Photos and other reference shots and drawings

[skyhawka4m]

here are a couple links I think we will find helpful for paint scheme's and details...

http://www1.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Douglas%20A-26%20Invader%20(B-26%2FJD)&distinct_entry=true

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader.jpg

A-26B panel...

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader2.JPG

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader.JPG


A-26C...
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader3.JPG

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader4.JPG

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader5.JPG

http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader6.JPG

http://cybermodeler.net/aircraft/a-26/images/afm_a-26-05.jpg

http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/warbirds/ww2htmls/douga26.html

http://members.tripod.com/~a26invader/

[thudpilot]

Douglas A-26 Invader walk arounds
A-26 816 images, (Courtesy Bomber_12th)
A-26B 87 images,
A-26K 29 images
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/ -> Go to walkarounds and select propeller to view all three sections

A-26B 75 images (Courtesy Bomber_12th)
http://www.philsaeronauticalstuff.com/a-26b/a-26b.html

A-26C 88 images (Courtesy Bomber_12th)
http://svsm.org/gallery/A-26/IMGP0617

A-26C 22 images
http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle2/a-26c_nl202r/

A-26C 17 images
http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle2/a-26c_44-35224/

A-26K 45 images
http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle2/a-26k_64-17653/index.php?Page=1

A-26K 25 images
http://svsm.org/gallery/b26kusaf

3-Views (Courtesy Bomber_12th)
http://www.airwar.ru/other/draw/a26-2.html

Photo's
12 images
http://futurshox.net/viewer.php3?id=389

28 images
http://members.tripod.com/~a26invader/Invaders.html

Several additional images specific to A-26K's
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id119.html

Various military color photo's (Outstanding)
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id186.html
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id187.html
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id188.html

http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id4.html - Note: below the first photo is a list of 16 addition sources for more excellent photos.

A mix of mostly b&w
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id204.html

Various Cockpit Images (Courtesy Bomber_12th)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...0Invader20.jpg (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader20.jpg)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...0Invader21.jpg (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader21.jpg)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader3.jpg (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader3.jpg)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...%20Invader.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader2.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26B%20Invader2.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader7.jpg (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader7.jpg)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...%20Invader.jpg (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader.jpg)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader2.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader2.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader3.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader3.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader4.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader4.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader5.JPG (http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack/A-26C%20Invader5.JPG)
http://uscockpits.com/Early%20Attack...20Invader6.JPG

A-26K cockpit images
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id7.html
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id141.html
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id143.html
http://www.a-26legacy.org/images/A26cockpit.JPG

A-26K Cabin photo's
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id142.html

[Milton Shupe]

Great links ... thanx :ernae:

[Windrunner]

Humm.........I wonder how to classify this plane.....taxi! :costumes:

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/others-robson-n26bk.jpg

[skyhawka4m]

This oen actually looks like one of the Executive type the ANG had for as while. this would be a nice addition....

Looks like an A-26JK with the executive mod's.

[NAMBUS]

A quick check on google reveals that it's an On Mark "Marksman" executive conversion of an A-26B.
Interestingly it also says that it flew in the post war Bendix trophy transcontinental air races in 48 and 49 as racer #91 registered as N67807.

That could be enjoyable and challenging experiance to recreate in FS.

[thudpilot]

A quick check on google reveals that it's an On Mark "Marksman" executive conversion of an A-26B.
Interestingly it also says that it flew in the post war Bendix trophy transcontinental air races in 48 and 49 as racer #91 registered as N67807.

That could be enjoyable and challenging experiance to recreate in FS.


Invaders on the Civilian Market


A number of A-26s were sold off as surplus after the end of the Second World War. As early as 1946, a few Invaders began to appear on US civilian rosters. These planes had come primarily from a batch of 28 A-26s than had gone directly to surplus as soon as they had left the factory. They were converted into executive transport aircraft by adding a few passenger seats along with some additional creature comforts and and some windows in the sealed-up bomb bay. A few corporations purchased some of these converted A-26s for use in ferrying their top executives around the country.

One of these civilian-registered Invaders was an A-26B which was sponsored by industrialist Milton Reynolds and flown by William P. Odon. It was named "Reynolds Bombshell" and was assigned the civilian registry NX67834. It twice broke Howard Hughes' prewar round-the-world speed record. Between April 12 and 16, 1947, it flew around the world in 78 hours 55 minutes 56 seconds. Less than four months later, Bill Odon broke his own record by again flying around the world, this time with an elapsed time of 73 hrs 5 mins 11 seconds, for an average flying speed of 310.6 mph.

