Role Ground attack
Light bomber
Manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight 10 July 1942
Retired 1980 Colombian Air Force
Primary users United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Air Force United States Navy
French Air Force
Number built 2,503
Variants On Mark Executive, Marketeer, and Marksman
The A-26 was Douglas Aircraft's successor to the A-20 (DB-7) Havoc, also known as Douglas Boston.
Designed by Ed Heinemann, Robert Donovan, and Ted R. Smith, the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar-flow airfoil wing of the A-26 was the work of project aerodynamicist A.M.O. Smith. The Douglas XA-26 prototype (AAC Ser. No. 41-19504) first flew on 10 July 1942 at Mines Field, El Segundo, with test pilot Benny Howard at the controls. Flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling, but engine-cooling problems led to cowling changes and elimination of the propeller spinners on production aircraft. During testing, the nose wheel was found to be structurally inadequate, thus the nose gear was redesigned and made more structurally sound
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The MB-339 was developed during the 1970s in response to an Italian Air Force requirement that sought a replacement for the service's existing fleet of Aermacchi MB-326s.
The Invader Squadron was formed to restore the Douglas A-26B Invader 43-7140 as an 8th Bomb Squadron
This is the A-26 Night Mission / Spirit of Waco at the 2016 Wings Over Dallas airshow.