Prosio, USAF
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When Hyena first hijacked my thread and said something about French F6F's in Vietnam I did a little searching on the internet and remember finding a reference to the French using some surplus WW2 aircraft in 1947. I think Hyena took some information he found out of context. I believe that maybe some people dont realize that the "Vietnam War" started around the same time WW2 ended so naturally there would be references to WW2 aircraft being using. As far as US WW2 aircraft being reutilized by US forces in the 60's and 70's the only aircraft I remember reading about were C-47's, A/B-26 Invaders, and some redesigned and redesignated P-51's that by the time they were done modifing the P-51 it was hardly recongizable.
AirScrew
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Ok, quickie search on the internet
The P-51 proved to be so useful that in 1967 the Mustang was put into production once again, this time by Cavalier and Piper. The Cavalier Turbo-Mustang III and Piper Enforcer were developed as Counter-Insurgency (COIN) aircraft with duties including light attack, Forward Air Control and interdiction roles.
Turbo-Mustang III:
One 1,740 Rolls-Royce Dart 510 Turboprop
Enforcer: One 2,535 Lycoming T55-9 Turboprop
AirSCrew
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And this is supposed to be the last operational US Army TF-51, but no date is given the photo. I'm guessing my looking at the truck on the flightline that this is about 1963-64 or later, guess it also depends on when the Army using those paint schemes on their aircraft. I remember these colors from at least 68-69.
AirScrew
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Originally posted by MajTom
As far as US WW2 aircraft being reutilized by US forces in the 60's and 70's the only aircraft I remember reading about were C-47's, A/B-26 Invaders, and some redesigned and redesignated P-51's that by the time they were done modifing the P-51 it was hardly recongizable.
A number of B-17s were used, painted all black, for covert operations during Vietnam. What I find most humorous about this is that the reason they were used was because they "didn't look like American aircraft" -- a clear illustration of how much aircraft design had changed since the B-17 was built.
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And , 1,2,3 Punt....
Deep down inside this is still a request to add the A-26B/C Invader at some point in the future.
AirScrew (LA7 Dweeb and I don't care)
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I can't help myself,....Punt
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Until the First Indochina War ended in 1954, the French would have been using F8F Bearcats and F4U Corsairs. Perhaps Hellcats were in that mix as well. The French also flew Corsairs off their carriers to disable Egypt's MiG bases in the Suez operation. I believe the last use of a Mustang in combat was strafing a Cuban intelligence ship that would not leave Dominican Republic waters in 1969. The Cubans sent MiG-21s to retaliate, and the P-51 pilots understandibly declined to up in defense of their base.
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One interesting fact not mentioned here so far...the a26 had a
1:1 ratio in air to air encounters over europe in WW2. A26 pilots would often go "hunting" after dropping their load...obviously a lot were probably our equivelent of vulching...but a number of recorded "dogfight" victories are around.
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I recall one A-26 being awarded a kill on a 262, im guessing that was a landing vulch.
The LW would protect the 262 fields with standing patrols of 109D's and Ta152's whenever the 262's were landing or taking off, as these low speed operations were the jet's period of maximum vulnerability.
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Originally posted by 2Slow
"I agree. And is there market for this type of planes? I don't see the A-20 or the Boston III getting much use."
There is a market for the A26! The A-20 and Boston can't get the job done, so they are not used.
A26's were quite popular in AW. B-25's worked nice too.
The A-20G can't get the job done??!!
Well, I beg to differ. Not only can it deliver 4k in ordnance, it can deliver it with a precision not possible with any level bomber. It's a single plane town killer.
What's more, it can be deadly in a dogfight for anyone silly enough to blow their E. It's a decent turner at low speeds and wields a powerful punch with 6 fifties packed in the nose.
I frequently fly the A-20G as a fighter just for the fun of terrorizing the unsuspecting.
Recently, during the Battle of Britain scenerio in the CT, it was discovered that the Boston III was nearly impossible to intercept or chase down. On the deck, it was the fastest aircraft in the scenario. Imagine the shock of watching a Boston climb away from your Bf 110C while you burn up your WEP, unable to keep up. Besides, you may regret catching it when you realize that the dang thing turns on a dime (the Boston is lighter and turns even better than the A-20G).
These are decent aircraft, but require the knowledge of how to use them effectively.
One last thing, you can dogfight flying in the F3 position, meaning you have tremendous outward vision, and that is a huge advantage. Especially once you learn how to shoot accurately from that view. So, don't be surprised if you spot a Havoc on you 6, guns blazing. :eek: But, by then it'll be too late......
My regards,
Widewing
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I'm not saying the A-20 Boston or A-20G Havoc are bad planes, just that I like the A-26 better, plus in minor comparison of stats the A-26 seems better than the A-20.
A-26 is faster, carries 2,000lbs more and goes further
Didnt spend a lot of time looking used
USAF Museum (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/ind/ind.htm)
One of the things I dislike about websites (wish I had more books like my B-17 book) is they list max speeds and cruising speeds but no mention of altitude and weight of the plane at those speeds.
Douglas A-20G-20-DO to A-20G-45-DO
(didnt know exactly which A-20G we have so picked middle block)
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 317 mph.
Cruising speed: 256 mph
Combat Range: 950 miles
Maximum Range: 2100 miles
Service Ceiling: 23,700 ft.
