64-17646
| 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 44-35375.
Operational History
12 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. [1]
18 Aug 1964 - sent to Congo to participate in CIA operation Anstalt Wigmo. Had RF646 and later FR-646 on the tail. [2]
8 Jan 1965 - Assigned to Logistics Command at Hill AFB as part of a Lease/Loan program. [3]
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. [4] 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.
23 Mar 1967 - Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) at McLellan AFB [5]
31 May 1967 - Still at SMAAR, undergoing maintenance and repair work. [5]
20 Jul 1967 - Assigned to 634th Combat Support Group at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [5]
6 Aug 1967 - Assigned to 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [5]
20 Dec 1967 - Assigned to Sacramento Air Material Area (SMAAR) [5]
23 Dec 1967 - Assigned o 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [5]
28 Dec 1967 - Underwent maintenance with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom.[5]
3 Jan 1968 - Returned to Combat Status with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom. [5]
19 Jan 1968 - Maintenance with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [6]
8 Feb 1968 - Returned to Combat Status with 56th Air Commando Wing at Nakhon Phanom. [6]
2 Aug 1968 - 56th Air Commando Wing renamed to 56th Special Operations Wing. [6]
5 Apr 1969 - 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom Air Base. [7]
8 Jul 1969 - Dropped from inventory due to loss during combat. [6] Hit hillside during strafing run in southern "Barrel Roll" area of SVN. 2 KIA.
Last A-26 lost in Southeast Asia operations by US. Also last A-26 to be lost by American forces during combat operations.
Accidents
Approx. 1966 belly landed in the Congo after taking enemy ground fire.
Crew
Rafael "El Huevo" Garcia Pujon (Pilot) - Congo[8]
Maj. James Sizemore (Pilot) - KIA
Maj. Howard Andre (Nav) - KIA
Disposition
Lost in action Jul 1969.
Images
64-17646 doing a low-level pass over the air field in the Congo.
64-17646 in early spring, 1965 showing an early version of the Makasi Squadron insignia.
Gustavo Ponzoa and Squadron Commander Joaquin Valera pose in front of "The Boogie Bogey" in the Congo.
64-17646 is visible in the background on the left.
64-17646 is visible in the background, center, wearing the Makasi squadron insignia.
64-17646 pictured with Commander Antonio Torrecilla and El Guarijo Castillo of the Makasi Squadron in the Congo.
Maj. James Sizemore standing beside 64-17646 in Vietnam.
Sources
Databases searched:
- AAIR -
- MACR -
- Baugher
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, Jun-Oct 1964" Reel AVH-1, Pg 1180 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 1957 USAFHRA
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1966" Reel AVH-6, Pg 1944 USAFHRA
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1967" Reel AVH-8, Pg 2748-2749 USAFHRA
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1968" Reel AVH-10, Pg 2369 USAFHRA
- ↑ "Aerospace Vehicle Report, 1969" Reel AVH-13, Pg 2202 USAFHRA
- ↑ Capote, Vicente Blanco (2011) The Makasis. Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/69193132/The-Makasis-2