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Truck Killer: The A-26
This rare footage shot during the Vietnam War shows the Douglas A-26 Invader operating at England Air Force Base in Louisiana and at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB in Thailand. The final scenes at the Vintage Flying Museum at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, Texas, show the last airworthy A-26A, "Special K," now owned and being restored by the Pacific Prowler organization chaired by Jim Terry. (04:34)
Video: Nolan Schmidt/Franklin Poole
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Truck Killer
For one mission in Vietnam, the best aircraft for the job was a bomber from World War II.
By David Lande
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Comments (10)
I had the privilige of working with the aircrews of the A-26,callsign "NIMROD" during my tour of South East Asia while assigned to the 729th Tactical Control Squadron's Det. 5. Our callsign was "INVERT" control. While assigned to Invert, my job was to monitor the flights of the Nimrods while they flew their missions from NKP Thailand to the Ho Che Mehn Trail. These valant aircrews were truly some of best of the best at their jobs as "truck killers" along the Trail. As one of the many forgotten warriors of the Viet Nam Conflict, I am proud to see that the A-26 "NIMROD" as I knew her get her just recognition as one of the true hero's of the conflict. I know, I will always remember my time as a controller at Invert, and my fond memories of the NIMROD's
Posted by James Strickland on May 31,2010 | 10:34 PM
We worked with the NIMRODS when I was at Ubon on the C-130 flare mission in the spring of '66. They and the A-1s did a great job. They had good loiter time and the pilots were mostly Korea and WW II vets. The F-4s couldn't hit their butt with their hand but the A-26s usually hit what we sent them in on. Great airplanes! Old Pappy Gunn came up with a great idea when he packed an A-20 and then a B-25 nose full of guns. It worked so well that Douglas developed the Invader.
Posted by Sam McGowan on June 3,2010 | 10:00 PM
I was Operations Officer of the 451st Bomb Sqdn, 322nd Bomb Group flying Martin B26s. As the first Group to England we had first choice of switching to the A-26 when it came over. The Group conducted a thorough evaluation and turned down the opportunity to switch because the A-26 was much more difficult to fly close formation and the B-26 was a much more stable bombimg platform. I flew the A-26 at Biggs
Field after the was in the 47th bomb Group. I really liked it but our planes were weary-high time.
Posted by Les Tenold on June 16,2010 | 09:44 PM
I own a modified A26B modified by Onmark back in 1956.
Same CB-16 water injected R2800's, Carries 10 folks w/ air
conditioning, titanium spar straps, vortex generators on vertical stab, same disc brakes, fully IFR. I have but have
not yet installed the longer rudder for a slower VMCA. The ol' girl was known as "Dixie D" and Silver Wishbone when serving in Korea 1950-53.
Wishing you the best in keeping
these ol' birds flying!
Sincerely,
Lane Etheredge
Nostalgia, Inc.
N-706ME
Posted by Lane Etheredge on June 18,2010 | 11:39 AM
Living in S. Cali during the 60's I remember seeing the prototype B-26K in flight as well as many civil conversions made by On-Mark, PacAero, etc. Great aircraft and well documented in a book I own by the name of "Foreign Invaders" published in 1994. Other Invaders employed by the CIA including the "Blue Goose" with it's terrain-following radar (a la F-111) are also noteworthy.
Posted by Mark R. on August 12,2010 | 11:21 PM
I'm just an aviation buff from long ago, but I think that the A-26 is a very classic aircraft. It has exceptionally clean lines and looks like it would be a joy to fly. A kind of twin-engine hot rod.
Posted by Jerome McDonald on August 20,2010 | 02:22 PM
IN 1966 I flew as a radar operator in an A-26 at Hughes Aircraft Co. in Culver City. Gutted and equipped with a side-looking radar and film recorder we generated high resolution maps of Los Angeles and surrounding area. Two sister aircraft were used at Hughes during that period, one with an ONMark spar mod that was used to test the latest Navy radar and another with a clear plexiglass nose that was used to test a visual anti-ship missle guidance system. These aircraft could duplicate close to jet speeds at a much lower cost.
Posted by Jim Meadows on August 25,2010 | 04:38 PM
I was privileged to be selected to lead three B-26's from Korea to Indochina in 1954. We island hopped from Japan thru Okinawa and Landed at Clark AB Phillipines. While on the ground there the Stars & Stripes were removed and the Frnch tricolor was painted on the aircraft. We then flew to Tourane (later called Danang) and turned the aircraft over to the French. The next day we flew three aircraft to Clark where the French tricolor was removed and the Stars & Stripes repainted on the aircraft. One aircraft was deemed unsafe to fly and was left there. The remaining two flew to Okinawa. One more aircraft was unable to go any further and was left there. We flew the remaining aircraft to Japan and were advised by the Maintenance Officer the next day that the mainspar in the left wing had been shot away and only the skin was holding the wing on. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any rough weather on our flights to Japan or it probably would have collapsed. I concur with all the others comments that the B-26/A-26 was the finest, most reliable aircraft I ever flew during my 29+ years in the Air Force.
Posted by James E. Smith on October 19,2010 | 09:40 PM
My dad Former RCAF and later 322nd Bomb Group flew an A-26 in WW2 named "Flak Bait" and another labeled "carolina Chariot". I flew rescue for Nimrod Crews in NKP during 1969-1970. GREAT CREWS and a GREAT aircraft in Both Wars!
Posted by Russell L. Maugans on February 1,2013 | 03:36 PM
I found this video of the A26. Nice.
Posted by Will on March 30,2013 | 03:14 PM