View source for Douglas A-26 Invader

{{Short description|1941 attack/bomber aircraft family by Douglas}}
{{Distinguish|text=the [[Martin B-26 Marauder]]}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{{Infobox aircraft
| name = A-26 (B-26) Invader
| image = File:Douglas A26 Invader-2362.jpg
| caption = A [[warbird]] A-26 Invader
| type = [[Attack aircraft|Ground attack]]<br />[[Light bomber]]
| manufacturer = [[Douglas Aircraft Company]]
| first_flight = {{start date|1942|07|10|df=y}}
| retired = 1980 ([[Colombian Air Force]])
| primary_user = [[United States Army Air Forces]]
| more_users = [[United States Air Force]]<br />[[United States Navy]]<br />[[French Air Force]]
| number_built = 2,503<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boeing.com/history/products/a26-b26-invader-light-bomber.page|title=Boeing: Historical Snapshot: A-26/B-26 Invader Light Bomber|website=www.boeing.com|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>
| variants = [[On Mark Marksman|On Mark Executive, Marketeer, and Marksman]]
| introduction = 1944
}}

The '''Douglas A-26 Invader''' (designated '''B-26''' between 1948 and 1965) is an American twin-engined [[light bomber]] and [[attack aircraft|ground attack]] aircraft. Built by [[Douglas Aircraft Company]] during [[World War II]], the Invader also saw service during several major [[Cold War]] conflicts. A limited number of highly modified [[United States Air Force]] aircraft served in [[Indochina Wars|Southeast Asia]] until 1969. It was a fast aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load. A range of guns could be fitted to produce a formidable ground-attack aircraft.<ref name="The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings">Wheeler 1992, p. 82.</ref>

A redesignation of the type from A-26 to B-26 has led to confusion with the earlier and unrelated [[Martin B-26 Marauder]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196114/douglas-b-26c-a-26c-invader/ |title=Douglas B-26C (A-26C) Invader|author= [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]]}}</ref> which had already been withdrawn from service when the designation was reused.

==Design and development==
[[File:Douglas A-26 & B-028.jpg|thumb|Douglas XA-26 AAC Ser. No. 41-19504 first flight, Mines Field, California, piloted by Benny Howard]]
The A-26 was Douglas Aircraft's successor to the [[Douglas A-20 Havoc|A-20]] (DB-7) Havoc, also known as Douglas Boston. Designed by [[Ed Heinemann]], Robert Donovan, and [[Ted R. Smith]],<ref name="Francillon 1979">Francillon 1979</ref> the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar-flow airfoil wing of the A-26 was the work of project aerodynamics expert [[Apollo M. O. Smith|A.M.O. Smith]].<ref>Smith, A.M.O., "High-Lift Aerodynamics; the 37th Wright Brothers Lecture", AIAA paper 74-939, reprinted in the ''AIAA Journal of Aircraft'', Vol. 12 No. 6, June 1975.</ref><ref>Lednicer, David. [http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html ''The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage'']. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420012244/http://www.ae.illinois.edu/m-selig/ads/aircraft.html |date=20 April 2010 }} Champaign, Illinois: UIUC Applied Aerodynamics Group, 2010. Retrieved: 18 May 2011</ref>

The Douglas XA-26 [[prototype]] (AAC Ser. No. 41-19504) first flew on 10 July 1942 at [[Mines Field]], [[El Segundo, California|El Segundo]], with test pilot [[Ben Howard (aviator)|Benny Howard]] at the controls. Flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling but engine-cooling problems led to [[cowling]] changes and elimination of the [[Propeller (aircraft)|propeller]] spinners on production aircraft. During testing, the nose wheel was found to be structurally inadequate, so it was strengthened.<ref>Mesko 1980, p. 5.</ref>

[[File:Douglas A-26 & B-027.jpg|thumb|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 {{convert|75|mm|0|abbr=on}} cannon.]]
The early A-26 versions were built in two forms
* The A-26B gun-nose could be equipped with a combination of armament, including .50 caliber machine guns, 20 or 37mm auto cannon, or an experimental 75mm pack howitzer (never used operationally). The 'B' gun-nose version housed six (and later, eight) [[M2 Browning|.50 caliber machine guns]], officially the "all-purpose nose", later known as the "six-gun nose" or "eight-gun nose".
* The A-26C{{'}}s "glass" "Bombardier nose", contained a [[Norden bombsight]] for medium-altitude precision bombing. The A-26C nose section included two fixed M-2 guns, but those were eliminated after underwing gun packs or internal guns in the wings proved effective during colder weather.<ref>Borland, Hal. [https://books.google.com/books?id=PiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA100 "Plane of Many Faces"]. ''Popular Science'', July 1945.</ref>

After about 1,570 production aircraft, three guns were installed in each wing, coinciding with the introduction of the "eight-gun nose" for A-26Bs, giving some versions as many as 14 .50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) machine guns in fixed forward mounts. An A-26C nose section could be replaced with an A-26B nose section, or vice versa, in a few hours, thus physically (and officially) changing the designation and operational role. The "flat-topped" [[Aircraft canopy|canopy]] was changed in late 1944 after about 820 production aircraft, to a clamshell style with greatly improved visibility.<ref>Winchester 2004, p. 75.</ref><ref name="Thompson 2002">Thompson 2002</ref>