Other surplus Invaders were acquired by civilian operators for use as aerial reconnaissance aircraft, geological surveyors, and aerial firefighters. Many had to be extensively modified for their new roles. Among these were the variants developed by the L. B. Smith company. The first of these was known as the Super 26. It was fitted with wingtip fuel tanks and had executive accommodations, but was otherwise similar to the basic Invader. Later conversions included the Smith Tempo series. The Smith Tempo I was powered by R-2800 B-series engines and had an unpressurized fuselage. The Smith Tempo II had R-2800 C-series engines and was equipped with full cabin pressurization. Both versions featured wingtip tanks and a new 9 foot 7.5 inch extension on the fuselage that could accommodate from ten to 13 passengers.

The Monarch 26 was a corporate aircraft conversion performed by the Rock Island Oil and Refining Co of Wichita, Kansas. The company purchased six surplus Invaders (ex-French AF aircraft that had served in Indochina) out of the Clark Field storage facility. The original Invader airframe was extensively reconfigured with re-contouring and extensive re-skinning. In order to provide for more interior cabin space, an new wing spar was designed to replace the original straight-through configuration and new upper and lower fuselage structures were extended from the rear spar to the fin root fillet. The new cabin could accommodate up to six passengers in a low-density arrangement, and featured floor heating, a restroom, catering facilities, and panoramic windows. There was an airstair door on the rear starboard side. The extended nose was 30 inches longer than the original. Because of a fear of wing failures, the Rock Island engineers decided not to add wingtip fuel tanks, but added additional fuel cells in the outer wing panels, which raised the total fuel capacity to 1012 US gallons. The cockpit was fitted with dual controls, new instrument and overhead panels, and "metalized" double-paned cockpit canopies. Anticipating more orders, Rock Island acquired 30 more surplus Invader airframes, this time from storage at Davis Monthan AFB. However, the Monarch had only limited success in the corporate aircraft marketplace, with only 4 being completed, including three in-house. In addition, the Monarch found itself in competition with the first generation of corporate jets such as the Sabreliner, Jetstar, and Learjet. The majority of excess airframes that had been acquired were sold to parts brokers in 1969 but several examples went on to serve as aerial tankers in the USA and Canada. Some also ended up as flying warbirds, museum exhibits, and potential restoration projects.

Rock Island capitalized on its experience with Invader conversions by creating the Consort 26, which was designed for research and development purposes. All military equipment was removed, the bomb bay was sealed up, and a reinforced floor was added. Three Invader airframes were modified in this way and were sold or leased to aerospace companies as platforms for system development programs.

Perhaps the best-known of the civilian Invader conversions were those done by the On Mark Engineering Company of Van Nuys, California. Among these were the pressurized Marksman A, B, and C. The Marksman A had 2100 hp R-2800-83AM3 engines, the Marksman B had 2100 hp R-2800-83AM4A engines and wingtip fuel tanks, whereas the Marksman C had 2500 hp R-2800-CB-16/17s and internal auxiliary fuel tanks. On Mark provided the additional room for passengers in the cabin of the aircraft by removing the rear wing spar and substituting a circumferential ring bulkhead to which the wings were mounted in the same place as with the carry through spar. The forward wing spar was not changed because of the magnitude of the re-engineering required and crew members were therefore left with the inconvenience of mounting the flight deck through a crawlway along the right side of the cabin beneath the spar. All of the Marksmen had a redesigned and pressurized fuselage with a new flight deck, a DC-7-type heated windshield that was more resistant to bird strikes than the original B-26 windscreen, and improved brakes, deicing, soundproofing, radio/navigation and other systems. They could carry from 6 to 12 passengers. The base price of the Marksman was $257,430. There was also an unpressurized version of the Marksman C known as the Marketeer.

Several of the On Mark converted Invaders have survived into the 21st Century.

AirSpray Ltd of Canada also owned and operated 18 Invaders converted to the firefighting role. Each of them equipped with a 1000-gallon tank for holding fire retardant. The entire fleet was sold off in 2006.

Sources:


United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.
McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920: Volume I, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1988.
E-mail from John Anthony on On Mark Marksman.
E-mail from Robert Stitt on Monarch and Consort conversions.

[Milton Shupe]

Humm.........I wonder how to classify this plane.....taxi! :costumes:

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/others-robson-n26bk.jpg

That would be our personal transport for the team. :d

[Bomber_12th]

I sure do like that bare metal! :)

[pilottj]

I have told the fellas at the Margarita Air Club, there WILL be a MAC repaint of an exec version. Milton it would neat to research/do the A-26 model that Dee Howard modified for the wealthy Mexican that lead to the ideas for the H-500.

Hey I bet our A-26 will help SOH beat the pants off the Avsim and Flightsim.com RTW teams :)

Cheers
TJ

[skyhawka4m]

I personally think this is a cool effort by all invovled.......who knows maybe it could lead to some very awesome freeware aircraft.

