Aero Modeller No.919

The Douglas A-26 “Invader” was one of the worlds most widely recognised and respected aircraft of World War II attack bomber types. The A-26 was an unusual design for an attack bomber of the early 1940s period and was originally designed as a single-pilot aircraft very similar to the RAF’s de Havilland Mosquito. One of the major advancements engineered into the Invader
was making use of the then-new NACA 65-215 laminar flow airfoil.The Douglas XA-26 prototype first flew on 10 July 1942 at Mines Field, El Segundo, California with test pilot Benny Howard (of 1930s air racing fame and founder of the Howard Aircraft Company) at the controls. Initial flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling. The A-26 was produced in many different variants and proved to be quite versatile for many different combat roles. The Model A-26B was first pressed into service in August 1943 with the new bomber first seeing action with the Fifth Air Force in the Southwest Pacific Theater on 23 June 1944 where it quickly racked up an impressive combat record. The A-26 began arriving in Europe in late September 1944 for assignment to the Ninth Air Force and flew its first mission on September 6.

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