41-39401

A-26B-30 Invader
Builders: Douglas Aircraft Company
Operators: United States Air Force
Number Built:
First Built: Nov 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 served in WWII with the 643rd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. She would have bore the fuselage squadron code of 5I.

She later saw action in the Korean War as a highly classified, experimental Pathfinder Variant. She was assigned to the 13th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force where she bore the tail letters Mc and was affectionately called "Redbird".

After the war she flew as "Whistler's Mother" in the civil aviation with registry numbers N3457G and N39401.

Operational History

27 Nov 1944 - Rolled out of Long Beach Factory.
28 Nov 1944 - Accepted by USAF
11 Dec 1944 - Served in Europe, France with the 643rd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force - flew 30 combat missions.
15 Jul 1945 - Returned to US, Hobbs AFB.
1 Sep 1947 - Transferred to Hill AFB
25 Jul 1952 - Began Conversion into a C model, 1 of 3 highly classified long-nosed Pathfinder Variants. Assigned to Far East Air Force (5th) Air Force.
11 Nov 1952 - Arrived in Kunsan, Korea. Assigned to 13th Bombardmend Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force. She made 6 trips to the Miho, Japan repair depot during her time.
21 Mar 1953 - Assigned to Iwakuni AFB, Japan.
15 Apr 1954 - Assigned to Hill AFB. Had IR equipment removed and she is slated to be given a hard nose once more.
Feb 1955 - Struck from USAF Inventory.

There are some rumors that this plane served with the California Air National Guard, but I haven't seen any records of this. If she did, it would have been sometime between 1955 and 1959, but the IARC record for this plane's USAF service ends in 1955.

1959-1969 - John R. Moore, Los Angles, CA purchases the plane. She is registered as N3457G and flown as Whistler's Mother. She is pictured here with a glass nose. So either Mr. Moore had the hard nose swapped, or else the IARC is in error and the plane was given a glass nose when she was converted back from the Pathfinder Variant.

1969-1982 - Withdrawn from use and stored in Van Nuys, CA

Nov 1982 - Purchased by Challenge Publications Inc, Canoga Park, CA.
May 1983 - Registered as N39401.
18 Aug 1983- Rebuilt by First Flight, Van Nuys, CA.

Jan 1985 - Purchased by American Aeronautical Foundation, Van Nuys, CA.

21 Jul 1987 - Purchased by Kermit Weeks of the Weeks Air Museum, Tamiami, FL. Flown as Whistler's Mother.
24 Aug 1992 - Damaged by Hurricane Andrew.
1997 - Trucked to Aero Trader, Chino, CA for restoration and repair.
Jul 2020 (Update) - The plane is still being restored and has operational engines once more.

Accidents

7 Dec 1952 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
2 Feb 1953 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
30 Mar 1952 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
6 May 1953 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
28 Jun 1953 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
4 Oct 1953 - Repaired at Miho, Japan
24 Aug 1992 - Damaged by Hurricane Andrew while parked

Crew

Frank L. Pine - Pilot (Civilian, 1968)
Kermit Weeks - Pilot/Owner (Civilian, 1987-present)

Disposition

Currently being restored by Aerotrader Inc in Chino, CA. (2020)

Images

I have not seen any photos of this plane during WWII as yet. I am working to identify what Fuselage Code she wore during her WWII service, and I hope to be able to track down a photo of the plane during that time period with that information in hand.

41-39401 as the modified Pathfinder Variant in Korea, 1952 when she was assigned to the 13th Bombardment Squadron.

Notice that the plane went through a subtle modification to the Pathfinder equipment. In the above photos the nosecap is a solid piece, however in the lower photos the nosecap is glass. As best I have been able to determine it started as a solid nose plane, and then sometime in the spring of 1953 the glass nose was installed.

This photo shows movie stunt pilot Frank L. Pine at the helm in 1966 when the plane was registered as a civilian plane, N3457G, painted up to look like a WWII plane.

This photo shows 41-39401 as N3457G wearing a fictional paint scheme as "Whistler's Mother". She is parked in El Toro, CA in Nov 1966 where the plane was being used to film a movie that was never completed.

This photo shows N3457G in storage in 1969.

This photo shows 41-39401 in disuse in Van Nuys, CA in the mid-1970s. We were able to determine the location of the photo based on the Hangar in the background, which reads "The Great Atlantic & Pacific Aeroplane Company", who operated a hangar in Van Nuys, CA. Note that the plane is painted up to look like a WWII bomber, but this a fictional paint scheme. The yellow stripe is meant to be a 409th Bombardment Group marking, but the real version doesn't have the grey stripe as well. 409th Planes also didn't have a letter on the tail like that. The plane was still registered as N3457G during this photo.

These photos shows 41-39401 in August of 1983 while she was being rebuilt by First Flight. She is registered a N39401. The plane is now owned by Challenge Publications of Canoga Park, CA. Notice the changes to the paint scheme. The letter B has been removed from the tail. A fuselage code of 5I-C has been applied. The code of 5I belongs to the 643rd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Squadron. Also note that the anti-glare panel isn't quite the right shade of green for a mil-spec paint job.

These photos shows 41-39401 still registered as N39401 and flying the Whistler's Mother paint scheme of the 643rd Bombardment Squadron, 409th Bombardment Group in 1985 when she was owned by the American Aeronautical Foundation.

I have one additional photo from this time period, but I am unable to upload it at this time due to technical errors.

This image shows 41-39401 on display, possibly at Weeks Aviation Museum.

This photo shows 41-39401 dismantled in storage, possibly after the damage from Hurricane Andrew.

Sources

Databases searched:

• AAIR -
• MACR -
• KORWALD -
• Baugher