Alongside the pilot in an A-26B, a crew member served as [[navigator]] and gun loader for the pilot-operated nose guns. In an A-26C, that crew member served as navigator and [[Bombardier (air force)|bombardier]], and moved to the nose section to bomb. A few A-26Cs were fitted with dual flight controls, some parts of which could be disabled in flight for access to the nose section. Access for the bombardier was through the lower section of the right instrument panel; he normally sat next to the pilot. This was similar to British designs such as the [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster]], [[Bristol Blenheim|Blenheim]]/[[Bristol Beaufort|Beaufort]], [[Vickers Wellington|Wellington]], etc. A tractor-style "jump seat" was behind the "navigator's seat". In most missions, a third crew member in the rear gunner's compartment operated the remote-controlled dorsal and ventral gun turrets, with access to-and-from the cockpit via the bomb bay only if that was empty. The gunner operated both dorsal and ventral turrets via a novel, complex and unreliable dual-ended periscope sight, a vertical column running through the center of the rear compartment, with traversing and elevating/depressing periscope sights on each end. The gunner sat on a seat facing rearwards looking into a binocular periscope sight mounted on the column, controlling the guns with a pair of handles on the sides of the column. Aimed above the centerline of the aircraft, the mirror in the center of the column 'flipped', showing the gunner a limited view similar to the view the upper periscope was seeing. As he pressed the handles downward, and as the bead passed the centerline, the mirror automatically flipped, transferring the sight "seamlessly" to the lower periscope. The guns aimed in the approximate direction the periscope was aimed, automatically transferring between upper and lower turrets as required, and computing for parallax and other factors. While novel and sound in principle, the developers invested a great deal of time and effort in their attempts to get the system to work, delaying production. As might be expected, the complex system was difficult to maintain in the field.<ref name='Johnsen 1999'>Johnsen 1999</ref>

==Operational history==
[[File:A-26 Okinawa 1945 James P. Gallagher 2.jpg|thumb|An eight-gun nose A-26, 8th BS, 3rd BG Machinato Airfield, Okinawa 20 August 1945]]

===World War II===

====Pacific====
Douglas officially delivered the first production model A-26B aircraft to the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF) on 10 September 1943.<ref>Thompson 2002, p. 34.</ref> These were sent for field evaluation in actual combat operations, with the [[Fifth Air Force]] in the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Southwest Pacific theater]]. The A-26 first saw action on 23 June 1944, when four aircraft attached to the [[3rd Bombardment Group]]'s 13th Squadron ("The Grim Reapers"), bombed [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]]-held islands near [[Manokwari]].<ref>[http://www.kensmen.com/jun44.html "June 1944"]. ''43rd Bomb Group Association'' via ''kensmen.com'', 1999. Retrieved: 2 August 2007.</ref> Aircrew from "The Grim Reapers", while evaluating these four A-26Bs, noted that downward views from the cockpit were significantly hindered by the nature of the design – especially the positioning of the engines – which made the A-26B unsuitable for its intended role of ground attack. In response to such evaluations, General [[George Kenney]], commander of the [[Pacific Air Forces|Far East Air Forces]], stated: "We do not want the A-26 under any circumstances as a replacement for anything."<ref name="Database p42">O'Leary 2002, p. 42.</ref> Nevertheless, development continued. While the 3rd BG was waiting suitably modified A-26s, it requested additional [[Douglas A-20 Havoc]]s, although both types were used in composite flights.<ref name="Mesko p. 17.">Mesko 1980, p. 17.</ref>

Some USAAF units in the Pacific that operated either the A-20 or [[North American B-25 Mitchell|B-25]] received the A-26 for trials in limited quantities.

The 319th Bomb Group was fully converted to the A-26 in March 1945, when it commenced operations with the 3rd BG. In August, after a few dozen A-26 missions, it became evident that the war was coming to an abrupt close, and operations began to wind down. The 319th officially ceased combat operations on 12 August 1945.<ref name="Mesko p. 17."/>

==== Europe====
[[File:Mesa-Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum-Douglas A-26 Invader.jpg |thumb|Douglas A-26 Invader "Miss Murphy"]]

Douglas needed better results from the Invader's second combat test, so ferried A-26s arrived in Europe in late September 1944 for assignment to the [[Ninth Air Force]]. The initial deployment involved 18 aircraft and crews assigned to the 553d Squadron of the 386th Bomb Group. This unit flew their first mission on 6 September 1944. No aircraft were lost on the eight test missions, and the Ninth Air Force announced they were satisfied, eventually replacing their A-20s and [[Martin B-26 Marauder|B-26s]] with the A-26 Invader.

The first group to convert to the A-26B was [[416th Bombardment Group]]. With it, they entered combat on 17 November, and the [[409th Bombardment Group]], whose A-26s became operational in late November.<ref name="Mesko p. 12."/> Due to a shortage of A-26C variants, the groups flew a combined A-20/A-26 unit until deliveries of the glass-nosed version caught up. Besides bombing and strafing, tactical reconnaissance and night interdiction missions were successful. In contrast to the Pacific-based units, the A-26 was well received by pilots and crew alike, and by 1945, the 9th AF had 11,567 missions, dropping 18,054 tons of bombs, recording seven confirmed kills while losing 67 aircraft.<ref name="Mesko p. 12.">Mesko 1980, p.12.</ref>

In Italy, the [[Twelfth Air Force]]'s [[47th Operations Group|47th Bomb Group]] also received the A-26 starting in January 1945. They were used against German transport links, and for direct support and interdiction against tanks and troop concentrations in the Po Valley in the final campaigns in Italy.

===Postwar era===

==== United States ====
With the establishment of the [[United States Air Force]] (USAF) as an independent service in 1947, the [[Strategic Air Command]] operated the again redesignated B-26 as an RB-26 reconnaissance aircraft in service 1949 to 1950.  [[U.S. Air Forces in Europe]] continued operating the B-26 until 1957. [[Tactical Air Command]] operated the aircraft as both a B-26 and later designated back to A-26; the final variant was designated B-26K until 1966, then it again became the A-26A.  This final version continued in service through the late 1960s with active-duty special-operations TAC units, and through 1972 with TAC-gained special-operations units of the [[Air National Guard]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}

The [[U.S. Navy]] obtained Invaders from the USAF to use these aircraft in their utility squadrons (VU) for target towing and general utility until superseded by the DC-130A variant of the [[C-130 Hercules]]. The Navy designation was JD-1 and JD-1D until 1962, then the JD-1 was redesignated UB-26J. The JD-1D was also used under the designation of DB-26J.<ref>{{cite book |last1=United |first1=States |title=Naval Airborne Ordinance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YrLOTEAyNpcC |year=1965 |publisher=United States Naval Publications center |access-date=1 November 2022}}</ref> The CIA also used the type for covert operations.<ref>Weiner, T. (2007). Legacy of ashes: The history of the CIA. Doubleday, New York, NY, pp. 150-151.</ref>

