- See A-26 Invader for the plane known as the B-26 from 1948 to 1962.
The B-26 Marauder was a twin-engine medium bomber of the Second World War, built by the Glenn L. Martin Company under the design team leadership of Peyton M. Magruder after winning a 1939 U.S. War Department bid. 5,288 were produced between February 1941 and March 1945; 522 of these were flown by the Royal Air Force and the South African Air Force.
The first bomber in the Pacific theater and Aleutian Islands beginning in 1942, it was also used in the European Theater of Operations and in the North African Campaign. The plane distinguished itself as "the chief bombardment weapon on the Western Front" according to an Army Air Forces dispatch from 1946, and also because the B-26B maintained the lowest loss record of any combat aircraft during World War II. Its loss record stands in sharp contrast to its unofficial nickname "The Widowmaker" – earned due to its high rate of accidental crash during takeoff for the B-26A variation.
However it should not be confused with the Douglas A-26 Invader, which also carried the designation B-26 from 1948 to 1962.
Development
In 1939, the United States Army Air Corps issued a specification for a twin-engined medium bomber, Circular Proposal 39-640. Six months later, Glenn L. Martin Company presented a design to the Air Corps. This design, Martin Model 179, was accepted for production before a prototype even flew, due to the desperate need for medium bombers following the intensification of the war in Europe.
Once the first aircraft came off the production line in November 1940, Martin conducted tests, the results of which were promising. Soon after, it was turned over to the Army Air Corps to be service tested. It went from paper concept to working plane in less than two years.
While the B-26 was a fast plane with better performance than the contemporary B-25 Mitchell, its relatively small wing area and resulting high wing loading (the highest of any aircraft used at that time) led to tricky high-speed landings, long takeoff runs, and difficult handling. This situation led to a high number of accidents during takeoff, thus earning it the nickname "Widowmaker" by its pilots (other colorful nicknames included "Martin Murderer", "Baltimore Whore", and "Flying Prostitute" — the latter two because its small wings made it seem to be flying "with no visible means of support").
The toll eventually led to a halt in production while a commission of inquiry (led by then-Senator Harry Truman) was appointed to look into the problem. When Truman and the other commission members arrived at the Avon Park Bombing Range, they were greeted by the still-burning wreckage of two crashed Marauders. Indeed, the regularity of crashes by pilots training at MacDill Field — up to fifteen in one thirty day period — lead to the only mildly exagerated catchphrase, "One a day in Tampa Bay."
The resulting aircraft, the B-26B, had a 6 ft (1.8 m) increase in wingspan, and other changes, some of which reduced the aircraft's speed. The safety of the B-26B was an immense improvement: it had the lowest attrition rate of any aircraft used during the war. Nevertheless, it remained a challenging plane to fly and continued to be unpopular with potential crews throughout its life.
Like the B-25, the B-26 had been designed for medium-altitude bombing , but the war brought medium bombers down to treetop level, and later versions of the B-26 were equipped with a side-mounted battery of forward-firing machine guns for strafing ground targets.
The B-26 was phased out of Army Air Force service before the end of the war. Their last mission was flown in May 1945.
According to an article in the April edition of AOPA Pilot on Kermit Weeks's "Fantasy of Flight", the Marauder had a tendency to "hunt" in yaw. This instability is similar to "Dutch roll". This would make for a very uncomfortable ride, especially for the tail gunner.
