The Douglas A-26 Invader was an American twin-engine military attack aircraft and light bomber that served in the Second World War, Korea and Southeast Asia. Renamed B-26 in 1948, it was unrelated to Martin's B-26 Marauder. The reuse of that designation accounts for much subsequent confusion between the two aircraft.[1][2]
Wartime development
The Invader first flew in July 1942, and production deliveries began in August 1943. It combined two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines with an airframe intended for bombing, strafing and rocket attacks. Wartime production included attack and bombardier-equipped configurations, allowing the aircraft to serve several tactical missions.[1]
The A-26 reached European combat late in 1944. Its introduction came near the end of the war, but the basic design remained useful after older wartime bombers left frontline service. Its postwar B-26 name followed the U.S. Air Force's removal of the attack designation.[1][2]
Night interdiction in Korea
During the Korean War, Invaders attacked supply routes supporting communist ground forces. Operations initially included daylight missions, but the threat from MiG-15 fighters pushed much of the effort into darkness. Night attacks on supply lines became a defining part of the aircraft's second major war.[1]
The aircraft's later Southeast Asian employment again emphasised interdiction. The Air Force also commissioned forty extensively modified B-26Ks, incorporating stronger structures and more powerful engines for special air warfare operations.[1]
Transport and support conversions
Some Invaders exchanged combat duties for training and transport work. The Museum of Aviation's example began as a standard A-26B delivered in August 1945, underwent a training conversion at Warner Robins in 1946 and later became a VB-26B VIP transport supporting Air National Guard headquarters. Retired in 1972, it illustrates the long service life achieved by specialised conversions.[2]