The last A-26 in active US service was assigned to the [[Air National Guard]]; that aircraft was retired from military service in 1972 by the USAF and the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard Bureau]], and donated to the [[National Air and Space Museum]].<ref>[https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196070/douglas-b-26k-a-26-counter-invader/ Douglas B-26K (A-26) Counter Invader] National Museum. Retrieved 21 December 2022</ref>

=====Korean War=====
[[File:B-26C 3BW bombing Korea 1953.jpeg|thumb|left|A B-26C Invader on a bombing run over Korea]]
B-26 Invaders of the [[3rd Wing|3rd Bombardment Group]], operating from bases in southern Japan, were among the first USAF aircraft engaged in the [[Korean War]], carrying out missions over South Korea on 27 and 28 June, before carrying out the first USAF bombing mission on North Korea on 29 June 1950, bombing an airfield near [[Pyongyang]].<ref name="Horne p50">Horne 1984, p. 50.</ref>

[[File:B-26-korea.gif|thumb|A-26B-51-DL (AF Ser. No. ''44-34331'') over Korea, February 1951]]
[[File:Invader MONIE & Crew.jpg|thumb|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]]

On 10 August 1950, the [[Air Force Reserve]]'s [[452d Bombardment Wing]] was activated for Korean service.<ref name="AFRC">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110507070003/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10027 "452 Operations Group (AFRC)"].  ''Air Force Historical Research Agency'', December 1997. Retrieved: 18 April 2010.</ref> It flew its first missions in November 1950 from Itazuke, Japan, providing daylight support, with the 3rd Bomb Wing, consisting of the 8th, 13th, and 90th Bomb Squadrons, flying night missions. Because of the Chinese intervention, they were forced to find another base, so they moved to [[Miho Air Base]] on the west coast of Honshū. In early 1951, they moved to [[Pusan East (K-9) Air Base]], continuing their daylight and night-intruder missions. In June 1951, they joined the 3rd Bomb Wing ([[Kunsan Air Base|Kunsan (K-8)]]) in night activity only, dividing the target areas, with the 452nd taking the eastern half and the 3rd the western. For their efforts in the Korean War, they received two unit citations and the Korean Presidential Citation.<ref name="AFRC"/> They also received credit for eight campaign operations.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

In May 1952, they were inactivated. Their aircraft and equipment along with their personnel were absorbed by the [[17th Bombardment Wing|17th Bomb Wing]]. During their time as an active unit, the 452nd flew 15,000 sorties (7,000 at night) with a loss of 85 crewmen.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

B-26s were credited with the destruction of 38,500 vehicles, 406 locomotives, 3,700 railway trucks, and seven enemy aircraft on the ground. On 14 September 1951, Captain [[John S. Walmsley Jr.]] attacked a supply train. After all his guns simultaneously jammed, he illuminated the target with his searchlight to enable his wingmen to destroy the train. Walmsley was shot down, and posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]]. Invaders carried out the last USAF bombing mission of the war 24 minutes before the [[Korean Armistice Agreement|armistice agreement]] was signed on 27 July 1953.<ref name="Francillon 78 p228">Francillon 1978, p. 228.</ref>

In addition to the standard attack versions of the B-26 for night interdiction missions, modified WB-26s and RB-26s of the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing flew critical weather observation and reconnaissance missions in supporting roles.<ref>Dorr and Thompson 2003, p. 185.</ref>

=====Southeast Asia=====
The first B-26s to arrive in Southeast Asia deployed to [[Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base|Takhli RTAFB]], [[Thailand]] in December 1960. These unmarked aircraft, operated under the auspices of the U.S. CIA ([[Central Intelligence Agency]]), were augmented by an additional 16 aircraft— 12 B-26Bs and B-26Cs plus four RB-26Cs under [[Operation Millpond]]. Their mission was assisting the [[Royal Lao Government]] in fighting the [[Pathet Lao]]. The repercussions from the [[Bay of Pigs invasion]] meant no combat missions are known flown, although RB-26Cs operated over Laos until the end of 1961. Then, the aircraft operated in South Vietnam under Project [[Farm Gate (military operation)|Farm Gate]].<ref>Troung, Albert Grandolini and Tom Cooper. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040815051059/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_347.shtml Laos, 1948-1989; Part 1"]}}. ''acig.org'', 13 November 2003. Retrieved: 6 November 2007.</ref> The only other deployment of B-26 aircraft to Laos prior to the introduction of the B-26K/A-26A was the deployment of two RB-26C aircraft modified for night reconnaissance during May–July 1962 under [[Project Black Watch]]. These aircraft, drawn from Farm Gate stocks, were returned at the end of these missions.<ref name= "Smith p. 7">Smith 1966, p. 7.</ref>

[[File:B-26B VNAF over Vietnam in early 1960s.jpg|thumb|A [[Farm Gate (military operation)|Farm Gate]] B-26B]]

The aircraft from Laos participated in the early phase of the [[Vietnam War]] with the USAF, but with Vietnamese markings as part of Project Farm Gate. Although Farm Gate operated B-26Bs, B-26Cs, and genuine RB-26Cs, many of these aircraft were operated under the designation RB-26C, although they were used in a combat capacity.<ref>Smith 1966, p. 6.</ref> During 1963, two RB-26Cs were sent to [[Clark Air Base|Clark AB]] in the Philippines for modifications, although not with night systems similar to those modified for Black Watch. The two aircraft returned from Black Watch to Farm Gate were redesignated RB-26L to distinguish them from other modified RB-26Cs, and were assigned to [[Project Sweet Sue]].<ref name= "Smith p. 7"/> Farm Gate's B-26s operated alongside the other primary strike aircraft of the time, the [[T-28 Trojan]], before both aircraft types were replaced by the [[Douglas A-1 Skyraider]].<ref>Mesko 1987, pp. 26–28.</ref> The B-26s were withdrawn from service in February 1964 after two accidents related to wing-spar fatigue, one during combat in Southeast Asia in August 1963 and one during a demonstration at [[Eglin AFB]], Florida, in February 1964.<ref>Thompson 2002, pp. 138–141.</ref>

