Difference between revisions of "A-26B-10"

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{{Specs-Card|code=a-26b_10}}
+
{{About
 +
|about=American strike aircraft '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
 +
|usage=other variants
 +
|link=A-26 (Family)
 +
}}
 +
{{Specs-Card
 +
|code=a-26b_10
 +
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 +
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
+
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 +
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American strike aircraft {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A."]].
  
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
+
The A-26 ''Invader'' is an excellent ground attack aircraft, boasting 6 nose-mounted M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns, as well as a potential payload of up to 4,000 lbs worth of bombs (4 x 1,000 lbs). The Invader also sports two dual-M2 Browning machine gun turrets, remote controlled by a gunner located in the rear section of the aircraft, that flawlessly track aircraft transitioning in the vertical.
{{break}}
 
The '''A-26B-10''' is a Rank IV American attacker with a battle rating of 5.0. It was introduced in [[Update 1.71 "New E.R.A"]]
 
 
 
The A-26 ''Invader'' is an excellent ground attack aircraft, boasting 6 nose-mounted M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns, as well as a potential payload of up to 4,000 lbs worth of bombs (4 x 1,000 lbs). The Invader also sports two dual-M2 Browning machine gun turrets, remote controlled by a gunner located in the rear section of the aircraft that flawlessly track aircraft transitioning in the vertical.  
 
  
 
In addition, later upgrades of this particular A-26 model grant the user the ability to use a nose-mounted M4 37 mm cannon, at the expense of two of the .50 cals.
 
In addition, later upgrades of this particular A-26 model grant the user the ability to use a nose-mounted M4 37 mm cannon, at the expense of two of the .50 cals.
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== General info ==
 
== General info ==
=== Flight Performance ===
+
=== Flight performance ===
<!--''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Maximum speed, maneuverability, speed and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
|-
+
 
! colspan="8" | Characteristics
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
|-
+
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="8" | ''Stock''
 
|-
 
 
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,573 m)
 
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,573 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(meters)
+
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres)
 
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
 
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
+
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(metres/second)
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run<br>(meters)
+
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run<br>(metres)
|-
 
! AB
 
! RB
 
! AB
 
! RB
 
! AB
 
! RB
 
|-
 
| 555 || 541 || 8,000 || 31.1 || 32.0 || 9.9 || 9.8 || 1,000
 
|-
 
! colspan="8" | ''Upgraded''
 
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="2" | Max Speed<br>(km/h at 4,573 m)
+
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
! rowspan="2" |Max altitude (meters)
 
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
 
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb<br>(meters/second)
 
! rowspan="2" |Take-off run (meters)
 
 
|-
 
|-
! AB
+
! Stock
! RB
+
| 554 || 541 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 31.1 || 32.0 || 9.9 || 9.8 || rowspan="2" | 1,000
! AB
 
! RB
 
! AB
 
! RB
 
 
|-
 
|-
| ? || ? || 8,000 || ??.? || ??.? || ?.? || ?.? || 1,000
+
! Upgraded
 +
| 596 || 576 || 29.1 || 30.0 || 14.2 || 12.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
====Details====
+
==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="5" | Features
 
! colspan="5" | Features
 
|-
 
|-
! Combat flap
+
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
! Take-off flap
 
! Landing flap
 
! Air brakes
 
! Arrestor gear
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X    <!-- ✓ -->
 
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X    <!-- ✓ -->
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|}
 
|}
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="5" | Limits
+
! colspan="7" | Limits
 
|-
 
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wing-break speed<br>(km/h)
+
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear limit<br>(km/h)
+
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Combat flap<br> (km/h)
+
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
 
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
 
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
 
|-
 
|-
! +
+
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
! -
 
 
|-
 
|-
| ??? || ??? || ??? || ~?? || ~?
+
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 507 || 482 || 351 || ~7 || ~5
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities
+
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
 
|-
 
|-
! Ailerons<br>(km/h)
+
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
! Rudder<br>(km/h)
 
! Elevators<br>(km/h)
 
! Radiator<br>(km/h)
 
 
|-
 
|-
| < ??? || < ??? || < ??? || > ???
+
| < 370 || < 375 || < 460 || > 350
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
=== Survivability and armour ===
|-
+
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
+
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' -->
|-
 
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
 
|-
 
! Optimal altitude
 
! 100% Engine power
 
! WEP Engine power
 
|-
 
| ?,??? m || ??? hp || ?,??? hp
 
|-
 
<!--! colspan="3" | Setting 2
 
|-
 
! Optimal altitude
 
! 100% Engine power
 
! WEP Engine power
 
|-
 
| ?,??? m || ?,??? hp || ?,??? hp
 
|-
 
! colspan="3" | Setting 3
 
|-
 
! Optimal altitude
 
! 100% Engine power
 
! WEP Engine power
 
|-
 
| ?,??? m || ?,??? hp || ?,??? hp
 
|- -->
 
|}
 
  
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
<!--''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured. Describe the armour, if there is any, also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.''-->
 
 
* 12.7 mm Steel - Nose plate
 
* 12.7 mm Steel - Nose plate
* 8 mm Steel - Under engine armor plate (each nacelle)
+
* 8 mm Steel - Under engine armour plate (each nacelle)
 
