64-17649

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
Donate
Even a small donation of a couple of dollars goes a long way in helping us achieve our mission. If you appreciate the work we are doing, throw $5 our way to help us keep doing it. You don't need a PayPal account to donate. If you have questions, you check out our Donate FAQ.

See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number, Serial Numbers starting with 64

Converted from 43-22720.

Was named "Sweet Therese"

Operational History

Jan 1965 - sent to Congo to participate in CIA operation Anstalt Wigmo. Had "FR-649" on the tail.
Oct 1966 - Returned to the US.

May 1967 - Sent to Southeast Asia.
Participated in Operation Steel Tiger. Served with 609th Special Operations Squadron.

11 Jan 1970 - Arrived at Davis-Monthan AFB, from the 609th Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand (Tail Code TA).

15 Dec 1972 - Declared Excess by USAF, approved for reclamation.

31 Mar 1976 - Sold to Allied Aircraft, Inc of Tucson.

Accidents

Unknown

Crew

unknown. Martin Simpson's site erroneously lists Captain Marschalk and Captain Poteet as the crew of this aircraft, however, correspondence by Marschalk himself confirms his plane as 64-17660.

Disposition

Scrapped. Several sources list this plane as scrapped in Dec 1972, but this is not accurate as it was sold to Allied in 1976. It was one of 10 aircraft that Allied acquired between 1976 and 1980. While the fate of the other Allied planes is not known, we know this plane was eventually scrapped because Cpt. Marschalk was reunited with the right nose wheel door of his airplane, which is currently in the possession of his family.

Images

Sources

Databases searched:

• AAIR -
• MACR -
• Baugher