On 11 February 1964, two pilots from the [[1st Air Commando Wing]] stationed at Florida's [[Hurlburt Field]] died in the crash of a B-26 on Range 52 at Eglin AFB after it lost a wing during pull-out from a demonstration strafing pass. The aircraft was participating in a demonstration of the Special Air Warfare Center's counterinsurgency capabilities, and completed a strafing run demonstration before the incident. SAWC presented the demonstration on an average of twice each month for the previous two years.<ref>''Playground Daily News'', Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 12 February 1964, p. 1.</ref> B-26 aircraft used by USAF Commandos in Vietnam were grounded 8 April 1964 following an investigation into the 11 February incident. B-26 aircraft in use by the South Vietnamese Air Force were also grounded in accordance with the U.S. ruling.<ref>''Playground Daily News'', Fort Walton Beach, Florida, 8 April 1964, p. 1.</ref>

[[File:A-26A 609SOS near NKP 1969.jpg|thumb|An A-26A of the [[609th Special Operations Squadron|609th SOS]] in 1969]]

In response to this, the [[On Mark Engineering]] Company of [[Van Nuys, California]], was selected by the USAF to extensively upgrade the Invader for its new [[counterinsurgency]] role. The first production flight of the B-26K was on 30 May 1964 at the [[Van Nuys Airport]]. On Mark converted 40 Invaders to the new B-26K Counter-Invader standard of upgraded engines, propellers, and brakes, remanufactured wings, and wing-tip fuel tanks for use by the [[609th Special Operations Squadron]]. In May 1966, the B-26K was again redesignated A-26A for political reasons (Thailand did not allow U.S. bombers in-country at the time, so the Invaders were redesignated again with an "A", for [[attack aircraft]]), and deployed in Thailand to help disrupt supplies moving along the [[Ho Chi Minh trail]]. Two of these aircraft were modified with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system under project Lonesome Tiger, as a part of [[Operation Shed Light#Sensors|Operation Shed Light]].<ref>''Volume I Operation Shed Light Study Report'', 1966. Their subsequent redesignation is lost to the annals of yesteryear... and the deliberate obscuration of the 'Black Community'. pp. 1C-55, 59.</ref>

=====CIA=====
[[File:Douglas A-26C Invader 435440 Tamiami 26.04.09R.jpg|thumb|Douglas A-26C Invader AF Ser. No. ''44-35440'' painted in false [[Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force|Cuban Air Force]] livery representing those used in the [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]]]]
{{Main|Bay of Pigs Invasion}}

In early 1961, about 20 B-26Bs, most converted from B-26C configuration, were "sanitized" at [[Duke Field]] (also known as Auxiliary Field Three at Eglin AFB), Florida. They had defensive armament removed, and were fitted with the eight-gun nose, underwing drop tanks, and rocket racks. They were flown to a CIA-run base in Guatemala, where training was under way for B-26, C-46, and C-54 [[Cuban exile]] air crews by personnel from the [[Alabama Air National Guard]]. After transfer to Nicaragua in early April 1961, they were painted in the markings of the Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria (FAR), the air force of the Cuban government.

On 15 April 1961, crewed by Cuban exiles, eight B-26s of the ''Fuerza Aérea de Liberación'' (FAL) attacked three Cuban airfields to destroy FAR combat aircraft on the ground. On 17 April 1961, FAL B-26s supported the seaborne [[Bay of Pigs Invasion]] of Cuba. The conflict ended on 19 April, after the loss of nine FAL B-26s, ten Cuban exiles, and four American aircrew in combat. The FAR flew B-26Cs in the conflict, one of which was downed by friendly fire from a CIA "command ship" with the loss of four Cuban aircrew.<ref name="Hagedorn 1994"/><ref>Wyden, Peter. ''Bay of Pigs: The Untold Story''. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1979. {{ISBN|0-671-24006-4}}.</ref><ref>Overall, Mario E. [http://www.laahs.com/artman/publish/article_50.shtml ''Bay of Pigs: The Guatemalan Connection''].{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} London: Frank Cass Publishers, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7146-4883-3}}.</ref>

The [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] contracted pilots, some employed during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, to fly B-26Ks for ground attack against ''Simba'' rebels in the [[Congo Crisis]]. Newly remanufactured B-26K Counter-Invaders were delivered to the Congo via Hurlburt Field in 1964.<ref name="Thompson 2002"/>

====France====
[[File:A-26C loaned to France in Indochina.jpg|thumb|French A-26C]]

In the 1950s, the [[French Air Force]]'s (''{{lang|fr|Armée de l'air}}'') bombing groups (''{{lang|fr|groupe de bombardement}}'') including [[Bombardment Group I/19 Gascogne]] (GB I/19) and GB 1/25 ''Tunisia'', used B-26s, during the [[First Indochina War]], lent to France by the USAF.<ref name="Dorr viet p8-10">Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 8–10.</ref>

Haiphong [[Cat Bi Airport|Cat Bi]]-based Douglas B-26 Invaders operated over [[Dien Bien Phu]] in March and April 1954 during the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu|siege of Dien Bien Phu]]. In this period, a massive use of [[Philippines]]-based USAF B-29s against the [[Viet Minh]] heavy artillery, including the potential use of nuclear weapons, was planned by the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] with the French as [[Operation Vulture]], but was cancelled by the governments,<ref name=AirForceMagazine>{{Citation |url=http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2004/August%202004/0804dien.aspx |title=Dien Bien Phu |author=Rebecca Grant |journal=[[Air Force Magazine]] |volume=87 |issue=8 |date=August 2004|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090722033430/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2004/August%202004/0804dien.aspx|archive-date= 22 July 2009|url-status=usurped}}</ref> while at the conclusion of the battle, some of the beleaguered French troops managed to escape through the jungle to neighboring Thailand.

