Aircraft Comparison: A-26 vs B-26 vs A-20
Due to the redesignation of the Douglas Invader after the end of World War II, many people have had issues with properly identifying both it and the Martin Marauder. This has also extended somewhat to the Douglas Havoc as well, so I may as well throw it in here too.
Douglas A-20 Havoc / DB-7 Boston / P-70
One of the more prolific light bombers in US service during the war, the A-20 first flew in January 1939. The US initially showed little interest in the type, though the British and French both placed orders; in total over 7000 A-20s of all variants were produced, with the A-20G being the definitive type.
The most distinctive differences between early and late model A-20s are the dorsal turret and nose type. Earlier aircraft have a pair of manually-trained .30 cal or similar machine guns in the rear cockpit; from the G model onwards this was replaced by an electrically driven twin .50 cal turret. The glazed nose disappears on the G model as well, replaced by a solid nose with six .50 cal machine guns.
Compared to the other two aircraft the A-20 is rather distinct, with a very thin but tall fuselage characteristic of interwar light bombers.
Martin B-26 Marauder
The medium bomber that everyone forgot, overshadowed in popular media by the B-25 Mitchell. The Marauder first flew in November 1940, almost a year after the A-20 and nearly two years before the A-26. Early models were widely considered as dangerous aircraft to fly, mainly due to the small wing and high landing speeds, giving it the nickname of “Widowmaker.” Later models and better training fixed most of these problems, resulting in one of the lowest loss-rates for aircraft in the 9th AF.
Important differences to note here are the much longer engine nacelles with four-bladed propellers, round fuselage, and tail gun position. The rear deck around the dorsal turret is also flat rather than stepped as on the A-20, with the turret sitting flat across the top rather than indented into the fuselage. Other minor details are the thinner rudder and shorter glazed section of nose.
Douglas A-26 Invader
The only one of the three to survive in service after the end of World War II, and the reason there is confusion between the types. The Invader first flew in July 1942, well after the others, and remained in general service through the end of the Korean War. Some aircraft saw usage during the Vietnam War as well, operating in Vietnamese markings out of Laos and Thailand; in 1966 they were redesignated once again as A-26As, to circumvent a ban on operating bombers from Thailand.
The A-26 most resembles the A-20 in general form, with the stepped rear fuselage and embedded dorsal turret, although the Invader’s is a remote-controlled rather than manned position. The rudder is very squared off at the top instead of rounded, and the fuselage is flat, almost rectangular when viewed from the front. Most different is the remote-controlled ventral turret immediately behind the bomb bay. The nose glazing is also almost exclusively on the upper portion of the nose.
A similar view on all three aircraft showing the difference in wing and fuselage shapes. Note how the trailing edge of the A-20 and A-26 wings both taper forwards, while the B-26 leading edge tapers rearwards. Also note the difference in nacelle shapes and lengths, with the B-26′s engines being mounted well forwards of the wing compared to the others.
Hopefully this helps some people out, I know I’ve seen tons of people asking to ID different planes that might be one or the other, or asking what the differences between them are.
