Douglas A26 Invader
In the spring of 1940 Douglas Aircraft began the design of a new twin engine medium weight attack/bomber to follow its A-20 Boston. The design team led by famous designer Ed Heineman gave the aircraft many state-of-the-art features, mainly a laminar flow wing and the R-2800 engine. After having seen the design, the Army Air Corps gave Douglas a contract for building two prototypes. The first flight took place in July 1942. The aircraft fulfilled all design requirements with good margins and at a lower cost than anticipated. The production A-26 was configured in two versions. The B-model had a solid nose with guns. The C-model had a glass nose for an observer. Due to various political reasons, the A-26 did not see service until late 1944. The aircraft proved to be very effective. It had firepower, range, and maneuverability and was as fast as most fighters of its time. The lnvader was the only aircraft that saw service in three major conflicts: WWII, Korea and Vietnam. It was phased out of the U.S. inventory as late as 1970 after more than 25 years in service. Today, several lnvaders soldier on as fire-bombers and will remain in service into the next century, a testimony to the great capabilities of the lnvader. 2,500 lnvaders were built.
The Scandinavian Historic Flight A-26B, N-167B "Sugarland Express", was built in 1944 as a trainer version with dual controls. It served with the U.S. Air Force as a trainer and never saw combat. After its military career it was converted to a "monarch 26" fast executive transport. This involved fitting a new rear wing spar to accommodate a cabin. It still has this interior, but on the outside it is restored to the looks of the U.S. 9th Air Force in WWII in Europe. The aircraft was acquired by SHF in 1986, and after a major restoration involving, among other things, extensive work to give the aircraft its military looks back, it was flown across the Atlantic to Norway in 1988. Since then, the lnvader has flown in many airshows all over Europe and serves as a fast crew transport for SHF.
Channel: Autos & Vehicles
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: auldm
Length: 02:55
Rating: 4.94
Views: 18334
Tags: A26 Aircraft Aviation Douglas Invader USAAF Warbird WW2
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