====Indonesia====
Concerned about Indonesian President [[Sukarno]]'s communist leanings, the CIA started [[Operation Haik]] in 1958 to overthrow his [[Guided Democracy in Indonesia]] regime.<ref>Cooper, Tom and Marc Koelich. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20031003055419/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_175.shtml "Far East Database, Clandestine US Operations: Indonesia 1958, Operation 'Haik'"]}}. ''acig.org'', 1 September 2003. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref> The [[covert operation]] committed at least a dozen B-26 Invaders in support of rebel forces. On 18 May 1958, American contract pilot [[Allen Pope]]'s blacked-out B-26 was initially hit by antiaircraft ground fire and then brought down by a [[North American P-51 Mustang]] flown by Capt. Ignatius Dewanto (the only known air-to-air shoot-down in the history of the [[Indonesian Air Force]]).<ref>''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', 9 June 1958.</ref> The capture and trial of Lieutenant Pope brought a quick end to Operation Haik, but the capabilities of the Invader were not lost on the Indonesian government. In 1959, the government purchased six aircraft at [[Davis-Monthan AFB]], which were ferried to Indonesia in full military markings{{which|date=January 2015}} during mid-1960. Used in a number of actions against rebels in various areas, these aircraft went on to long follow-up careers. The last operational flights of three final survivors were in 1976, supporting the [[Indonesian invasion of East Timor]]. In 1977, the last two flying aircraft were retired.<ref>O'Leary, Michael. "B-26". ''Air Classics'', October 2002.</ref>

====Portugal====
The [[Portuguese Air Force]] purchased Invaders covertly for use in [[Portuguese Angola]] in 1965, during the [[Portuguese Colonial War]].<ref name="Hagedorn 1994">Hagedorn and Hellström 1994</ref>

====Democratic Republic of the Congo====
B-26s were used in support of the [[Operation Dragon Rouge|Dragon operations]] to liberate Western hostages held by Simba terrorists during the Congo Crisis.<ref name="Hudson 2012">Andrew Hudson, 2012, "Congo Unravelled: Military Operations from Independence to the Mercenary Revolt 1960–68 (Africa@War Book 6)", Chapt.6</ref>

====Biafra====
[[Biafra]] used two provisionally armed ("provo") B-26s in combat during the [[Nigerian Civil War]] in 1967, flown, among others, by [[Jan Zumbach]].

==Variants==

===Douglas/U.S. military variants===
Many of the A-26/B-26 Invader's production run of 2,452 were early A-26Bs and A-26Cs.
;XA-26
:Serial no. 41-19504 served as the prototype for the series; initially flown with dummy armament
[[File:Douglas A-26 & B-029.jpg|thumb|XA-26A prototype of proposed night fighter in July 1943, painted black with radar in nose and underfuselage gunpack]]
;XA-26A
:Serial no. 41-19505 served as a prototype night fighter with a crew of two – pilot plus radar-operator/gunner
;XA-26B
:Serial no. 41-19588 was a prototype "solid-nosed" attack variant with crew of three: pilot, gun loader/navigator (in front cockpit) plus gunner in rear, and carrying a forward-firing 75&nbsp;mm (2.75&nbsp;in) cannon.<ref name="Francillon 78 p217">Francillon 1978, p. 217.</ref>
[[File:A-26panel.jpg|thumb|A-26 cockpit interior]]
;{{visible anchor|A-26B}}
:Attack bomber with solid nose carrying six or eight 0.50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) machine guns. Production totals: 1,355 A-26Bs were built and delivered, 205 at [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]] (A-26B-5-DT to A-26B-25-DT) plus 1,150 at [[Long Beach, California]] (A-26B-1-DL to A-26B-66-DL). About 24 more airframes were built at Long Beach but not delivered to USAAF, some of those later sold to other civil and military customers. A-26B was redesignated ''B-26B'' with USAF in 1948.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a26_3.html "A-26B Invader"]. ''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft'', 17 September 2000. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref>
;TB-26B
:Unarmed variant converted from B-26B for training purposes.
;VB-26B
:Unarmed variant converted from B-26B for administrative purposes.
[[File:A-26C-56-DT 44-35982 (5409234163).jpg|thumb|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 [[High Velocity Aircraft Rocket|HVAR rockets]] are under the outer wings.]] 
;{{visible anchor|A-26C}}
:Attack bomber. Production totals: 1,091 A-26Cs were built and delivered, five at [[Long Beach, California]] (A-26C-1-DL and A-26C-2-DL) plus 1,086 at Tulsa, Oklahoma (A-26C-16-DT to A-26B-55-DT). About 53 more airframes were built at Tulsa but not delivered to USAAF, some of those later sold to other civil and military customers. A-26C was redesignated ''B-26C'' with USAF in 1948.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a26_4.html "A-26C Invader"]. ''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft'', 31 December 2000. Retrieved: 29 June 2008.</ref>
;RB-26C
:Unarmed photo reconnaissance variant converted from B-26C; it carried cameras and flash flares for night photography. Designated ''FA-26C'' prior to 1962.
;TB-26C
:Unarmed variant converted from B-26C for training purposes.
;XA-26D
:Serial no. 44-34776 prototype for the proposed A-26D attack bomber with uprated Chevrolet manufactured R-2800-83 engines, and late model A-26B armament of eight 0.50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) machine guns in solid nose and six 0.50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) guns in the wing;<ref name= "Mesko p. 18">Mesko 1997, p. 18.</ref> series of 750 A-26Ds was cancelled after V-J Day.
;XA-26E
:Serial no. 44-25563 prototype for the A-26E attack bomber. As with the XA-26D, but with an A-26C-type glass nose;<ref name= "Mesko p. 18"/> a contract for 2,150 A-26E-DTs was cancelled following [[V-J Day]].
;XA-26F
:Serial no. 44-34586 prototype for a high-speed A-26F powered by two {{convert|2100|hp|kW|abbr=on}} [[R-2800]]-83 engines driving four-bladed propellers with a {{convert|1600|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} s.t. [[General Electric J31]] turbojet installed in the rear fuselage. The prototype reached a top speed of {{convert|435|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} but the series was cancelled as performance gains were not sufficient.
;A-26Z
:Unofficial designation for a proposed postwar production version of the A-26. It was to have a more powerful version of the [[Pratt & Whitney]] R-2800 radial engine and was to be fitted with such features as a raised pilot's cockpit canopy, an improved cockpit arrangement, and wingtip drop tanks. If produced, the unglazed nose version would have been designated A-26G and the glazed nose version A-26H. However, in October 1945, the USAAF concluded that enough A-26 aircraft were available to meet postwar needs; consequently, the A-26Z version was not produced.
[[File:US Navy ejection seat test with JD-1 1951.jpg|thumb|JD-1 Ejection seat test]]
;JD-1
:U.S. Navy version with one A-26B (AAF Ser. No. 44-34217) and one A-26C (AAF Ser. No. 44-35467) redesignated during World War II, postwar, 150 surplus A-26s for use by land-based Navy utility squadrons (VU) as target tugs and later, drone directors (designated JD-1D) and general utility aircraft. In 1962, the JD-1 and JD-1D were redesignated UB-26J and DB-26J respectively.
;YB-26K
:[[On Mark Engineering]] prototype for refurbished attack bomber; modifications included rebuilt, strengthened wings, enlarged tail assembly, new R-2800-103W engines with reversible propellers/propeller spinners, dual controls, wingtip tanks, newer avionics, and increased [[hardpoint]]/armament enhancements.
[[File:Douglas B-26K Counter Invader USAF.jpg|thumb|B-26K/A-26A Counter Invader (AF Ser. No. ''64-17675'')]]
;B-26K
:On Mark Engineering conversions of a total of 40 aircraft; B-26Bs or TB-26Bs with two B-26Cs and a single JB-26C; changes included fitting of {{convert|2500|hp|kW|abbr=on}} R-2800-52W engines with no propeller spinners and the six wing guns deleted. During operations in Vietnam, in May 1966, the aircraft were reassigned the old attack designation of ''A-26A''.{{refn|According to a "Wings" ([[Discovery Channel]]) documentary, the B-26 was redesignated the A-26, because Thailand would not allow bombers to fly from their airfields, but they would allow attack aircraft to do so.|group=N}} The A-26As were retired in 1969 when they had reached the safe limits of allotted flying time.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071116061542/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=301 "USAF B-26K Factsheet"].  ''National Museum of the United States Air Force''. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref>
;RB-26L
:Two RB-26Cs (44-34718 and 44-35782) were modified for night photography missions.
;B-26N
:Unofficial designation applied to B-26s operated by the French Air Force (''{{lang|fr|Armée de l'air}}'') in Algeria as night fighters. These aircraft were modified B-26Cs fitted with AI Mk X radar taken from obsolete [[Gloster Meteor#Variants|Meteor NF 11]] night fighters, two underwing gun packs each with two 0.50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) [[M2 Browning machine gun]]s and [[SNEB]] rocket pods.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usattack/a26_14.html "Invader in Service with L'Armee de l'Air"]. ''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Bomber Aircraft'', 26 August 2006. Retrieved: 7 November 2007.</ref>
;WB-26
:Weather reconnaissance version first produced and used in the Korean War, 2 used by [[NOAA]] from 1960 to 1975.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dorst |first1=Neal |title=The National Hurricane Research Center - 50 Years of Research, Rough Rides, and Name Changes |url=https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/lib1/nhclib/Publications/TheNHRE50yearsofresearch.pdf |website=amol.noaa.gov |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref>

