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Aircraft #44-35911 was built in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the spring of 1945 as an A-26C model.
Too late to see combat in World War II, the aircraft went directly from production to long term storage.
Called to active duty in 1950, the aircraft was one of the first 25 Invaders sent by the United States to the l' Armee de l' Air (French Air Force) for their use in combating communist aggression in South East Asia during the French-Indochina War of the early 1950's.
The aircraft is a confirmed combat veteran having flown over 300 bombing missions with Bombardment Group GB 1\19 "Gascogne" from 1951 to 1955.
#44-35911 was stationed in Hanoi, Da Nang, Saigon and other bases in S.E. Asia.
Armament
diversification was a hallmark of the Invader design.
In
January 1954 the aircraft underwent extensive maintenance in
Nagoya, Japan. It was at that time the original Plexiglas "bomber"
nose
was replaced with the machine gun "attack" nose.
With
the eight .50 cal guns in the wings, this brought the forward-firing
complement to 16 machine guns.
"Particularly
interesting," says the owner, Capt. George Lancaster, "When
they're firing all 16 at once. The airplane wants to back up."
The aircraft
returned to combat in June 1954 and continued to fly strike missions
until October 1955.
Patches
covering the .50 cal machine gun nose ports remain today.
Some
of the bullet holes on this plane are decal decorations, but some are real, repaired
and patched long ago.
After
returning to the
united States
in 1957, the aircraft was sold into the civilian market being used for a
variety of jobs including geological exploration, aeronautical
research, and as an executive transport; pre-dating today's corporate
jets.
"Spirit"
is painted to represent the aircraft of the13th Bomb Squadron "The
Devil's Own Grim Reapers", part of the 3rd Bomb Group of the Fifth
Air Force during the Korean War.
The
13th was the first squadron to test the Invader in combat in the Pacific
during the final months of World War II and went on to to fly the
aircraft throughout the Korean war, usually flying night interdiction
missions.
Always
overseen by "OSCAR", the scythe-wielding skeleton, "The
Reapers" enjoys a rich history in military aviation, flying Spads
over the trenches in France during World War I and today, flying B-2
Stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
General Specifications (all versions)
Length: 51' 3" (15.24 m)
Height: 18' 6" (5.64 m)
Wingspan: 70' (21.34 m)
Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (50.17 m²)
Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg)
Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg)
Take off distance required at gross max weight: 4000 ft
Fuel capacity, Int: 1,332.1 Imp gal
Fuel capacity, Ext: 383 Imp gal in two drop tanks
Propulsion
Number of Engines: 2
Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" 18-cylinder radial engines; Horsepower: 2000 HP each (1,500 kW)
Propellers: Hamilton Standard 33D50
Performance
Normal Range: 1400 miles (1,200 nm, 2,300 km)
Maximum (ferry) range: 3200 miles
Cruise Speed: 284 mph
Max Speed: 355 mph (308 knots, 570 km/h) at 15,000 feet
Ceiling: 22,100 feet (6,700 m)
Initial rate of climb: 10,000 ft in 8 min 6 sec
Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)
Wing loading: 51 lb/ft² (250 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.145 hp/lb (108 W/kg)
Airfoils
NACA 65-215
Diving Speeds:
26,000 lbs gross - 425 IAS
32,000 lbs gross - 400 IAS
35,500 lbs gross - 360 IAS
Fuel capacity
Main Tanks: 300 gals each
Aux Tanks: 100 gallons each
Bomb Bay Tank: 125 gallons
Total Normal: 925 gallons
Ferry Tank: 675 gallons
Total Ferry: 1600 gallons
Note:
Option of 460 US gal fuel in two wing mounted drop tanks, 1 hard point each.
Normal fuel consumption at cruise approx 150 gph
Also, a standard self sealing 675 gal ferry fuel tank could be installed in the bomb bay by using standard bomb shackles.
Revell offered a model A-26B, in Korean War
colors, and sporting large "Grim Reapers" nose art. |