Armament: 4 fixed, forward firing .50-cal. machine guns in the nose, two fixed .50-cal. machine guns in the lower forward fuselage, two .50-cal. machine guns in a dorsal turret, and one .50-cal. machine gun in a ventral position plus provisions for 4,000 lbs of bombs.
Engines: Two Wright R-2600-23 "Cyclone" supercharged radials of 1,600 hp. ea.
Douglas A-26B (3 blocks)
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 355 mph.
Cruising speed: 284 mph
Range: 3,200 miles maximum ferry range
Service Ceiling: 22,100 ft.
early block A-26B
Weight: approximately 35,000 lbs. gross take off weight
Armament: 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)
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 radials of 2,000 hp. ea.
early/mid block A-26B
Weight: approximately 35,000 lbs. gross take off weight
Armament: 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 4 wing-mounted gun pods each housing a pair of .50-cal. machine guns.
late block A-26B
Maximum speed: 322 mph.
Cruising speed: 278 mph
(slower than the first two blocks but still slight advantage over A-20G)
Weight: approximately 41,800 lbs. gross take off weight
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). Fourteen 5 in. rockets could be carried in place of the wing-mounted bombs.
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When Hyena first hijacked my thread and said something about French F6F's in Vietnam I did a little searching on the internet and remember finding a reference to the French using some surplus WW2 aircraft in 1947. I think Hyena took some information he found out of context
no majortom i didnt hijack this thread,,lol,,i was just saying most ww2 planes were used in vietnam,,some one made the remark that the a26 outlasted most ww2 planes in war,,,,a26 is a very good plane,,,but it wasnt the only old bird in the skies over vietnam,,,no question the a26 was a bomber that lasted a long time,,,but so did alot of ww2 planes
At the beginning of 1950, the Chinese communists, victorious against Chang-Kai-Check were positioned on the Tonkin's frontiers, and were providing their logistic aid to the Vietminh. The Indochina peninsula appeared as the last rampart against the communist expansion in Asia. Until then, the USA that had been reluctant to bring their support to "colonialist" France began to revise their position.
In March, General Hartmann, Commanding officer of the French Air Force in Indochina informed the American Military Mission about his project to install a "Battle Air Corp" composed of 4 Jet Fighter Groups, 2 Bomber Groups, and 4 Transport Groups. The jet being inadequate for this type of local war, they would opt for the Grumann-F6F "Hellcat", and F8F "Bearcat". The twin engine bomber Douglas B-26 (or A-26) "Invader" would also be chosen. A reform in commandment was also put in effect with the creation of three GATAC (Aerial Tactical Groups): North-Gatac in Hanoi, Center-Gatac in Hué and South-Gatac in Saigon/TanSonNhut.
Planes of 2nd Period : Bell P63 Kingcobra ; Grumann F6F Hellcat et F8F Bearcat ; Douglas B26 Invader ; Consolidated PBY4 Privateer .
At the end of October 1950, the first Hellcats arrived aboard the aircraft carrier "Dixmude" and were immediately engaged in combat. General Delattre de Tassigny's appointment as head of the Expeditionary Corps in the Far East seemed to result in a reversal of the situation. Alas, that would only be temporary.
In January of 1951, the Groups I/5 and II/5 came back to the French Metropolis. Large forces were involved in heavy fighting in the Vinh-Yen sector (about 30 kilometers northwest of Hanoi). The fate of Tonkin hanged in the balance.
Participating in the fight were: the Fighter Groups III/6 "Roussillon" and I/9 "Limousin", providing Kingcobras, Hellcats lent from the group II/6 "Normandie Niemen" and I/6 "Corse". Junkers Ju-52s and Dakotas were provided by the transport Groups. The liaison groups also provided 24 Morane-500s and Siebels. Napalm was used the first time.
During the month of January 1700 fighter sorties were flown instead of the usual 500 to 700 in normal times. Hanoi was protected, and most of the Air Force (114 airplanes from the 147 in service) went under the command of Gatac-North. Hellcats had to ensure the security in South Vietnam and Annam.
In November 1953, the Dien-Bien-Phu site, a basin near the Laos frontier, was chosen in an attempt to block the Ho-Chi-Minh trail, which was used for the transport of the material coming from China. It was also hoped, (and without any doubts), that the bulk of the enemy forces would be contained within this area, and that they could be neutralized, or even annihilated: That was the "Castor" (beaver) Operation. It was supported with B-26s, Privateers, and Hellcats from the Arromanches Aircraft Carrier, and several paratrooper battalions grabbed the village. A runway was built, and on November 24th, the first Dakotas landed.
At the beginning of 1954, the combats sprayed to the main part of the Indochina territory.
On March 13th 1954, while the Air Force Units were being requested from the 15 Airfields where they were based, the Vietminh Divisions attacked the fortified camp in DienBienPhu. Three days latter, they shelled the airfield, destroying 6 Bearcats, 5 Moranes, and 2 helicopters. A counterattack could only come from outside units based more than 300 kilometers away. All forces in the North were mobilized for this counterattack, namely: 2 Fighter Groups flying Bearcats, 2 Bomber Groups flying B-26s, and Navy airplanes: Hellcats, Helldivers and Privateers. The Transport Groups provided one hundred Dakotas and 24 Fairchild C-119Cs "Boxcars" arrived in reinforcement from the USA.
f6f was used alot long than just 1947 thats for sure