===Third-party civil variants===
[[File:B-26 water bomber.JPG|thumb|left|A Conair 322 (A-26 water bomber conversion) at the [[BC Aviation Museum]], Sidney, BC]]

Since 1945, over 300 A-26s have been on the FAA U.S. Civil Aircraft Register. Perhaps up to 100 of those were probably only registered for ferry flights from USAF bases such as [[Davis-Monthan AFB]], AZ, and [[Hill AFB]], UT, to civil airports and stored as candidates for sale on the civil or overseas military markets.<ref>Francillon 1978, p. 233.</ref>

The initial main civil uses were as "executive" personnel transports with minimal modifications such as removal of military features, bomb-bay doors sealed shut, passenger-entry stairs in bomb bay, and the conversion of the fuselage to accept six to eight passengers.<ref name= "Grinsell, p. 44"/> Improvements developed considerably until the early 1960s, when purpose-built executive types such as the turboprop [[Gulfstream I]] became available.<ref name= "Grinsell, p. 44">Grinsell 1974, p. 44.</ref>

During the mid-1950s, A-26s were tested and used as air tankers for suppression of forest and wildland fires, and briefly used borate-based retardants, hence the inaccurate and unofficial term "borate bombers". Borate was later discontinued due to its undesirable ecologic effects, replaced with retardant mixtures of water, clays, fertilizers, and red dyes. That use of A-26s on USDA contracts was discontinued in major regions by about 1973, after many of the A-26 air tankers found willing purchasers in Canada.<ref name="Thompson 2002"/>

[[File:DouglasB26c Invader.jpg|thumb|A-26C-50-DT, AF Ser. No. ''44-35918'' marked as A-26B, AF Ser. No. ''43-4287'' ''Versatile Lady'' at the [[USAF Airman Heritage Museum]]]]

Much early development of conversions was carried out by Grand Central Aircraft, whose drawings and personnel were taken up by the On Mark Engineering Company of Van Nuys, California, from about 1955. By the 1960s, On Mark had an exclusive license from Douglas Aircraft Company for manufacture and sale of parts for A-26s.<ref>Francillon 1978, p. 234.</ref> The on Mark Executive (1956), the On Mark Marketeer (1957), and the pressurized [[On Mark Marksman]] (1961) were products of this effort.<ref name= "Grinsell, p. 44"/>

[[File:RSAF B-26 Invader.jpg|thumb|left|B-26 Invader at [[Royal Saudi Air Force Museum]] in [[Riyadh]]]]
A significant conversion was the Rock Island Monarch 26, while less numerous and more basic conversions for executive operations were carried out by Wold Engineering, LB Smith Aircraft Corp., [[R. G. LeTourneau]] Inc, Rhodes-Berry Company{{refn| The R-B Silver Sixty (1960) carried 14 seats; first flight of the prototype N5510V occurred on 25 June 1960.<ref>[http://www.aerofiles.com/_ra.html "Rhodes Berry"]. ''aerofiles.com''. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref>|group=N}} and [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] Aircraft Service Inc.<ref name="Thompson 2002"/><ref>Beck, Simon. [http://www.uswarplanes.net/a26.html "Douglas A-26 Invader"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000344/http://www.uswarplanes.net/a26.html |date=4 March 2016 }} ''uswarplanes.net''. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref>
[[Garrett AiResearch]] used two A-26 variants as testbeds for turbine engines; see also XA-26F above.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id617.html|title=Power plants used by the A/B-26 in research and development|website=napoleon130.tripod.com|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Operators (military and civilian)==
{{Main|List of Douglas A-26 Invader operators}}

