64-17656
| 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 44-35847.
Operational History
10 Nov 1964 - Accepted into USAF Inventory from OnMark at Van Nuys, CA. [1]
11 Nov 1964 - Assigned to 1st Air Commando Wing at Eglin AFB. [1]
16 Dec 1964 - 1st Air Commando Wing at Eglin AFB [1]
22 Dec 1964 - Dropped from USAF Inventory due to accident. [1]. Written off at Eglin Range after crashing during low-level applied tactics mission. Pilot killed, navigator bailed but lost leg while exiting the aircraft. [2]
Some sources, like Baugher, indicate that the accident occurred on 16 Dec 1964. The plane was dropped from Inventory on 22 Dec 1964. The record entry for 16 Dec is a gain code, not a loss code like you would expect to see in a crash. All of the other sources either point to Baugher's notes, or sources that cite Baugher's notes. In either case, this was the 1st B-26K model lost and it had the shortest service life of any B-26K, with an operational period on the books of just 42 days.
I have not been able to find any information on the crew listed in the accidents. Because the plane was not lost during war these airmen don't show up on memorial sites. I am in the process of tracking down the specific accident report, but this will take some time.
Accidents
22 Dec 1964 - Crashed during low-level tactics exercise. Aircraft destroyed. [1][2]
Crew
Unknown
Disposition
Lost in Accident Dec 1964.
Images
Sources
Databases searched:
- AAIR -
- MACR -
- KORWALD -
- Baugher