Why the two versions of the B-26?

[the330thbg]

They look dramatically different. Does anyone know the backstory?

Thanks!

[Ztex]

Do you mean the A-26 Invader and the B-26 Marauder?

The A-26 was called an A-26 during WWII and then changed to the B-26 ID after WWII when the B-26 Marauder was retired and the role of the A-26 changed from "attack' to "bombing"

The A-26 was supposed to be an attack aircraft kind of like the Mosquito.

The B-26 was strictly a medium bomber design.

That's the best I can tell you from what little I know.

[Mike Bates]

I guess your meaning the Martin B-26 Marauder and the Douglas B-26 Invader which was called A-26 during WWII and changed to B-26 after the war and after the Martin B-26 Marauder was retired.

Mike

[the330thbg]

Yes,

The Douglas and the Martin.

Thanks!

[K5DH]

The Invader's designation was changed from B-26 back to A-26 during its service in Southeast Asia. It seems we weren't supposed to be using bomber aircraft, but attack aircraft were acceptable.

Ah, politics. . .

Cheers!

[Matt Gunsch]

The Martin B-26 Marauder was a medium bomber in WWII, The Douglas A-26 Invader was a attack bomber at the end of WWII. After the war, the Martin B-26 was withdrawn from service and the Douglas A-26 was redesignated as a B-26, and used that name thru Korea. then in Vietnam, it became a A-26 again, then finally retired as a B-26 again with the remanufactured B-26K.

so, the B-26 retired, was replaced by the then A-26, which became the B-26, which years later became the A-26 again, then later became the B-26 again

Clear enough ?

[GARY HILTON]

Clear as mud!

[JDK]

Answer: The Martin B-26 Marauder and the Douglas A-26 Invader (sometime Douglas B-26 Invader) are two completely different designs.

It's a good example of why the designation system is just a bad idea. As for 'attack bombers'.

Interesting question.

Most systems recognise a design authority (usually the design and manufacturing company) and they allocate a design designation to the type. (So they were Grumman J2F Ducks even if built by Columbia.) Sometimes an aircraft gets a name. de Havilland is the design authority for the Mosquito (they are all de Havilland DH98 Mosquitos, even if built by Airspeed) DH98 is de Havillands design number for the type. The Air Ministry called different versions FB, B, NF and F, and then a number depending whither they were fight bombers, bombers, night fighters or fighters respectively, and gave them a number for the version as well. You could use it for different jobs, but the name and number stayed the same and described that version - no other.

O2SU or B-26 are Government allocated designations based on task, not type, and as a result identical aircraft (such as the Goose) can get a plethora of different, complex and confusing designations simply by being used by the Coast Guard, or Marines.

Or in short, chose a system, keep it simple, stick to it. Choose a different name or a number for a thing and stick to it.

By not doing so, the US military were able to fudge purchases of new types under old names. Personally I think it all went wrong at the Nancy Boat stage. The insitance on using jawbreaking designation systems when throughout people are happier with names (hence the conversion of designations to pseudo-names - All Three Dead - A3D, Slow But Deadly - SBD) over accepting a name works is IMHO, silly. Short designations have merit, but A4 and F4 can be confused in radio transmission, mistyping and so forth, a Phantom and a Skyhawk - not.

One specific footnote is that the Martin B-26 Marauder had been retired by the time the Douglas A-26 Invader was re-designated B-26. So at the time in W.W.II B-26 meant Marauder, and after the war B-26 meant Invader. (And you'll note it's easier to use the name throughout to mean one or the other rather than the designation . )

Rant over.

[Jase]

As an aside, the reason in my opinion that the Martin B-26 was retired after the war; and the Douglas A-26 replaced it as a B-26 Invader can be laid at the feet of one man, Harry S Truman.

Truman as a Senator was the head of the Truman Committee which investigated waste & fraud during WW2. The B-26 got in his sights due to the high training losses. Glenn L Martin was able to, with the help of Jimmy Doolittle, outmaneuver Truman and save the Martin B-26. Truman never forgot this and did what he could to bury the B-26.

[tom d. friedman]

good observation & comment!

[tom d. friedman]

i know some marauders were used in the pacific early in world war 2, but i have no recall of any invaders operating their.

[airmanual]

i know some marauders were used in the pacific early in world war 2, but i have no recall of any invaders operating their.

The 3rd BG was issued 4 planes for operational test purposes. They were finally rejected (visibility, ...) and the A-20s were kept.

Laurent

[John Dupre]

i know some marauders were used in the pacific early in world war 2, but i have no recall of any invaders operating their.

Didn't some A-26 Invaders operate from Okinawa?

[Nathan]

Four Martin B-26's saw combat at Midway armed with torpedoes. I know the B-26 was used in the South Pacific. I've seen pictures.

[Jack Frost]

[quote="k5dh"]The Invader's designation was changed from B-26 back to A-26 during its service in Southeast Asia. It seems we weren't supposed to be using bomber aircraft, but attack aircraft were acceptable.
quote]

I guess those were Boeing A-52s that were 'attacking' Hanoi during the Vietnam war, right?

<GRIN>