==Surviving aircraft==
{{Main|List of surviving Douglas A-26 Invaders}}

==Specifications (A-26B Invader)==
[[File:Douglas B-26B Invader 3-view line drawing.png|frameless|right|3-view line drawing of the Douglas B-26B Invader]]

{{Aircraft specs
|ref=''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I''.<ref name="Francillon">{{cite book |last1=Francillon |first1=René J. |title=McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I |date=1988 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=London |isbn=0870214284 |pages=338–355}}</ref><ref name=JAWA1947>{{cite book |title=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947 |editor1-last=Bridgman |editor1-first=Leonard |year=1947 |publisher=Sampson Low, Marston & Co |location=London |pages=224c–225c}}</ref>
|prime units?=imp
<!--
        General characteristics
-->
|crew=3
|length ft=50
|length in=
|length note=
|span ft=70
|span in=
|span note=
|height ft=18
|height in=6
|height note=
|wing area sqft=540
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=<!-- sailplanes -->
|airfoil=[[NACA airfoil|NACA 65-215]]<ref name="Selig">{{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>
|empty weight lb=22370
|empty weight note=
|gross weight lb=27600
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight lb=35000
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity={{cvt|925|USgal|impgal l}} normal <big>+</big> optional {{cvt|675|USgal|impgal l}} ferry tank in the bomb bay; Oil capacity {{cvt|60|USgal|impgal l}} in two nacelle tanks
|more general=
<!--
        Powerplant
-->
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name=[[Pratt & Whitney R-2800-71 Double Wasp|Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27, -71, or -79 Double Wasp]]
|eng1 type=18-cylinder air-cooled two-row radial piston engines
|eng1 hp=2000
|eng1 note=for take-off
|prop blade number=3
|prop name=[[Hamilton Standard]] Hydromatic
|prop dia ft=12
|prop dia in=7
|prop dia note= constant-speed fully-feathering propellers
<!--
        Performance
-->
|max speed mph=359
|max speed note=at {{cvt|16700|ft}} (normal rated power)
|cruise speed mph=266
|cruise speed note=at {{cvt|5000|ft}} (62.5% rated power)
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed note=
|range miles=1600
|range note=without ferry tank at {{cvt|5000|ft}} at {{cvt|206|mph|kn km/h}}
|combat range miles=700
|combat range note=
|ferry range miles=3000
|ferry range note=with ferry tank at {{cvt|5000|ft}} at {{cvt|210|mph|kn km/h}}
|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->
|ceiling ft=28500
|ceiling note= ; {{cvt|14400|ft}} on one engine
|g limits=<!-- aerobatic -->
|roll rate=<!-- aerobatic -->
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude={{cvt|10000|ft}} in 8 minutes 6 seconds
|wing loading lb/sqft=51.1
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass={{cvt|0.145|hp/lb|kW/kg}}
|more performance=
<!--
        Armament
-->
|guns=<br />
** 6 or 8 [[0.50 BMG|0.50 in]] (12.7 mm) [[M2 Browning machine gun]]s in solid, "all purpose" nose: or 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in glass "bombardier" nose 
** Up to 8 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns paired in four optional under wing pods: or 3 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in each outer wing panel
** 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret
** 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret
|bombs=Up to {{convert|6000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} capacity - {{convert|4000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} in the bomb bay plus {{convert|2000|lb|kg|abbr=on}} carried externally on [[Hardpoint|underwing hardpoints]]
|rockets=Up to 10 × 5-inch (12.7&nbsp;cm) [[High Velocity Aircraft Rocket|HVAR rockets]] on "zero length" launch pylons, five under each outer wing panel
|avionics=
}}

