February 13, 2025
A WWII-Generation Douglas A-26 Invader

This can be a 1944 Douglas A-26 Invader, it noticed motion in International Conflict II in Europe with the ninth Air Power all over the Struggle of the Bulge. It then later noticed motion within the Korean Conflict with the third Bomb Wing.

The A-26 Invader was once probably the most extra fashionable gentle bombers of WWII because of its prime pace, maneuverability, just right payload, and the truth that it was once most often flown with a minimum team together with only one pilot.

Rapid Information – The Douglas A-26 Invader

  • The Douglas A-26 Invader was once advanced within the Nineteen Forties, it first flew in July of 1942 and it entered carrier a yr later in 1943.
  • The plane was once later renamed the B-25 Invader, which has led to a couple confusion with the unrelated Martin B-26 Marauder.
  • The A-26 Invader might be configured as both a quick bomber or a closely armed ground-attack plane, and it will be the handiest American struggle plane to peer motion in 3 wars – WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict.
  • Energy was once supplied by means of two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder, double-row radial engines which might produce upwards of two,000 hp relying on configuration.

The Douglas Plane Corporate

The Douglas Plane Corporate was once based in 1921 by means of Donald Wills Douglas Sr., a person who would move directly to transform a titan of the worldwide aerospace trade.

U.S. Navy Chief Machinist C.E. Storm is shot out of a Douglas JD-1 Invader during ejection seat tests. Image courtesy of U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News

Image DescriptionU.S. Military Leader Machinist C.E. Typhoon is shot out of a Douglas JD-1 Invader all over ejection seat exams over Naval Auxiliary Air Facility El Centro, California (USA), in 1951. Symbol courtesy of U.S. Military Naval Aviation Information.

Early within the corporate’s historical past they’d a outstanding stroke of fine fortune when in 1923 the U.S. Military Air Provider become inquisitive about placing in combination an expedition to transform the primary to circumnavigate the globe by means of plane – they referred to as this system “International Flight.”

Donald Douglas briefly learned that his corporate’s first army plane, the Douglas DT, could be absolute best for the venture if it was once given extra gasoline capability to extend the variety between stops. He assigned a tender engineer named Jack Northrop to the process, the similar guy who would later get started the Northrop Company which might transform one in every of The united states’s maximum essential experimental plane firms.

The Douglas DT was once a two-place, unmarried engine, open cockpit, biplane torpedo bomber that first flew in overdue 1921. It has a chief fuselage created from welded metal tube with a cloth masking and so they might be fitted with both floats or standard touchdown tools.

The U.S. Military Air Provider would move on to reserve 4 of the brand new long-range Douglas DTs, two of which might whole the flight around the globe, leaving Seattle at the sixth of April 1924. Two of the plane could be misplaced, one in fog and the opposite in a ditching incident within the Atlantic, however the two surviving DTs landed again in Seattle at the twenty eighth of September of the similar yr to a lot fanfare.

A look inside the A-26 Invader cockpit. Image courtesy of AFHRA

Image DescriptionA glance within the A-26 Invader cockpit. Symbol courtesy of AFHRA

The good fortune of the venture was once a significant boon for the Douglas Plane Corporate, and so they modified their motto to: “First Across the International – First the International Round.”

The Douglas A-26 Invader

The Douglas A-26 Invader was once advanced by means of an engineering staff consisting of Ed Heinemann, Robert Donovan, and Ted R. Smith. The leading edge NACA 65-215 laminar-flow airfoil wing was once the paintings of aerodynamicist A.M.O. Smith, and it will play a big section within the plane’s enduring good fortune.

The A-26 was once advanced with an aluminum body and pores and skin, tricycle touchdown tools, two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp 18-cylinder, double-row radial engines, and house for a unmarried pilot, a navigator, and a gun loader.

Over the process its manufacturing, the A-26 Invader was once inbuilt two number one configurations and lots of sub-configurations. The 2 number one layouts had been the A-26B with its “gun nostril” designed for floor assault tasks and the A-26C which had a perspex nostril and a Norden bombsight for medium-altitude precision bombing.

Above Video: This hour-long episode of Nice Planes is focussed at the outstanding historical past of the Douglas A-26 Invader.

Because of its dual Double Wasp engines which have been in a position to 2,000 hp every the A-26 Invader had a best pace of 359 mph at 16,700 feet, a cruising pace of 266 mph at 5,000 feet, and a variety of one,600 miles, which might be larger to three,000 miles with the addition of a brief ferry gasoline tank within the bomb bay.

The prime pace and memorable adaptability of the plane would see it serve in 3 wars together with WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam conflict, with the overall instance being retired from the USAF in 1972 – 30 years after it first flew.

The 1944 Douglas A-26 Invader Proven Right here

The plane you notice right here was once inbuilt 1944 and as discussed within the creation it noticed carrier in Europe all over WWII on the Struggle of the Bulge. It was once then later used within the Korean Conflict.

It’s now being introduced on the market by means of Platinum Fighter Gross sales, it has 3,293 TTSN (general time since new) and either one of its engines had been rebuilt by means of Anderson Airmotive and so they’re now appearing 295 hours of use.

If you happen to’d love to learn extra about it or enquire about purchasing it you’ll discuss with the record right here. It’s being offered for $495,000 USD out of Texas.

Douglas A-26 Invader
Douglas A-26 Invader 8
Douglas A-26 Invader 17
Douglas A-26 Invader 16
Douglas A-26 Invader 15
Douglas A-26 Invader 14
Douglas A-26 Invader 13
Douglas A-26 Invader 12
Douglas A-26 Invader 11
Douglas A-26 Invader 7
Douglas A-26 Invader 6
Douglas A-26 Invader 5
Douglas A-26 Invader 4
Douglas A-26 Invader 3
Douglas A-26 Invader 2

Photographs courtesy of Platinum Fighter Gross sales

Douglas A-26 Invader 9