64-17645
| 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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See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number, Serial Numbers starting with 64
Was converted from 44-35546.
Was named "Magnet Ass" during operations with the 609th in Vietnam.
Operational History
13 Aug 1964 - Accepted into USAF Inventory from OnMark Engineering Company at Van Nuys, CA. [1]
13 Aug 1964 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field. [2]
18 Aug 1964 - sent to Congo to participate in CIA operation Anstalt Wigmo. Carried the tail letters RF645 and later FR-645.
[3]
8 Jan 1965 - Assigned to Logistics Command at Hill AFB as part of a Lease/Loan program. [4]
Note: The Lease/Loan program is the CIA operation Anstalt Wingmo. This record suggest that the CIA received the plane on 8 Jan 1965, but Hellstrom and Hagedorn propose 18 Aug 1964.
27 Jul 1966 - Aircraft designation changed from B-26K to A-26A. [5]
Note: This plane is still assigned to Hill AFB and is still reported as being part of Lend/Lease, which is the cover for the CIA operation Anstalt Wigmo.
29 Dec 1966 - Returned to United States. Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) [5]
2 May 1967 - Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) at McLellan AFB. [6]
31 May 1967 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [6]
11 Dec 1967 - Assigned to SMAAR. [6]
16 Dec 1967 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [6]
23 Feb 1968 - Assigned to 432nd Training Wing at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base. [7]
24 Feb 1968 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing for maintenance at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base. [7]
21 Mar 1968 - Combat capable status with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [7]
2 Aug 1968 - 56th Air Commando Wing renamed to 56th Special Operations Wing. [7]
10 Mar 1969 - 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [8]
4 May 1969 - 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [8]
10 Nov 1969 - Departed Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [8]
14 Nov 1969 - Assigned to 62nd Air Base Wing at Clark AFB. Put into storage. [8]
NOTE: Baugher and others list this plane as going to South Vietnam as a training plane on 10 Nov 1969. While I have no doubt that the plane ended up there, the date 10 Nov is only when the plane departed NKP, not when it was given to the SVA.
Mar 1975 - Blown up at Nha Trang to prevent enemy capture.
Accidents
Unknown
Crew
unknown
Disposition
Blown up at Nha Trang Mar 1975
Images
.jpg)
Sources
Databases searched:
- AAIR -
- MACR -
- Baugher
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, Jul-Sep 1964" Reel AVH-1, Pg 1180 USAFHRA
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, Oct-Dec 1964" Reel AVH-2, Pg 598 USAFHRA
- ↑ Hellstrom, Leif & Hagedorn, Dan. (1994) Foreign Invaders: The Douglas Invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine Service Voyager Press, ISBN-13 : 978-1857800135
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1965" Reel AVH-4, Pg 1956 USAFHRA
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1943-1944 USAFHRA
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2748 USAFHRA
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1968" Reel AVH-10, Pg 2369 USAFHRA
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1969" Reel AVH-13, Pg 2202 USAFHRA