I hope someday to be able to aquire GMAX to start my won efforts or joint efforts. I once had GMAX but for some reason they do no registor it any more. I'm 41 now......and getting older by the milli-second.

[grumpos]

once had GMAX but for some reason they do no registor it any more.

Gmax is now supported by Turbosquid. If you google for turbosquid and go to their forums you will find a patch to get round the registration problem.

Best wishes
Steve P

[Tienmac]

More Pictures of the A-26 Invader on ww2aircraft.net.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aircraft-picture-requests/douglas-26-invader-3984.html

[GZR_Sactargets]

That would be our personal transport for the team. :d
There is one in the Strategic Aerospace Museum (Formerly SAC Museum). It is identified as a 'former' electronic countermeasures aircraft. It has a similar layout of the windows in the fuselage.

[GZR_Sactargets]

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/Mustang51_/SquadronSignalA-26.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a324/Mustang51_/A-26AIRESCOVER.jpg

These should still be available online or at hobby shops. a-26 B/C Invader, by Francis Gallemi, ARIES Publications, 1994, ISBN 0-9698578-0-2 or A-26 INVADER in Action, Aircraft number 134, by Jim Mesko, Color by Don Greer & Tom Tullis, illustrated by Joe Sewell. 1993 ISBN )-89747-269-9

[Milton Shupe]

Beautiful work! Thanks for sharing!

[WarHorse47]

Here's what I found in my collection, just to let everyone know I'm here in spirit..

From Mesa, AZ CAF ..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/100_0074.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/100_0076.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/100_0077.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/101_0191.jpg

And from the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinneville, OR...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0019.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0021.jpg

--WH

[WarHorse47]

Outside the museum in Sydney, BC..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0039.jpg

And from Tillamook, OR...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0092.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0097.jpg

I believe this was from Palm Springs, taken just two weeks ago..
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0825.jpg

And last, but not least, at the PIMA Air and Space Museum outside Tucson (also taken recently on our vacation)...
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0704.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a185/WarHorse47/A-26/PICT0729.jpg

Whew..

Looking forward to the project results..:jump: :jump: :jump:

--WH

[MudMarine]

I just got my A-26 Tech. Manual in the mail today:jump: And it's almost as good as Playboy......NOT!! It is very nice though! S/F MudMarine

[Moses03]

Not that important in the scheme of things but here is a nice pic showing the start-up smoke.

http://i14.tinypic.com/35li59t.jpg

Moses

[Henry]

Thanks Moses:ernae:
"may not be important" cos it is:costumes:
gives me a chance to recreate it:applause:
H

[mississippi]

Here the best shot's i'm got of the A-26 i hope they help :d .

[mississippi]

Some more .

[stiz]

Heres a good cockpit shot, more for me cos i bet you anything i won't be able to find it again :costumes:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0961700/L/ (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0961700/L/)

[oldliner52]

Hi to the dream team, and happy new year too. I don't know if you had this one: http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/B26/b26-fr.htm
Hope it will help a bit for this gorgeous project I can't wait.
regards, Michel.

[Milton Shupe]

Hi Michel :)

Happy New Year to you sir. Thanks for sharing these reference pics. One can never have too many. Glad to see your interest peeked on this one. I think we will have a very nice A-26 for everyone ... one day. (Almost used that "s" word. :costumes:

[Milton Shupe]

Thanks Moses:ernae:
"may not be important" cos it is:costumes:
gives me a chance to recreate it:applause:
H

Henry, are you working on smoke effects or am I mis-reading your comment?

[Real Old Salt]

I need a good detail shot of the interior view of the windscreen's center frame. Can anyone help?

[jetstreamsky]

Trying to find interior windshield shots, I found this B-26-K (A-26-A) cockpit at the National Museum of the USAF http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=2283&page=3

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/061019-F-1234S-001.jpg


Also of a Modernised Marksman (Which is probably misleading) at http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2004/marksman/marksman.htm

http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/hangar/2004/marksman/cockpit.jpg


and this of DOUGLAS B-26-C INVADER n°44-35859 under restoration at Conservatoire de l' Air et de l' Espace d'Aquitaine.

http://b26invader.free.fr/index.htm

http://b26invader.free.fr/images/2001/casquette1.jpg


Also from prior discussions on certain items I found these pics at the same site, which could support future 'adjustments/refinements' (Lots of other useful shots at this site too).

http://b26invader.free.fr/images/2002/140204_B01.jpg

http://b26invader.free.fr/images/2003/031227_A09.jpg

and this at http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/B26/b26-en.htm

http://users.skynet.be/BAMRS/B26/B26/b-26-60.jpg

Loads of detail cockpit shots in Gallery II at this site too.