==Notable appearances in media==
<!-- All content about the aircraft in fictional and gaming use has been moved to [[Aircraft in fiction, please see [[WP:AIRPOP]] -->
{{Main|Aircraft in fiction#A-26/B-26 Invader}}
In July 2005, the archaeological television program ''[[Time Team]]'' of the UK's [[Channel 4]], along with members of [[RAF Millom#Museum|RAF Millom Museum]], took part in a major project to excavate the crash sites of two A-26 Invader aircraft after the aircraft collided shortly after take-off over marshes close to the then USAAF BAD 2 airbase at [[RAF Warton|Warton]] in [[Lancashire]] on 29 November 1944. The aircraft, A-26B-10-DT ''43-22298'' and A-26B-15-DT ''43-22336'', were en route to [[Brétigny, Oise]], in northern France for service with the [[341st Air Refueling Squadron|641st Bombardment Squadron]] of the [[409th Bombardment Group]].<ref>[http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Time%20Team.htm "A-26B Invaders - Warton - 29th November 1944 - Bombers in the Marsh"]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724061316/http://web.ukonline.co.uk/lait/site/Time%20Team.htm |date=24 July 2008 }} ''Lancashire Investigative Team''. Retrieved: 19 December 2010.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
{{aircontent
|related=
* [[Douglas A-20 Havoc]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[Bristol Beaufighter]]
* [[Junkers Ju 188]]
* [[Tupolev Tu-2]]
|lists=
* [[List of aircraft of World War II]]
* [[List of military aircraft of the United States]]
* [[List of attack aircraft]]
* [[List of bomber aircraft]]
|see also=
* [[Water bomber]]
* [[SHORAN]]
* [[1980 Biggin Hill Invader crash]]
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=N}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
*A Former USAF Pilot. "Talkback". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]''. No. 9, February–May 1979. p.&nbsp;80. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
* Dorr, Robert F. and Chris Bishop. ''Vietnam Air War Debrief''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1996. {{ISBN|1-874023-78-6}}.
* Dorr, Robert F. and Warren Thompson. ''Korean Air War''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI, 2003. {{ISBN|978-0-7603-1511-8}}.
* Francillon, René. "The Douglas Invader Story". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Number Seven, July–September 1978, pp.&nbsp;215–234. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press Ltd., 1978.
* Francillon, René. ''McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I''. London: Putnam, 1979. {{ISBN|0-87021-428-4}}.
* Futrell, Robert F. ''The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950–53''. Washington, D.C.: Air Force History Office, 1997, First edition 1961. {{ISBN|978-0-16-048879-5}}.
*{{cite journal |last1=Gaillard|first1=Pierre|title=Le B-26 "Invader" en "Indo"|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation  |date=December 1978 |issue=109 |pages=46–50 |issn=0757-4169|language=fr|trans-title=The B-26 Invader in Indochina}}
* Gallemi, Francis. ''A-26B/C Invader (Warbird Profile 1)''. Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada: Aries Publications, 1994. {{ISBN|1-84176-080-3}}.
*{{cite journal |last=Gordon |first=Doug |title= Tac Recon Masters: The 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in Europe, Part One|journal= [[Air Enthusiast]] |issue=94|date=July–August 2001|pages=31–39|issn=0143-5450 }}
* Grinsell, Bob. "Invader". ''Wings'' Vol. 4, No. 3, June 1974.
* Hagedorn, Dan. ''Central American and Caribbean Air Forces''. Staplefield, West Sussex, UK: Air Britain (Historians Ltd.), 1993. {{ISBN|0-85130-210-6}}.
* Hagedorn, Dan and Leif Hellström. ''Foreign Invaders, the Douglas Invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine Service''. Earl Shilton, Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 1994. {{ISBN|1-85780-013-3}}.
*{{cite journal |last1=Hellstöm|first1=Leif|title=Air War in Paradise: The CIA and Indonesia 1958|journal=Air Enthusiast |date=July–August 1999|issue=82|pages=24–38 |issn=0143-5450}}
* Horne, John E. "Douglas B-26s in Korea". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]'', Number 24, April—July 1984. Bromley, Kent UK: Pilot Press. pp.&nbsp;50–59.
*Hunnicutt, Richard P. "Talkback". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]''. No. 9, February–May 1979. p.&nbsp;79. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
* Johnsen, Frederick A. ''Douglas A-26 Invader''. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 1999. {{ISBN|1-58007-016-7}}.
*Lopes, Mario Canoniga. "Talkback". ''[[Air Enthusiast]]''. No. 9, February–May 1979. p.&nbsp;79. {{ISSN|0143-5450}}
* Mesko, Jim. ''A-26 Invader in Action'' (Aircraft Number 37). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1980. {{ISBN|0-89747-093-1}}.
**''A-26 Invader in Action'' (Aircraft Number 134). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1993. {{ISBN|0-89747-296-9}}.
**''VNAF, Republic of Vietnam Air Force 1945-1975''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1987. {{ISBN|0-89747-193-8}}.
* Mikesh, Robert C. "Flying the Invader: Pilot Notes for the Douglas A-26". ''Air Enthusiast'', Number Seven. July–September 1978. Bromley, Kent, UK: Pilot Press Ltd., 1978, pp.&nbsp;234–236.
* O'Leary, Michael. "Database:Douglas Invader". ''Aeroplane'', May 2002, Vol. 30, No.5, pp.&nbsp;37–58. London: IPC.
*{{cite journal|title=Pentagon Over the Islands: The Thirty-Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation|journal=Air Enthusiast Quarterly |date=n.d. |issue=2 |pages=154–162 |issn=0143-5450}}
*Roeder, Jim. ''A-26 Invader Units of World War 2: Osprey Combat Aircraft 82''. Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2010. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-431-2}}
* Smith, Mark E. ''USAF Reconnaissance in South East Asia (1961–66)''. San Francisco: Headquarters, Pacific Air Force, Department of the Air Force, 1966.
* Thompson, Scott. ''Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader''. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press Ltd., 2002. {{ISBN|1-86126-503-4}}.
* Thompson, Warren. ''B-26 Invader Units over Korea''. Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2000. {{ISBN|1-84176-080-3}}.
* ''Volume I Operation Shed Light Study Report''. Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, DCS Research and Development, Headquarters, United States Air Force, 1966.
* Wheeler, Barry C. ''The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings''. London: Chancellor Press, 1992. {{ISBN|1-85152-582-3}}.
* Winchester, Jim. "Douglas A-26 Invader". ''Aircraft of World War II''. London: Grange Books, 2004. {{ISBN|1-84013-639-1}}.
*{{cite book |title=Jane's Fighting aircraft of World War II |editor-last1=Bridgman |editor-first1=Leonard |date=1989 |publisher=Military Press |location=New York |isbn=0517679647 |edition=1995 |pages=224c–225c}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Douglas A-26 Invader}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130701061009/http://www.strijdbewijs.nl/top/v/2609.jpg Photo of prototype XA-26 41-19504]
*[https://www.scribd.com/doc/53418584 Manual: (1945) AN 01-40AJ-2 Erection and Maintenance Instructions for Army Models A-26B and A-26C Airplanes]{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161002104857/http://a26ladyliberty.com/ A-26 Lady Liberty - Confederate Air Force]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604015754/http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5657 Hill Aerospace Museum: ''Douglas A-26 "Invader" Information'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070416150352/http://www2.hurlburt.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3422 Hurlburt AFB: ''Fact Sheets: A-26 Counter-Invader'']
*[http://napoleon130.tripod.com/ Martin J Simpson's A-26 history website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090929003726/http://www.contrails.us/sh_a-26/index.htm SH A-26 Sponsor Group - Commemorative Air Force]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=PiEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA100 ''Popular Science'', July 1945, "Plane of Many Faces"]
*[http://www.warbirdregistry.org/a26registry/a26registry.html Douglas A-26 Invader Registry]
*{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20140422235332/http://i-ota.net/A-26SpiritNC/ Spherical panoramas of the interior of the 'Spirit of North Carolina']}}

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[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1942]]
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