A/B-26 Invader Illustrated Paperback – April 24, 2024

The Douglas A-26 Invader was at the apogee of twin-engine medium bomber development in World War II. It embodied that old aircraft design maxim; “If it looks good, it will fly good!”. It’s slim, sleek fuselage and broad, high-dihedral wings mounted the most powerful radial engines used in a medium bomber of the era. When it became the “B-26”, it was often confused with the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber….confused in name only. The Invader was 70mph faster, and could carry twice as much bomb load higher, if not farther than the other B-26….and it was prettier! (Another popular aphorism asserts that “pretty is as pretty does”, and the Douglas Invader certainly was that.) Confirming its superiority, it remained in active USAF service until 1972, fighting in 3 American wars and several conflicts fought by nations who bought surplus WWII Invaders. Many years ago, I painted box art for Monogram Models, and one of the illustrations I did was the B-26 Invader. In 1948 the A-26 morphed into the B-26, and since the original B-26 Marauder was no longer operational, USAF (also newly created) was unconcerned with any possible mixup.The Monogram box copy for the B-26 Invader included this description of the Invader; “Invader” – best attack bomber of WWII-saw action in the E.T.O. as A-26. Five years later when North Korea “blitzed”the South, “Invaders” redesignated B-26 were still first line. With a devasting armament of eighteen .50 cal. machine guns, fourteen rockets, napalm plus internal bomb load, powered by 18 cylinder double row Pratt and Whitney radials, the thoroughbred saw extensive action as night intruder and fearsome ground support bomber.” .When that was written, the B-26 had yet to see widely acknowledged service in the Vietnam War, it’s third war in a long career which spanned almost 30 years of combat, first in Europe and the Pacific in WWII, then with the French in Vietnam, USAF in Korea, and again with the South Vietnamese Air Force and USAF in Vietnam, then with several South and Central American air forces, and with mercenaries in the third world. By far, the greatest collection of Invader color images will be private ownership, and the Invader was a popular candidate of high-speed executive travel in the immediate post-WWII years, so you’ll see a lot of those airplanes herein. Read more