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore/aft nacelle fuel protection plates x 2 (each nacelle)
 
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore/aft nacelle fuel protection plates x 2 (each nacelle)
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armor plate
+
* 12.7 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
 
* 9.5 mm Steel - Cockpit tub
 
* 9.5 mm Steel - Cockpit tub
 
* 9 mm Steel - Pilot/Co-pilot's seat backs
 
* 9 mm Steel - Pilot/Co-pilot's seat backs
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner aft armor plate
+
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner aft armour plate
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner lower armor plate
+
* 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner lower armour plate
* 12.7 mm Steel - Aircraft tail armor plate
+
* 12.7 mm Steel - Aircraft tail armour plate
 
* 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot
 
* 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot
 +
 +
With this array of armour, the A-26B-10 is well-protected from any glancing rounds from machine guns.
 +
 +
As mentioned earlier, the A-26B-10 has the option to mount a 37 mm cannon in the nose. That in combination with its speed and additional four .50 cals in the nose will punish any opponent foolish enough to head on this aircraft. In addition, the rear of the aircraft is well defended by the two remote-controlled .50 cal turrets.
 +
 +
Thus, to fight an A-26, the best method of attack is to perform a Boom & Zoom run and aim for the engines. As fast as the A-26 is, it loses a fair deal of speed if one of the engines is out of action and, (if your aim is good enough), you may even snipe the gunner, leaving a massive blind spot from the rear of the Invader. If you find yourself in front of this plane, and there are no alternatives, aim for the cockpit only! This is as a result of the A-26 having both a pilot and a co-pilot, meaning if one is knocked out, the other can still take command of the plane. Nonetheless, the best possible angle to attack an Invader is from the sides, where the gunner cannot traverse the turrets.
 +
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
 
=== Offensive armament ===
 
=== Offensive armament ===
<!--''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}
{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)|M4 (37 mm)}}
+
<!-- ''Describe the offensive armament of the aircraft, if any. Describe how effective the cannons and machine guns are in a battle, and also what belts or drums are better to use. If there is no offensive weaponry, delete this subsection.'' -->
 +
{{main|M9 (37 mm)|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}
  
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:
  
* 6 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)
+
* A choice between three presets:
or
+
** 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)
*1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 rpg)
+
** 1 x 37 mm M9 cannon, nose-mounted (75 rpg) + 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)
*4 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)
+
** 2 x 37 mm M9 cannons, nose-mounted (75 rpg = 150 total)
  
 
=== Suspended armament ===
 
=== Suspended armament ===
<!--''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}
{{main|Bombs}}
+
<!-- ''Describe the aircraft's suspended armament: additional cannons under the wings, bombs, rockets and torpedoes. This section is especially important for bombers and attackers. If there is no suspended weaponry remove this subsection.'' -->
 +
{{main|AN-M30A1 (100 lb)|AN-M57 (250 lb)|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|AN-M65A1 (1,000 lb)}}
  
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordinance:
+
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
  
 +
* Without load
 
* 16 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,600 lb total)
 
* 16 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,600 lb total)
 
* 12 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (3,000 lb total)
 
* 12 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (3,000 lb total)
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=== Defensive armament ===
 
=== Defensive armament ===
<!--''Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available remove this subsection.''-->
+
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}
{{main|Browning M2 (12.7 mm)}}
+
<!-- ''Defensive armament with turret machine guns or cannons, crewed by gunners. Examine the number of gunners and what belts or drums are better to use. If defensive weaponry is not available, remove this subsection.'' -->
 +
{{main|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)}}
  
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:
 
The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:
  
* 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
+
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
* 2 x 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine gun, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
+
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
  
== Usage in the battles ==
+
== Usage in battles ==
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in an aircraft, the features of using vehicles in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
+
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
Though the A-26B-10 Invader will suffer in combat versus more nimble single-engine fighters, it still has some tricks it can employ to eek out a victory in the skies. Due to all the offensive weaponry being mounted in the nose of the plane, it creates a rather dense cone of fire, similar to that of most heavy fighters. This enables the Invader to nearly guarantee either to kill or critically damage any fighter greedy enough to head you on, even if they are armed with cannons. The A-26B-10 is a very resilient aircraft, similar to other dual-engine aircraft like the [[Beaufighter Mk 21]]. Because of this, the pilot of the Invader can allow his opponent to land some hits in exchange for coming in view of either the A-26's forward facing armaments, or of its two rear-facing turrets. Though M2 Brownings lack the stopping power of cannons such as the 23 mm NS-23 cannon, they are still capable of inflicting immense damage to enemy aircraft, lighting up fuel tanks and disabling key components like control surfaces. This can buy the pilot some breathing room, by forcing enemy fighters to return to base after coming under fire from the Invader's guns.
 
