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1952 The A-26 was an unusual design for an attack bomber of that period, as it was designed as a single pilot aircraft The traditional copilot's seat did not have flight controls, instead, a crew member who served as a navigator and bombardier sat in that position. A gunner operated the defensive armament of remotely-controlled dorsal and ventral turrets. In the "C" model, the navigator also loaded the nose armament. The Douglas XA-26 prototype (41-19504) first flew 10 July 1942 with famed test pilot Benny Howard at the controls. Flight tests revealed excellent performance and handling, but there were some problems with engine cooling which led to cowling changes and the removal of the propellor spinners on production aircraft as well as a modification of the nose gear after repeated collapses in testing. The prototype's "flat-topped" canopy was later changed to a clamshell type with greatly improved visibility. The A-26 was originally built in two different configurations: the A-26B had a solid nose, which normally housed six or eight .50 caliber machine guns, while the A-26C’s glass nose contained a Norden bombsight and was used for medium altitude precision bombing. Some aircraft were armed with additional guns in their wings, giving some configurations as many as fourteen .50 caliber machine guns fixed forward. The US Navy also used a small number of these aircraft in their utility squadrons for target towing and general utility use. The Navy designation was JD-1 and JD-1D until 1962, when the JD-1 was redesignated UB-26J and the JD-1D was redesignated DB-26J. US Navy version with one A-26B (44-34217) and one A-26C (44-35467) redesignated during World War II, postwar, 150 surplus A-26s for use by land-based utility squadrons as target tugs and later, drone directors (designated JD-1D) and general utility aircraft. In 1962 the JD-1 and -1D were redesignated UB-26J and DB-26J respectively. Crew: 3 Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m) Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m) Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.64 m) Wing area: 540 ft² (50 m²) Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg)Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg) Max takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg) Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" radials, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) each Maximum speed: 355 mph (308 knots, 570 km/h) Range: 1,400 mi (1,200 nm, 2,300 km) Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m) Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s) Wing loading: 51 lb/ft² (250 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.145 hp/lb (108 W/kg) Armament as JD-1 none USN 82 René Hieronymus Scale 1:72 Building time: approx: 41 hrs. |