Plus these A-26-C cockpit shots from the National Museum of the USAF

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/061004-F-1234P-009.jpg

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060922-F-1234S-044.jpg

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060922-F-1234S-043.jpg

Cheers

Allan

[Real Old Salt]

Marvelous! Fantastic! Outstanding! Those shots will give me the exact information I need. Thank you very much!!!

[invader26]

Photo deleted

Sorry to those who felt offended, it was not the intention. Humor is a tricky issue (I would have used a smiley here, but it would probably be misunderstood).

[MudMarine]

I don't want to see some guys butt.....? S/F MudMarine

[invader26]

Consider it a reference shot! (See how spacious the forward bomber compartment/glass-nose section is)...

[Real Old Salt]

Anyone have a good clean photo of the N-9 gunsight?

[jetstreamsky]

Not a photo, but might help in some way

http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/Images/P-51/P-51GCN9.gif

but there is this

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/1994/p51bccocpit13n9indpic7hn.png

[Real Old Salt]

Thank you JetStreamsky. Every bit of information helps and is much appreciated.

[Henry]

Henry, are you working on smoke effects or am I mis-reading your comment?
i was working on them but it seems as you are already ahead
of it:applause:
cheers
H

[invader26]

Here's a head-on shot of the lone Invader sitting at Buckeye, AZ

[Milton Shupe]

That's a nice clean photo 26 ... thanks for sharing. :wavey:

[invader26]

Found elsewhere on the net... I truly enjoy this type of shots!


http://www.ronsarchive.com/airsho02/images/2002_10_05_A-26B_41-39427_N240P.jpg

[Windrunner]

Wow! I love this photo! and it'll be of great help for repainters!

Merci bien!

[invader26]

A cool shot of "Lady Liberty"

http://maxair2air.com/WEB%20MEDIA/Midland05/A-26-Lady-Liberty.jpg

[invader26]

"Midnight Endeavor" displayed at March AFB, CA

http://www.warbird-photos.com/marchfm-06-03/images/PICT3082.jpg

[invader26]

I found these drawings on a Russian site, don't know if they can be of any help?:ques:

[Milton Shupe]

I found these drawings on a Russian site, don't know if they can be of any help?:ques:

Thanks Invader for the effort. Those are the 3-views we started the project with back in December. No longer needed now but we appreciate your time. :wavey:

[invader26]

New video recently added on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh2fUY-0WVQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh2fUY-0WVQ)

"Spirit of North Carolina"

[invader26]

Ron Olsen's website has been updated with a bunch of interesting Invader photos

http://ronsarchive.com/A-26_2nd/index.htm

Enjoy!

[modelr]

The youtube video ruined by the music, IMHO :banghead:

[invader26]

The youtube video ruined by the music, IMHO :banghead:

I know what you mean. I guess it has something to do with the fact, that the sound-recorders of the video recorders are somehow low-quality. The sound result is mainly scratch and wind-noise, so the “producers” decide to use music instead… heck, I’ve done it myself...

[modelr]

I know what you mean. I guess it has something to do with the fact, that the sound-recorders of the video recorders are somehow low-quality. The sound result is mainly scratch and wind-noise, so the “producers” decide to use music instead… heck, I’ve done it myself...


Agreed, it just came in at the wrong time, lol. Wanted to hear the power up at least thru take-off. :banghead: Once stabilized, the sound is pretty much a constant drone, and could have been covered then.

[invader26]

Here are a few photos from a French (?) modeler-magazine. Good for details.

http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-1.jpg
http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-2.jpg
http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-3.jpg
http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-4.jpg
http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-5.jpg

[thudpilot]

Here are a few photos from a French (?) modeler-magazine. Good for details.


invader26,

Thank you for sharing that article with us. Once enlarged some of those close-up details are better than good, they are great!

I especially liked the ones showing close-up views of the unique A-26 double-slotted flaps which at the time were different from those on any other airplane. In reality they were history in the making:

http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-2.jpg (http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-2.jpg)
http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-5.jpg (http://www.musante.dk/temp/photoscope-5.jpg)

Yes, since this project began those pictures are among the best I've seen.


__.http://www.alphasim3.com/forums/Smileys/default/am.gif (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0);) __
."thudpilot"

[Bomber_12th]

Wow, this is great! Thanks Invader26!
Even more details now that I can add to the textures. ;)

[invader26]

Here are some shots of the B-26K model itself... maybe they will be of some sort of use in the longer run. Even though it's "just" a model, I think it gives a good view of the panel details.

[invader26]

:wiggle:

[invader26]

:wavey:

[invader26]

And the last one. PLease note, I'm not the modeler... who ever it is, he did a great job!!!

[Milton Shupe]

Great shots Invader! :ernae: Love the harshness of the sun to really highlite the aircraft features. The PSP tarmac reminds me of my Viet Nam days.

Thanks for sharing. :jump: