41-39230

A-26B-20 Invader

Builders: Douglas Aircraft Company
Operators: United States Air Force
Number Built: 153 (99-DL, 54-DT)
First Built: Jul 1944
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Type: Light Attack Bomber
Wet Weight: 31,000 lbs
Length: 50' 9" (with guns) 49' 11" (without guns)
Height: 18' 6" (5.64 m)
Wingspan: 70' (21.34 m)
Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (50.17 m²)
Speed: 212 mph
Max Speed: 370 mph
Ceiling: 31,300 feet
Powerplant: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27
Horsepower: 2,000 each
Fuel Capacity: 1,600 US Gallons
Range:
Crew: 3
Passengers: 1
ARMAMENT
Nose Guns: 6x .50 Machine Guns
Dorsal Turret: 2x .50 Machine Guns
Ventral Turret: 2x .50 Machine Guns
Payload: 4,000 lbs internal 2,000 lbs wing points
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See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number This plane saw combat in WWII with the 9th Air Force in the European Theater of Operations, probably with the 410th Bombardment Group.

Operational History

19 Aug 1944 - Rolled out of Long Beach factory.
23 Aug 1944 - Accepted into USAF Inventory
24 Sep 1944 - Assigned to 9th Air Force, European Theater of Operations
6 Aug 1945 - Returned to Hunter AFB, 485th Base Unit
8 Aug 1945 - Ferried to Grenada AFB by 4255th Base Unit
4 Feb 1946 - Delivered to Hobbs AFB
30 Apr 1946 - Reassigned to 4160th Base Unit, Hobbs AFB
31 Mar 1937 - Assigned to AMCSA
7 Jan 1948 - 4127th Base Unit, Hobbs AFB
7 Jan 1949 - 4160th Base Unit, McLellan AFB
3 Oct 1954 - Struck from USAF Record.

Sold to Civilian market.
H. R. Wells, 19??
- Registered as N9682C.

Flight Inc, Dallas TX, 1963-1966.

D & D Aero Spraying Inc., Rantoul, KS, 1969-1980.
- Flew as Tanker #105.
- Fitted with a glass nose, converted to A26C.
- Probably converted to TB-26C during this time.

Harley Wilke/Confederate Air Force, Harlingen, TX, 1980-1982.

CAF/Commemorative Air Force, Harlingen (later Midland), TX, August21, 1982-present.
- Flew as 13930/P/Panhandle's Pride.

- Long term restoration, North Vegas, NV, 1988-1996.
- First Flight, June 10, 1996.
- Flew as 139230/N/Vegas Vixen.

- Renamed Lady Liberty, 2003. Red dress nose art.
- Nose art updated to blue dress.
- Circa 2012 - glass nose broken, converted back to TB-26B
- New nose art from Troy Muller of New Century Art Guild.
- 2020 6-gun nose restored.