  
====Specific enemies worth noting====
+
Though the A-26B-10 Invader will suffer in combat versus more nimble single-engine fighters, it still has some tricks it can employ to eke out a victory in the skies. Due to all the offensive weaponry being mounted in the nose of the plane, it creates a rather dense cone of fire, similar to that of most heavy fighters. This enables the Invader to nearly guarantee either to destroy or critically damage any fighter greedy enough to head you on, even if they are armed with cannons. The A-26B-10 is a very resilient aircraft, similar to other dual-engine aircraft like the [[Beaufighter Mk 21]]. Because of this, the pilot of the Invader can allow his opponent to land some hits in exchange for coming in view of either the A-26's forward facing armaments, or of its two rear-facing turrets. Though M2 Brownings lack the stopping power of cannons such as the 23 mm NS-23 cannon, they are still capable of inflicting immense damage to enemy aircraft, lighting up fuel tanks and disabling key components like control surfaces. This can buy the pilot some breathing room, by forcing enemy fighters to return to base after coming under fire from the Invader's guns.
<!--Some concerning vehicles to worry about if playing this plane. (i.e. Japanese fighters will out turn you)-->
 
While the A-26 Invader is fast for its battle rating of 5.0, it will still be intercepted by almost any late models of aircraft such as the Bf 109 "Gustav" series, the [[Bf109K-4|Bf 109 K-4]], almost any later model of the Fw-190, including the Focke-Wulf Ta-152 series. Any of the above-mentioned German aircraft will tear you apart due to all of them sporting the "Minengeschoß" shells.
 
  
Against the Russians, any of the La-7s or La-9s can and will be able to catch you. In addition, aircraft such as the [[Yak-9P]] or [[Yak-9UT]], which wield both 20 mm and either a 37 mm or 45 mm will tear your plane to bits. While the Russians do not have cannons armed with the same round types as a German fighter does, the multitude of cannons they wield can make short work of you.
+
While the A-26 Invader is fast for its battle rating, it will still be intercepted by almost any late models of aircraft such as the Bf 109 "Gustav" series, the [[Bf 109 K-4]], almost any later model of the [[Fw 190 (Family)|Fw 190]], including the Focke-Wulf [[Ta 152 C-3|Ta 152]] series. Any of the above-mentioned German aircraft will tear you apart due to all of them sporting the "Minengeschoß" shells.
  
The British can also give you a run for your money. The most common adversary that could give you an issue is the Wyvern, due to its blistering speed and four 20 mm Hispano Mk. V cannons. In addition, a Tempest could also make quick work of you due to the same reasoning in firepower. While it is unlikely you will see any of the Griffon Spitfires, earlier models can still inflict a heavy amount of damage to your air frame. Your biggest problem is the result of the British "Air Target" rounds for the Hispano cannon, which is entirely "Stealth" ammunition.
+
Due to its versatility the A-26 can play a variety of play styles and once you learn its strengths and weaknesses it is very easy and fun to use:
  
====Counter-tactics====
+
'''In air battles'''
<!--What to expect, if it would be in command of the enemy and how to counter it. (i.e. They will most likely BnZ, etc.)-->
+
 
As mentioned earlier, the A-26B-10 has the option to mount a 37 mm cannon in the nose. That in combination with its speed and additional four .50 Cals in the nose will punish any opponent foolish enough to head on this aircraft. In addition, the rear of the aircraft is well defended by the two remote-controlled .50 Cal turrets. If you find yourself above an A-26, try to preform a Boom & Zoom run and aim for the engines. As fast as the A-26 is, it loses a fair deal of speed if one of the engines is out of action and, (if your aim is good enough), you may even kill the gunner, leaving a massive blind spot from the rear of the Invader. If you find yourself in front of this plane, and there are no alternatives, aim for the cockpit only! This is as a result of the A-26 having both a pilot and a co-pilot, meaning if one is knocked out, the other can still take command of the plane. Nonetheless, the best possible angle to attack an Invader is from the sides, where the gunner cannot traverse the turrets.
+
Despite being an attacker designed to perform tactical attacks and close air support, the A-26 is good at air battles and not just ground battles. It can perform a large amount of essential roles such as a bomber or an attacker.
===Manual Engine Control===
+
 
 +
'''Low altitude bomber'''
 +
 
 +
This play style is the easiest to execute even when stock, so it is recommended for players who are new to the plane.
 +
 
 +
Before you spawn in make sure to load the 10 x 500 lb bombs loadout. Fly towards the enemy bases in a shallow dive, the A-26 is capable of cruising at 500 km/h so you won't need to wait much before you will reach the enemy bases. Check the map. If there are 3 bases, drop 5 bombs (half of your load) per base. If there are 4 bases, drop 10 bombs (your full bombload).
 +
 
 +
'''Attacker'''
 +
 
 +
This role can be played both from the start of the battle or after you finished your role as a low altitude bomber. Before the battle, make sure to load all 6 x .50 calibre [[M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|M2]] machine guns since they are more effective overall then the [[M4 (37 mm)|37 mm]] cannons. In this role, the bomb loadout does not matter much since it is quite hard and inefficient to bomb ground targets. The only targets worth bombing are light and regular pillboxes, and these can also be destroyed with your main weaponry. After spawning, fly to the ground targets and start firing. If you didn't manage to destroy your target in your first pass, try firing at them with your turrets, if that still didn't destroy your target, move on or return for a second pass.
 +
 
 +
'''In ground battles'''
 +
 
 +
In ground battles the A-26 gets a chance to do what it was designed to do - provide close air support for troops on the ground. it is recommended to use the 4 x 1,000lb bombs loadout since the 1,000lb bombs provide twice the TNT equivalent and almost twice the destruction radius of the 500lb bombs making them much easier to use. You can also load the [[M4 (37 mm)|37 mm]] with ground targets belt and strafe enemy tanks.
 +
 
 +
'''Defensive flying'''
 +
 
 +
Once someone gets behind your tail you are probably not going to out-manoeuvre them, so your only options are to either shoot them down, scare them away or out-run them.
 +
 
 +
Once they are about 1.6 km away from you start shooting with your defensive turrets, use zoom to aim better and make sure to make slight manoeuvres to dodge their bullets. If they cannot get closer you win, but if they are faster and you couldn't kill them, once they are closer than 800 metres pull hard and try to make them overshoot, after they overshoot try to open as much distance as possible between you and them in order to trap them in the ideal shooting range (1.6-0.8 km). Repeat this until they either get shot down or pull off.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 +
 
 +
Against the Russians, any of the La-7s or La-9s can and will be able to catch you. In addition, aircraft such as the [[Yak-9P]] or [[Yak-9UT]], which wield both [[ShVAK (20 mm)|20 mm]] and either a [[NS-37 (37 mm)|37 mm]] or [[NS-45 (45 mm)|45 mm]] will tear your plane to bits. While the Russians do not have cannons armed with the same round types as a German fighter does, the multitude of cannons they wield can make short work of you.
 +
 
 +
The British can also give you a run for your money. The most common adversary that could give you an issue is the [[Wyvern S4|Wyvern]], due to its blistering speed and four 20 mm [[Hispano Mk.V (20 mm)|Hispano Mk.V]] cannons. In addition, a Tempest could also make quick work of you due to the same reasoning in firepower. While it is unlikely you will see any of the Griffon Spitfires, earlier models can still inflict a heavy amount of damage to your air frame.
 +
 
 +
One SPAA to worry about in Ground Realistic Battles is the Chinese [[ZSD63]]. Though it is hard to identify specific SPAA vehicles on the ground (especially when they are shooting tracers at the plane), if a ZSD63 can be identified, avoid it at all costs and '''do not''' attempt head-ons with it, ever. It can easily snap a wing off by causally putting a short burst in the {{PAGENAME}}'s flight path. Don't even get close to it unless it is occupied with another friendly or if the {{PAGENAME}} is equipped with a bomb that it can use. Some identifying features of the ZSD63 is its rather boxy and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. The firing manner is also distinctive: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzz saw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading. Armour-piercing belt is recommended since their high penetration can tear through the ZSD's armour with ease and knock out its crews.
 +
 
 +
=== Manual Engine Control ===
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
 
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
 
|-
 
|-
! rowspan="2" |Mixer
+
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" |Pitch
+
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" |Radiator
+
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" |Supercharger
+
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" |Turbocharger
+
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
 
|-
 
|-
! Oil
+
! Oil !! Water !! Type
! Water
 
! Type  
 
 
|-
 
|-
| Controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable || rowspan="2" | Separate || rowspan="2" | Not ontrollable || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
+
| Controllable || Controllable<br>Auto control available || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Controllable<br>Not auto controlled || Separate || Controllable<br>2 gears || Not controllable
|-
 
|}
 
 
 
===Modules===
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
!colspan = "1"| Tier
 
!colspan = "2"| Flight performance
 
!colspan = "1"| Survivability
 
!colspan = "3"| Weaponry
 
|-
 
| I
 
| Fuselage Repair
 
| Radiator
 
|
 
| Offensive 12 mm
 
|
 
| SBC-25
 
|-
 
| II
 
|
 
| Compressor
 
| Airframe
 
| New 12 mm MGs
 
| M4/4-50
 
| SBC Mk.1
 
|-
 
| III
 
| Wings Repair
 
| Engine
 
|
 
| Turret 12 mm
 
| Offensive 37 mm
 
|
 
|-
 
| IV
 
|
 
| Engine Injection
 
| Cover
 
| New 12 mm MGs (turret)
 
| New 37 mm Cannons
 
| MBC mk.1
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
+
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
 +
 
* Respectable forward-facing armament
 
* Respectable forward-facing armament
 
* Impressive secondary armament when compared to its counterparts
 
* Impressive secondary armament when compared to its counterparts
 
* Highly durable
 
* Highly durable
* Fast for its battle rating of 5.0
+
* Fast
 
* Decent energy retention
 
* Decent energy retention
 
* Two remote-controlled turrets
 
* Two remote-controlled turrets
 
* Respectable climb rate for an attacker
 
* Respectable climb rate for an attacker
* Can mount a cannon for either air targets or ground targets
+
* Can mount up to 2 cannons for either air targets or ground targets
* Pilot and co-pilot: If one is knocked out, the other can take command
+
* Pilot and co-pilot: if one is knocked out, the other can take command
 +
* Can deal a significant amount of damage to the enemy team if handled correctly
  
'''Cons'''
+
'''Cons:'''
* Not very maneuverable
+
 
 +
* Not very manoeuvrable
 
* As fast as it is, it is slower when compared to single-engine fighters
 
* As fast as it is, it is slower when compared to single-engine fighters
 +
* Poor roll and rudder performance
 
* Large silhouette
 
* Large silhouette
* Fairly high repair cost for its battle rating
+
* Fairly high repair cost
* Only one gunner. If he is unconscious, the rear of the aircraft is highly exposed
+
* Only one gunner, if he is knocked out both of the turrets stop working
 +
* Usually explodes soon after catching fire.
 +
* The 37mm M4 cannons aren't very effective, as they are fairly inaccurate and overheat easily
 +
 
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
In the mid 1930s, Douglas Aircraft analysed contemporaries like the Do 17 and Blenheim, making them gamble on a fast, versatile, and manoeuvrable bomber. The resulting world leading DB-7, A-20 attacker/bomber paid off in immediate orders from France and England if not initially from USA. A great start, the pace of aircraft innovation only accelerated and Douglas knew its world leading design would soon be outdated. Work began on a new design.
 +
 
 +
Master engineer Edward Heinemann reassembled a team of Robert Donovan and Ted R. Smith from the A-20 program. Most important was aerodynamicist Apollo M.O. Smith who chose the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar flow airfoil that promised better top speed. Laminar Flow was still a radical technology at the time, the yet unproven Mustang Mk 1 was the only production aircraft using the technology. To make this high speed wing also fly slowly for safe landing, a double-slotted flaps system was created, the first production aircraft to use what is now common in all modern jet liners. The wing also had a relatively high aspect ratio for long range performance.
 +
 
 +
Design features from the breakthrough A-20 design were carried into the A-26. It is easy to spot the family resemblance of the nose gear, high wing, straight fuselage, and dihedral wing and tail. The easily replaceable nose unit, either a solid nose unit or the glass bombardier's unit, was also carried over, the latter used a Norden M-9 bombsight. The engines were also upgraded to the much more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp fourteen-cylinder, double-row, radial air-cooled engines. Armaments were now standardized as the Colt-Browning AN/M2 .50 cal machine guns offensively mounted in all versions' noses. All models had space in the wings for ammo belts feeding up to four dual gun pods mounted underneath the wing. Versatility was a key point and many other armament options were made, including large cannons and wing-mounted bombs and rockets. A-26's could even carry two torpedoes, however there is no evidence it was ever used operationally. Another key feature was the General Electric remote control turret top and bottom of the attacker, both controlled by a single crewman using a periscope sighting system (a year ahead of a similar system created by the Germans).
 +
 
 +
The ХA-26 prototype made its first flight on July 10, 1942. Mass production began in September 1943. Parallel production lines started in Douglas, Long Beach (code DL) making the solid nose A-26B, and Douglas, Tulsa making the bombardier nose A-26C (but both could be easily swapped in less than an hour). A total of 2,503 were built.
 +
 
 +
While praised by the pilots at home, its first trial by fire in May 1944 over New Guinea was less enthusiastic mainly due to limited downward view and other issues soured the Pacific crews. Less than 4 months later, missions in Europe received a completely different response where as a low altitude level bomber it excelled at its operation and easily countered defending Luftwaffe with strong defenses or high speed. Over this time, upgrades to the design came about, including a new canopy that improved pilot view with the A-26B-30-DL and A-26C-30-DT, and integrating six .50 machine guns into the wings starting with the A-26B-50-DL and A-26C-55-DT.
 +
 
 +
After WW2 ended only the A-26 was kept in active service, its performance securing its usefulness, but the designation changed to B-26 (causing confusion with the name of the retired B-26 Marauder). When the Korean war started in 1950 the underappreciated attacker suddenly became vital again, heavily employed in day and night attacks against North Korean forces. Conflict did not end with Korea, so the B-26 was now needed elsewhere, but quirk of political nuance forced the name back to the original A-26 so they could be sold to Thailand.
 +
 
 +
In short, with continuing conflicts and numerous upgrades the A-26 was actively used decades after it first flew, with the last known military mission in 1977.
 +
 
 +
It was not done with "combat" missions then; however, being actively used to fight wildfires that ravaged parts of the US, Canada, and Australia, immortalized by the 1989 film "Always".
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
  
== Read also ==
+
;Skins
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
 
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=assault&vehicle=a-26b_10 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 
 +
;Videos
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|E1IDVFUqzrI|'''The Shooting Range #83''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 10:27 discusses the Douglas A-26 Invader.}}
 +
 
 +
== See also ==
 +
<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
<!--''ETC.''-->
+
 
 +
;Related development
 +
 
 +
* Douglas [[A-20G-25|A-20]] Havoc
 +
 
 +
;Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
 +
 
 +
* Bristol [[Brigand B 1|Brigand]]
 +
* Junkers [[Ju 288 C|Ju 288]]
 +
* North American [[B-25 (Family)|B-25]] Mitchell
 +
* Tupolev [[Tu-2 (Family)|Tu-2]]
  
== Sources ==
+
== External links ==
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''page on aircraft encyclopedia;''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
* ''other literature.''-->
+
 
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=usa&vehicleType=aircraft&vehicleClass=attacker&vehicle=a-26b-10 War Thunder Live - User created A-26B-10 camouflage]
+
* [[wt:en/news/3230--en|[Vehicle Profile] Douglas A-26C]]
 +
* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/378374-a-26b-10/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]
  
{{USA attackers}}
+
{{AirManufacturer Douglas}}
 +
{{USA strike aircraft}}

Revision as of 21:39, 8 September 2021

RANK 4 FRANCE
Somua SM PACK
This page is about the American strike aircraft A-26B-10. For other variants, see A-26 (Family).
A-26B-10
a-26b_10.png
GarageImage A-26B-10.jpg
A-26B-10
AB RB SB
5.0 5.0 5.0
Research:46 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:155 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The A-26B-10 is a rank IV American strike aircraft with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.71 "New E.R.A.".

The A-26 Invader is an excellent ground attack aircraft, boasting 6 nose-mounted M2 Browning .50 cal machine guns, as well as a potential payload of up to 4,000 lbs worth of bombs (4 x 1,000 lbs). The Invader also sports two dual-M2 Browning machine gun turrets, remote controlled by a gunner located in the rear section of the aircraft, that flawlessly track aircraft transitioning in the vertical.

In addition, later upgrades of this particular A-26 model grant the user the ability to use a nose-mounted M4 37 mm cannon, at the expense of two of the .50 cals.

The Invader's strengths over many similar dual-engine aircraft is a surprising punch that it packs, especially when the 37 mm cannon is equipped, which can possibly turn the attacker into a fearsome, yet cumbersome blitzer due to its incredible speed.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed
at 4 573 m576 km/h
Turn time30 s
Max altitude8 000 m
Engine2 х Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27
TypeRadial
Cooling systemAir
Take-off weight18 t
Characteristics Max Speed
(km/h at 4,573 m)
Max altitude
(metres)
Turn time
(seconds)
Rate of climb
(metres/second)
Take-off run
(metres)
AB RB AB RB AB RB
Stock 554 541 8000 31.1 32.0 9.9 9.8 1,000
Upgraded 596 576 29.1 30.0 14.2 12.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps Take-off flaps Landing flaps Air brakes Arrestor gear
X X
Limits
Wings (km/h) Gear (km/h) Flaps (km/h) Max Static G
Combat Take-off Landing + -
0 270 507 482 351 ~7 ~5
Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons Rudder Elevators Radiator
< 370 < 375 < 460 > 350

Survivability and armour

Crew3 people
Speed of destruction
Structural0 km/h
Gear270 km/h
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Nose plate
  • 8 mm Steel - Under engine armour plate (each nacelle)
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Fore/aft nacelle fuel protection plates x 2 (each nacelle)
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
  • 9.5 mm Steel - Cockpit tub
  • 9 mm Steel - Pilot/Co-pilot's seat backs
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner aft armour plate
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Gunner lower armour plate
  • 12.7 mm Steel - Aircraft tail armour plate
  • 60 mm Bulletproof glass - Pilot

With this array of armour, the A-26B-10 is well-protected from any glancing rounds from machine guns.

As mentioned earlier, the A-26B-10 has the option to mount a 37 mm cannon in the nose. That in combination with its speed and additional four .50 cals in the nose will punish any opponent foolish enough to head on this aircraft. In addition, the rear of the aircraft is well defended by the two remote-controlled .50 cal turrets.

Thus, to fight an A-26, the best method of attack is to perform a Boom & Zoom run and aim for the engines. As fast as the A-26 is, it loses a fair deal of speed if one of the engines is out of action and, (if your aim is good enough), you may even snipe the gunner, leaving a massive blind spot from the rear of the Invader. If you find yourself in front of this plane, and there are no alternatives, aim for the cockpit only! This is as a result of the A-26 having both a pilot and a co-pilot, meaning if one is knocked out, the other can still take command of the plane. Nonetheless, the best possible angle to attack an Invader is from the sides, where the gunner cannot traverse the turrets.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB1 682 → 2 396 Sl icon.png
RB2 828 → 4 029 Sl icon.png
SB5 629 → 8 021 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications40 200 Rp icon.png
78 100 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 400 Ge icon.png
Crew training45 000 Sl icon.png
Experts155 000 Sl icon.png
Aces820 Ge icon.png
Research Aces440 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
90 / 150 / 530 % Sl icon.png
160 / 160 / 160 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Flight performance Survivability Weaponry
Mods aerodinamic fuse.png
Fuselage repair
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 100 Sl icon.png
165 Ge icon.png
Mods radiator.png
Radiator
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 100 Sl icon.png
165 Ge icon.png
Mods armor frame.png
Airframe
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods compressor.png
Compressor
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods aerodinamic wing.png
Wings repair
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 900 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods new engine.png
Engine
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 900 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods armor cover.png
Cover
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods engine extinguisher.png
EFS
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
bmg50_belt_pack
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 100 Sl icon.png
165 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods cannon.png
M9/4-50
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 100 Sl icon.png
165 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
SBC-25
Research:
1 600 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 100 Sl icon.png
165 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods weapon.png
bmg50_new_gun
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods cannon.png
M9
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
SBC mk.I
Research:
1 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods ammo.png
bmg50_turret_belt_pack
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 900 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods ammo.png
m9_belt_pack
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 900 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods pilon bomb.png
MBC mk.I
Research:
2 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 900 Sl icon.png
200 Ge icon.png
Mods turret gun.png
bmg50_turret_new_gun
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png
Mods weapon.png
m9_new_gun
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
340 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Offensive armament

Ammunition2 400 rounds
Fire rate750 shots/min

The A-26B-10 is armed with:

  • A choice between three presets:
    • 6 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 2,400 total)
    • 1 x 37 mm M9 cannon, nose-mounted (75 rpg) + 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)
    • 2 x 37 mm M9 cannons, nose-mounted (75 rpg = 150 total)

Suspended armament

List of setups (4)
Setup 116 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bomb
Setup 212 x 250 lb AN-M57 bomb
Setup 310 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb
Setup 44 x 1000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb

The A-26B-10 can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

  • Without load
  • 16 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,600 lb total)
  • 12 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (3,000 lb total)
  • 10 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (5,000 lb total)
  • 4 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (4,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

Ammunition1000 rounds
Fire rate750 shots/min
Main article: M2 Browning (12.7 mm)

The A-26B-10 is defended by:

  • 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)
  • 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

Though the A-26B-10 Invader will suffer in combat versus more nimble single-engine fighters, it still has some tricks it can employ to eke out a victory in the skies. Due to all the offensive weaponry being mounted in the nose of the plane, it creates a rather dense cone of fire, similar to that of most heavy fighters. This enables the Invader to nearly guarantee either to destroy or critically damage any fighter greedy enough to head you on, even if they are armed with cannons. The A-26B-10 is a very resilient aircraft, similar to other dual-engine aircraft like the Beaufighter Mk 21. Because of this, the pilot of the Invader can allow his opponent to land some hits in exchange for coming in view of either the A-26's forward facing armaments, or of its two rear-facing turrets. Though M2 Brownings lack the stopping power of cannons such as the 23 mm NS-23 cannon, they are still capable of inflicting immense damage to enemy aircraft, lighting up fuel tanks and disabling key components like control surfaces. This can buy the pilot some breathing room, by forcing enemy fighters to return to base after coming under fire from the Invader's guns.

While the A-26 Invader is fast for its battle rating, it will still be intercepted by almost any late models of aircraft such as the Bf 109 "Gustav" series, the Bf 109 K-4, almost any later model of the Fw 190, including the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 series. Any of the above-mentioned German aircraft will tear you apart due to all of them sporting the "Minengeschoß" shells.

Due to its versatility the A-26 can play a variety of play styles and once you learn its strengths and weaknesses it is very easy and fun to use:

In air battles

Despite being an attacker designed to perform tactical attacks and close air support, the A-26 is good at air battles and not just ground battles. It can perform a large amount of essential roles such as a bomber or an attacker.

Low altitude bomber

This play style is the easiest to execute even when stock, so it is recommended for players who are new to the plane.

Before you spawn in make sure to load the 10 x 500 lb bombs loadout. Fly towards the enemy bases in a shallow dive, the A-26 is capable of cruising at 500 km/h so you won't need to wait much before you will reach the enemy bases. Check the map. If there are 3 bases, drop 5 bombs (half of your load) per base. If there are 4 bases, drop 10 bombs (your full bombload).

Attacker

This role can be played both from the start of the battle or after you finished your role as a low altitude bomber. Before the battle, make sure to load all 6 x .50 calibre M2 machine guns since they are more effective overall then the 37 mm cannons. In this role, the bomb loadout does not matter much since it is quite hard and inefficient to bomb ground targets. The only targets worth bombing are light and regular pillboxes, and these can also be destroyed with your main weaponry. After spawning, fly to the ground targets and start firing. If you didn't manage to destroy your target in your first pass, try firing at them with your turrets, if that still didn't destroy your target, move on or return for a second pass.

In ground battles

In ground battles the A-26 gets a chance to do what it was designed to do - provide close air support for troops on the ground. it is recommended to use the 4 x 1,000lb bombs loadout since the 1,000lb bombs provide twice the TNT equivalent and almost twice the destruction radius of the 500lb bombs making them much easier to use. You can also load the 37 mm with ground targets belt and strafe enemy tanks.

Defensive flying

Once someone gets behind your tail you are probably not going to out-manoeuvre them, so your only options are to either shoot them down, scare them away or out-run them.

Once they are about 1.6 km away from you start shooting with your defensive turrets, use zoom to aim better and make sure to make slight manoeuvres to dodge their bullets. If they cannot get closer you win, but if they are faster and you couldn't kill them, once they are closer than 800 metres pull hard and try to make them overshoot, after they overshoot try to open as much distance as possible between you and them in order to trap them in the ideal shooting range (1.6-0.8 km). Repeat this until they either get shot down or pull off.

Enemies worth noting:

Against the Russians, any of the La-7s or La-9s can and will be able to catch you. In addition, aircraft such as the Yak-9P or Yak-9UT, which wield both 20 mm and either a 37 mm or 45 mm will tear your plane to bits. While the Russians do not have cannons armed with the same round types as a German fighter does, the multitude of cannons they wield can make short work of you.

The British can also give you a run for your money. The most common adversary that could give you an issue is the Wyvern, due to its blistering speed and four 20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannons. In addition, a Tempest could also make quick work of you due to the same reasoning in firepower. While it is unlikely you will see any of the Griffon Spitfires, earlier models can still inflict a heavy amount of damage to your air frame.

