64-17667
| B-26K-1 Invader | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Builders: Douglas Aircraft Company On Mark Engineering | |||
| Operators: United States Air Force | |||
| Number Built: 40 | |||
| First Built: Jan 1963 (YB-26K) First test flight | |||
| GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS | |||
| Type: Light Attack Bomber | |||
| Weight: 25,130 lbs empty 37,000 lbs loaded | |||
| Length: 51' 7 3/16" (inc. guns) | |||
| Height: 19' 0" | |||
| Wingspan: 71'6" (including wingtip tanks) | |||
| Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (50.17 m²) | |||
| Speed: 169 mph (cruising) | |||
| Max Speed: 323 mph | |||
| Ceiling: 28,600' | |||
| Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-103W | |||
| Horsepower: 2,500 | |||
| Fuel Capacity: 1,600 US Gallons | |||
| Range: 700 miles w/3518 lbs payload 1,480 miles empty | |||
| Crew: 2 | |||
| Passengers: 1 | |||
| ARMAMENT | |||
| Nose Guns: 8x .50 caliber guns | |||
| Dorsal Turret: None | |||
| Ventral Turret: None | |||
| Payload: 8,000 lbs on wings 4,000 lbs internal | |||
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| Even a small donation of a couple of dollars goes a long way in helping | |||
See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number, Serial Numbers starting with 64
Converted from 44-35468.
Operational History
16 Jan 1965 - Accepted into USAF Inventory from OnMark at Van Nuys, CA. [1]
17 Jan 1965 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field. [1]
19 Nov 1965 - Assigned to Mobile Air Material Area (MOAAR) [1]
10 Dec 1965 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field[1]
13 Dec 1965 - 1st Air Commando Wing moved from Hurlburt Field to England AFB[1]
10 May 1966 - Designation changed from B-26K to A-26A while with the 1st Air Commando Wing at England AFB. [2]
11 Jun 1966 - Sent to Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [2]Participated in Operation Steel Tiger
21 Dec 1966 - Assigned to 634th Combat Support Group at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [3]
5 Jun 1967 - Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) at McLellan AFB. [3]
12 Sep 1967 - Left SMAAR. [3]
26 Sep 1967 - 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [3]
1 Oct 1967 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [3]
22 Dec 1967 - Assigned to SMAAR. [3]
25 Dec 1967 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [3]
11 May 1968 - 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [4]
13 May 1968 - Assigned to SMAAR [4]
1 Jul 1968 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom. [4]
29 Jul 1968 - Combat Capable status with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom. [4]
2 Aug 1968 - 56th Air Commando Wing renamed to 56th Special Operations Wing. [4]
23 Mar 1969 - Lost in action. Shot down by AA in the Quang Ngai province, Laos. [5]
Accidents
Unknown
Crew
Lt. Col. James Wesley Widdis Jr - Pilot - KIA
Maj. Robert Charles Davis - Navigator - KIA
Both men were initially reported as MIA, but were upgraded to KIA, presumed dead. Their bodies were not recovered until 1995.
Disposition
Lost 23 Mar 1969.
Images
667 bearing the crest of Merrill's Mauraders on the nose. The insignia was painted there by the crew chief in honor of his father who served in that unit in WWII.
.
Sources
Databases searched:
- AAIR -
- MACR -
- KORWALD -
- Baugher
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1965" Reel AVH-4, Pg 1958 USAFHRA
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1947 USAFHRA
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2752 USAFHRA
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1968" Reel AVH-10, Pg 2372 USAFHRA
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1969" Reel AVH-13, Pg 2205 USAFHRA