Douglas A-26 Invader Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Douglas A-26 Invader

Role	Attack aircraft and medium bomber
National origin	USA
Manufacturer	Douglas
First flight	1942
Introduction	1943
Status	Out of service
Primary user	USA
Produced	Out of production
Number built	2450 examples

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a powerful airplane with two engines. It was designed as an attack aircraft, meaning it was built to attack targets on the ground. The United States Army Air Force used it, along with forces from France and the United Kingdom. This plane saw action in major conflicts like World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The French also used it in the Algerian War.

After 1948, the US changed its job from an attack plane (A-26) to a bomber (B-26). This caused a bit of confusion because there was already another plane called the Martin B-26 Marauder. Later, some A-26 Invaders even helped fight forest fires. They did this by dropping water and special chemicals from the sky to put out the flames.

The Douglas A-26 Invader: A Versatile Warplane
Images for kids
See also

The Douglas A-26 Invader: A Versatile Warplane

The Douglas A-26 Invader was a very important aircraft. It was built by the Douglas company in the United States. This plane was known for being fast and strong. It could carry many weapons. It was first flown in 1942 and began service in 1943. Over 2,400 of these planes were built.

What Was the A-26 Invader?

The A-26 Invader was a twin-engined aircraft. This means it had two engines to make it fly. It was mainly used for two roles:

Attack aircraft: It attacked targets on the ground, like enemy tanks or buildings.
Medium bomber: It dropped bombs on enemy areas.

Its design allowed it to be very flexible. It could be fitted with different types of noses. Some noses had many machine guns for strafing. Others had a clear "bomber" nose for aiming bombs.

Flying in Major Wars

The A-26 Invader was used in several big wars.

World War II: It first saw action in 1944. It helped the Allies fight against enemy forces. It was used in both Europe and the Pacific.
Korean War: The Invader was a key plane in this war (1950-1953). It flew many missions to bomb and attack ground targets.
Vietnam War: Even in the 1960s, the A-26 was still flying. It was used for special operations and ground attacks.

The French also used the Invader in the Algerian War. This shows how useful and long-lasting the plane was.

A Name Change: From A-26 to B-26

In 1948, the US Air Force changed how they named their planes. The A-26, which was an "attack" aircraft, was re-designated as a "bomber." So, its name changed from A-26 to B-26.

This caused a bit of confusion. There was already another bomber called the Martin B-26 Marauder. This was a completely different plane. So, people sometimes got the two B-26s mixed up. To avoid this, the Douglas plane was often called the "Invader" to make it clear which one they meant.

Fighting Fires from the Sky

After its military service, some A-26 Invaders found a new job. In the 1950s, the United States Forest Service used them. These planes were converted to help fight forest fires.

They would fly over wildfires and drop special chemicals or water. This helped to put out the fires from above. It was a very different role for a plane that had once been a war machine. This shows how adaptable the A-26 Invader truly was.

Images for kids

Douglas XA-26 AAC Ser. No. 41-19504 first flight, Mines Field, California, piloted by Benny Howard
Douglas XA-26B Invader AAF Ser. No. 41-19588, 5 May 1943, with a "strafer" nose, was adaptable to a combination of weapons, including a 75 mm (3 in) cannon.
An eight-gun nose A-26, 8th BS, 3rd BG Machinato Airfield, Okinawa 20 August 1945
Douglas A-26 Invader "Miss Murphy"
A B-26C Invader on a bombing run over Korea
A-26B-51-DL (AF Ser. No. 44-34331) over Korea, February 1951
B-26B-61-DL, AF Ser. No. 44-34517 "Monie" of the 37th BS, 17th BG flown by 1st Lt Robert Mikesh, Pusan AB, Korea 1952
A Farm Gate B-26B
An A-26A of the 609th SOS in 1969
A U.S. Douglas A-26C Invader painted in fake Cuban Air Force colors for the military invasion of Cuba undertaken by the CIA-sponsored paramilitary group Brigade 2506 in April 1961
French A-26C
XA-26A prototype of proposed night fighter in July 1943, painted black with radar in nose and underfuselage gunpack
A-26 cockpit interior
Overall gloss black A-26C-55-DT, AF Ser. No. 44-35982, showing the Bombardier nose and improved, clear-view "clamshell" canopy. An AN/APQ-13 radome is fitted in the forward bomb-bay, and "zero-length" launchers for 5 in HVAR rockets are under the outer wings.
JD-1 Ejection seat test
B-26K/A-26A Counter Invader (AF Ser. No. 64-17675)
A Conair 322 (A-26 water bomber conversion) at the BC Aviation Museum, Sidney, BC
A-26C-50-DT, AF Ser. No. 44-35918 marked as A-26B, AF Ser. No. 43-4287 Versatile Lady at the USAF History and Traditions Museum
B-26 Invader at Royal Saudi Air Force Museum in Riyadh
A-26B (44-34602), registered N167B at Duxford, UK July 2008
Reloading machine guns on an A-26B with a six-gun nose