Douglas A-26B Invader – Platinum Fighter Sales

Douglas A-26B Invader 44-34778 is on sale presently with Platinum Fighter Sales. (Photo by Andy Graf via Platinum Fighter Sales)
Aircorps Art Dec 2019


Periodically, we highlight vintage military aircraft listed for sale with Platinum Fighters, one of our sponsors, and have decided to feature Douglas A-26B Invader 44-34778.

44-34778 was one of the very last B-model Invaders ordered by the U.S. Army Air Forces, being part of batch 44-34777 – 35197. This contract ended up being cancelled, but not before Douglas had completed a good number of airframes. According to Joe Baugher, many of these Invaders were indeed delivered, but not officially taken on USAAF charge. Instead they passed to the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. 44-34778 went into storage at the massive boneyard in Kingman, Arizona; arriving in October, 1945.

Kingmanaaf storage
A view of the thousands of surplus military aircraft in storage at Kingman Army Air Field in 1946. Somewhere in amongst this fleet is A-26B 44-34778. (photo via Wikipedia)

There has been a suggestion that this Invader once operated in the U.S. Navy as a JD-1D drone director, but this seems unlikely, as of the 141 Douglas Invaders which are known to have seen naval service, only one was a B-model. This was XJD-1 prototype Bu.57990, which had previously been A-26B-45-DL 44-34217 in the USAAF. The other 140 JD-1s were all surplus USAAF A-26Cs.

The Charles H. Babb Company of Glendale, California acquired our subject aircraft from the War Assets Corporation on February 6th, 1946 alongside 21 additional brand new Invaders for the princely sum of $2,000 each. Babb had 44-34778, by now civil-registered as NX67943, ferried to the company’s facility at the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California by April, 1946. They planned to resell the fleet for profit. Quite where ‘778 ended up afterwards is unknown at present, but she was next listed on the civil registry as N67493 in 1954 with the Raytheon Manufacturing Company in Bedford, Massachusetts. Here she took on the role of a test airframe, helping the company develop various avionics and radar systems. She flew with Raytheon for the next two decades, before they exported her to Canada to join Air Spray (1967) Ltd. in Red Deer, Alberta. Air Spray registered the Invader as C-GWLT, and had the aircraft converted in Chico, California for fire-fighting duties during 1974. The company became famous for their extensive fleet of Invaders, having 22 of the type on their books during 30 seasons fighting forest fires. Naturally there were losses during this time, but sixteen of the roughly 130 currently extant Douglas Invaders owe their survival to Air Spray Ltd.

 

Douglas A 26 Invader Air Spray Line Up 7643771746 e1548269185539
Several of Air Spray’s distinctive, all-yellow Invader fleet on the flight line at Red Deer. The aircraft depicted include: #1 A-26C 44-35875 (C-FPGF), #13 A-26C 44-35857 (C-FZTC), #20 A-26B/C 44-34136 (C-FKBM), and #56 44-35497 (C-FOVC). These are the four remaining A-26s which remain on the books with Air Spray, although no longer active. (photo via Wikipedia)

The company retired their Invader fleet in 2004, and have gradually sold on most of the aircraft in the succeeding 15 years. Ross Robinson bought 44-34778 in 2007, and based her with the Western Canada Aviation Museum (since renamed as the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She has occasionally participated on the air show circuit in the years since. Robinson had the aircraft painted with a retro Royal Canadian Air Force scheme strongly reminiscent of those worn by RCAF CF-86 Sabres of 439 ‘Sabretooth Tiger’ Squadron during the 1950s. While the RCAF never operated Invaders, and some may not approve of this scheme, it would be hard to dispute that she looks magnificent in this livery… an RCAF what-if, as it were. The aircraft number ‘098’ painted on her fuselage is in deference to the last Tanker Number she wore with Air Spray Ltd.; Tanker #98. For a more comprehensive review of this aircraft, complete with a plethora of fascinating images, please do take a look at Dave O’Malley’s marvelous article titled Badass Invader From the Republic of Manitoba for Vintage Wings of Canada.

24414f d28945617b1c43df9261740aaadb63damv2
Another shot at St. Andrews Airport in Manitoba of the beautifully painted A-26B showing off the retro markings celebrating the CF-86s of RCAF 439 Sabretooth Tiger Squadron. (photo via Platinum Fighter Sales)

24414f 55bd28bc30d94e3dbf10151de2f3fa52mv2
An aerial view showing the A-26B flying alongside Ross Robinson’s Canadian Car & Foundry-built Harvard Mk.IV (RCAF serial 20261), wearing a spurious paint scheme reminiscent of a WWII RAF fighter. (photo via Platinum Fighter Sales)

After more than a decade of ownership, the owner has decided to part with this magnificent A-26. She is currently offered for sale at US$350,000 with Platinum Fighter Sales. Additional details for the aircraft are as follows…

Airframe:

4438.2 Total Time Since New

Engine #1: Pratt & Whitney R-2800 – 0 hours Since Major Overhaul (SMOH)

Engine #2: Pratt & Whitney R-2800 – 1059.5 hours SMOH

Propeller #1: Hamilton Standard – 40 SMOH

Propeller #2: Hamilton Standard – 40 SMOH

Avionics:

Garmin 430 Nav/Com/GPS

Garmin Transponder

Other: Dual Controls

24414f a1ced8b9735e40c4a53ad76954329b0bmv2
The A-26B cockpit showing its dual controls. (photo via Platinum Fighter Sales)

5950b96b53fca257ead878469b70e12a?s=150&d=mp&r=g

Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.

After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.

Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.

Array
About Richard Mallory Allnutt (Chief Editor) 1060 Articles
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends. After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups. Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.

1 Comment

  1. Thank you so much for showcasing this aircraft.Wow what a bird!It does my heart good to see her.Never Forget!

Graphic Design, Branding and Aviation Art

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*