Great B-26 picture

[tigercat2]

I don't recall where I got this from, but this is one of the best Martin B-26 photos I've seen.  It really shows the faces of the crew.

If anyone knows where other photos like this can be found on the web, please let us know.

Also included is a photo of an A-26 (later re-designated B-26 after 1947).

Thanks so much.


Wes W.

[Captain Canada]

That is a nice one ! Looks like the guy in the nose is having a little puff !

[Weaver]

Great photographs! 

The wear on the Marauder's gunpods is interesting isn't it? You'd expect them to be covered in black gun gas residue, but actually the paint's worn off the front of them leaving them shiny alloy.....

[jcf]

Great photographs! 

The wear on the Marauder's gunpods is interesting isn't it? You'd expect them to be covered in black gun gas residue, but actually the paint's worn off the front of them leaving them shiny alloy.....

Most likely from the ground crew cleaning off the gun residue.

[pyro-manic]

Maybe something to do with heat as well?

Nice pics.

[Scooterman]

That is a nice one ! Looks like the guy in the nose is having a little puff !

"I swear I saw gremlins Captain!"

[frank2056]

If that were a model, the JMNs would ding it because of the shiny paint chips and that awful seam running down the middle between the cockpit and the nose. "Next time use more putty!"

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Great find, Wes. 

Simply stunning photo. It's always been a favourite aircraft of mine since it featured in an old COMMANDO comic called 'The Black Wolves' back in the early or mid-seventies. Strangely tho' I've only ever built the one, from the superb - for its' time - Airfix kit. Looking at that photo, however and it does get the creative juices flowing...... not a What If project (heresy, I know  ) but a nice straight RW build from the new Hasegawa kit.....

Ian

[Radish]

I've got an Airfix B-26 Marauder "on the go" at the moment. It'll be AVM Raymond's RAF transport from "Biggles Delivers The Goods". Unarmed, with an extra window or two and a completely solid nose so it looks a bit different.
Thinking high-gloss natural metal and late-war C-type markings all over. Thankfully Airfix offer a single bomb bay door option which with some minor sanding, dry fits quite nicely.
The Airfix kit is a belter, and as well as USAAF markings comes with SAAF colours too.

[Bill TGH]

pic of a Martin B-26 on the ground, check out the nose wheel
http://www.b26.com/img/misc/b26a.jpg

I think that 2nd pic is a Douglas B-26 (A-26 during the last bit of WWII?)

[philp]

Yep, the bottom pic is an Invader.

[The Rat]

The pose itself is nothing special, lots like that.

BUT... What really makes it fantastic is that unlike a lot of others the crew is not only visible, but highly visible, with readable expressions and faces that you can study. That human element gives it a dimension that few other pictures have. A standout to be sure. 

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Went to Transport Models yesterday and almost got to the cash-desk with the 'Sharks Teeth' issue of the Hasegawa B-26 (it's got three 'shark' options in the box and is a full £7.00 cheaper than all the other issues !)..... stopped myself at the last minute tho' - w a a a a y y  too easy to impulse buy and then regret it later !

Ian

[The Rat]

Just had another look at that pic. Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the guy on the left looks like a Gerry Anderson puppet? 

[Madoc]

Wes & all,

That pic also drives home just how exceptionally cramped and small the interiors of those aircraft were.  And mind, the crew of that B-26 are in but "shirtsleeves" as their aircraft was not operating up at 20,000 feet.  Thus they didn't have the heavy fleece lined electrically heated flying suits and oxygen bottles to heft around if they dared get up from their seats.

Pretty dang impressive that they found anyone willing to strap themselves into such crates - let alone go off to war in them!

Madoc