Units using the B-26
- please see List of units using the B-26 Marauder during World War II
Variants and Design Stages
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B-26—The first produced model of the B-26, ordered based upon design alone. Flight testing was done on the first few aircraft for about three months after delivery. The armament on this model consisted of two .30 calibre (7.62 mm) and two .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns; the last model was armed with nearly three times that number. Due to a relatively small wing, the B-26 was difficult to handle at landing speeds. (×201)
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B-26A—Incorporated changes made on the production line to the B-26, including upgrading the two .30 calibre (7.62 mm) machine guns in the nose and tail to .50 calibre (12.7 mm). 52 B-26As were sent to the Britain, which were used as the "Marauder I". (×139)
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B-26B—A model with further improvements on the B-26A. 19 were sent to Britain, which were used as the "Marauder IA". Production blocks of the 1883 planes built:
- B-26B—Single tail gun replaced with twin gun; belly-mounted "tunnel-gun" added. (×81)
- B-26B-1—Improved B-26B. (×225)
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B-26B-2—Pratt & Whitney R-2800-39 radials replaced with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-41 radials. (×96)
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B-26B-3—Larger carburetor intakes; upgrade to R-2800-43 radials. (×28)
- B-26B-4—Improved B-26B-3. (×211)
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B-26B-10 through B-26B-55—Beginning with block 10, the wingspan was increased from 65 ft to 71 ft (19.8 m to 21.6 m), to improve handling problems during landing caused by a high wing load; flaps were added outboard of the engine nacelles for this purpose also. The vertical stabiliser was heightened from 19 ft 10 in to 21 ft 6 in (6 m to 6.6 m). The armament was increased from six to twelve .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns; this was done in the forward section so that the B-26 could perform strafing missions. The tail gun was upgraded from manual to power operated. Armour was added to protect the pilot and copilot . (×1242)
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B-26C—B-26C was the designation assigned to those B-26Bs that were built in Omaha, Nebraska instead of Baltimore, Maryland. 123 B-26Cs were used by the RAF as the "Marauder II". (×1210)
- TB-26C—Originally designated AT-23B. Trainer modification of B-26C. (×>300)
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XB-26D— Modified B-26 used to test hot air de-icing equipment, in which heat exchangers transferred heat from engine exhaust to air circulated to the leading and trailing edges of the wing and empennage surfaces. This system, while promising, was not incorporated into any production aircraft made during World War II. (×1, converted)
- B-26E—Modified B-26B constructed to test the effectiveness of moving the dorsal gun turret from the aft fuselage to just behind the cockpit. The offencive and defencive abilities of the B-26E was tested against in combat simulations against normal aircraft. Although test showed that gains were made with the new arrangement, the gain was insiginificant. After a cost analysis, it was conlcuded that the effort needed to convert production lines to the B-26E arrangement was not worth the effort. (×1, converted)
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B-26F—Angle of incidence of wings increased by 3.5º; fixed .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun in nose removed; tail turret and armour around the turret improved. 200 of the 300 planes were used by the RAF as the Marauder III. (×300)
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B-26G—B-26F with standardised interior equipment. 150 planes used by the RAF as the Marauder III. (×893)
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TB-26G—B-26G converted for crew training. Most, possibly all, were delivered to the United States Navy as the JM-2. (×57)
- XB-26H—Test aircraft for tandem landing gear , to see if it could be used on the Martin XB-48 . (×1, converted)
Specifications (B-26G)
General characteristics
- Crew: 7
- Length: 56 ft 1 in (17.1 m)
- Wingspan: 71 ft 0 in (21.6 m)
- Height: 20 ft 4 in (6.2 m)
- Wing area: 613 ft² (57 m²)
- Empty: 24,000 lb (11,000 kg)
- Loaded: 28,000 lb (13,000 kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 32,200 lb (17,000 kg)
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Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radials; 2,000 hp (1,500 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 317 mph (455 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 216 mph (358 km/h)
- Range: 1,100 miles (1,800 km)
- Ferry range: 2,000 miles (3,200 km)
- Service ceiling: 19,800 ft (6,040 m)
- Rate of climb: 1000 ft/min (300 m/min)
- Wing loading: 46.4 lb/ft² (228 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.29 hp/lb (0.47 kW/kg)
Armament
References and external links
Related content
Related development: Martin XB-27
Comparable aircraft: B-25 Mitchell
Designation sequence: B-23 - B-24 - B-25 - B-26 - XB-27 - XB-28 - B-29
Related lists: List of military aircraft of the United States - List of bomber aircraft
Last updated: 08-16-2005 17:44:50
