64-17662

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 39,250 lbs Maximum
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 2,700 miles (ferry)
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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Converted from 44-35458 or 41-39462. (The other plane is 64-17663).

Operational History

11 Dec 1964 - Accepted into USAF Inventory from OnMark Engineering Company at Van Nuys, CA. ^[1]
12 Dec 1964 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field. ^[1]
27 Dec 1964 - Status changed to "Lease/Loan" while assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field. ^[1]
28 Dec 1964 - Assigned to Logistics Command at Hill AFB ^[2]
Note: This Lease/Loan status change is undoubtedly the transfer to the CIA for service with 211th Squadron.

5 Jan 1965 - On paper the plane is reassigned back to 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field ^[2]. In actuality it arrived in Congo to participate in CIA operation Anstalt Wigmo. Had tail code "FR-662" and "FM-662". ^[3]

31 May 1966 - Transferred on paper from 1st Air Commando Wing at Hurlburt Field to COAAR at Hill AFB. The plane is still listed as being "lend/lease" and is still in the Congo as part of operation Anstalt Wingmo. ^[4]
27 Jul 1966 - Designation changed from B-26K to A-26K while in the Congo. ^[4]

28 Feb 1967 - Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) at McLellan AFB. ^[5]
15 Jun 1967 - Left SMAAR. ^[5]
16 Jun 1967 - Left US. Assigned to 634th Combat Support Group at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. ^[5]
2 Jul 1967 - Arrived a Nakhon Phanom. Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing. ^[5]
22 Aug 1967 - Lost in action. ^[5] Disappeared over Northern Laos. Search found no trace. 2 MIA.

Accidents

At least 1 belly landing during service in the Congo with 211th Squadron.

Crew

Congo

Cpt. Rene Travieso (Pilot)
Luis Roque (Co-Pilot)

Vietnam

LtCol Howard L. Farmer (Pilot)

Cpt John Creighton Gillespie Kerr (Pilot) - MIA
1Lt Burke Henderson Morgan (Navigator) - MIA

Disposition

Lost 21 Aug 1967.

Images

64-17662 at the end of operations in the Congo.

662 at Nakhon Phanom Air Base in Vietnam.

Sources

Databases searched:

AAIR -
MACR -
Baugher

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, Oct-Dec 1964" Reel AVH-2, Pg 599-600 USAFHRA
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1965" Reel AVH-4, Pg 1958 USAFHRA
↑ Hellstrom, Leif & Hagedorn, Dan. (1994) Foreign Invaders: The Douglas Invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine Service Voyager Press, ISBN-13 : 978-1857800135
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1946 USAFHRA
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 ^5.4 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2751 USAFHRA

[AVH-2-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, Oct-Dec 1964" Reel AVH-2, Pg 599-600 USAFHRA

[AVH-4-2] 2.0 ^2.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1965" Reel AVH-4, Pg 1958 USAFHRA

[Foreign-3] Hellstrom, Leif & Hagedorn, Dan. (1994) Foreign Invaders: The Douglas Invader in Foreign Military and US Clandestine Service Voyager Press, ISBN-13 : 978-1857800135

[AVH-6-4] 4.0 ^4.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1946 USAFHRA

[AVH-8-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 ^5.3 ^5.4 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2751 USAFHRA

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