One SPAA to worry about in Ground Realistic Battles is the Chinese ZSD63. Though it is hard to identify specific SPAA vehicles on the ground (especially when they are shooting tracers at the plane), if a ZSD63 can be identified, avoid it at all costs and do not attempt head-ons with it, ever. It can easily snap a wing off by causally putting a short burst in the A-26B-10's flight path. Don't even get close to it unless it is occupied with another friendly or if the A-26B-10 is equipped with a bomb that it can use. Some identifying features of the ZSD63 is its rather boxy and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. The firing manner is also distinctive: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzz saw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading. Armour-piercing belt is recommended since their high penetration can tear through the ZSD's armour with ease and knock out its crews.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer Pitch Radiator Supercharger Turbocharger
Oil Water Type
Controllable Controllable
Auto control available
Controllable
Not auto controlled
Controllable
Not auto controlled
Separate Controllable
2 gears
Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Respectable forward-facing armament
  • Impressive secondary armament when compared to its counterparts
  • Highly durable
  • Fast
  • Decent energy retention
  • Two remote-controlled turrets
  • Respectable climb rate for an attacker
  • Can mount up to 2 cannons for either air targets or ground targets
  • Pilot and co-pilot: if one is knocked out, the other can take command
  • Can deal a significant amount of damage to the enemy team if handled correctly

Cons:

  • Not very manoeuvrable
  • As fast as it is, it is slower when compared to single-engine fighters
  • Poor roll and rudder performance
  • Large silhouette
  • Fairly high repair cost
  • Only one gunner, if he is knocked out both of the turrets stop working
  • Usually explodes soon after catching fire.
  • The 37mm M4 cannons aren't very effective, as they are fairly inaccurate and overheat easily

History

In the mid 1930s, Douglas Aircraft analysed contemporaries like the Do 17 and Blenheim, making them gamble on a fast, versatile, and manoeuvrable bomber. The resulting world leading DB-7, A-20 attacker/bomber paid off in immediate orders from France and England if not initially from USA. A great start, the pace of aircraft innovation only accelerated and Douglas knew its world leading design would soon be outdated. Work began on a new design.

Master engineer Edward Heinemann reassembled a team of Robert Donovan and Ted R. Smith from the A-20 program. Most important was aerodynamicist Apollo M.O. Smith who chose the innovative NACA 65-215 laminar flow airfoil that promised better top speed. Laminar Flow was still a radical technology at the time, the yet unproven Mustang Mk 1 was the only production aircraft using the technology. To make this high speed wing also fly slowly for safe landing, a double-slotted flaps system was created, the first production aircraft to use what is now common in all modern jet liners. The wing also had a relatively high aspect ratio for long range performance.

Design features from the breakthrough A-20 design were carried into the A-26. It is easy to spot the family resemblance of the nose gear, high wing, straight fuselage, and dihedral wing and tail. The easily replaceable nose unit, either a solid nose unit or the glass bombardier's unit, was also carried over, the latter used a Norden M-9 bombsight. The engines were also upgraded to the much more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 Double Wasp fourteen-cylinder, double-row, radial air-cooled engines. Armaments were now standardized as the Colt-Browning AN/M2 .50 cal machine guns offensively mounted in all versions' noses. All models had space in the wings for ammo belts feeding up to four dual gun pods mounted underneath the wing. Versatility was a key point and many other armament options were made, including large cannons and wing-mounted bombs and rockets. A-26's could even carry two torpedoes, however there is no evidence it was ever used operationally. Another key feature was the General Electric remote control turret top and bottom of the attacker, both controlled by a single crewman using a periscope sighting system (a year ahead of a similar system created by the Germans).

The ХA-26 prototype made its first flight on July 10, 1942. Mass production began in September 1943. Parallel production lines started in Douglas, Long Beach (code DL) making the solid nose A-26B, and Douglas, Tulsa making the bombardier nose A-26C (but both could be easily swapped in less than an hour). A total of 2,503 were built.

While praised by the pilots at home, its first trial by fire in May 1944 over New Guinea was less enthusiastic mainly due to limited downward view and other issues soured the Pacific crews. Less than 4 months later, missions in Europe received a completely different response where as a low altitude level bomber it excelled at its operation and easily countered defending Luftwaffe with strong defenses or high speed. Over this time, upgrades to the design came about, including a new canopy that improved pilot view with the A-26B-30-DL and A-26C-30-DT, and integrating six .50 machine guns into the wings starting with the A-26B-50-DL and A-26C-55-DT.

After WW2 ended only the A-26 was kept in active service, its performance securing its usefulness, but the designation changed to B-26 (causing confusion with the name of the retired B-26 Marauder). When the Korean war started in 1950 the underappreciated attacker suddenly became vital again, heavily employed in day and night attacks against North Korean forces. Conflict did not end with Korea, so the B-26 was now needed elsewhere, but quirk of political nuance forced the name back to the original A-26 so they could be sold to Thailand.

In short, with continuing conflicts and numerous upgrades the A-26 was actively used decades after it first flew, with the last known military mission in 1977.

It was not done with "combat" missions then; however, being actively used to fight wildfires that ravaged parts of the US, Canada, and Australia, immortalized by the 1989 film "Always".

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Douglas Aircraft Company
Strike Aircraft  A-20G-25 · A-26B-10 · A-26B-50 · AD-2 · AD-4 · A-1H
Bombers  TBD-1 · B-18A · SBD-3 · BTD-1 · A-26C-45 · A-26C-45DT
Turboprops  A2D-1
Jet Aircraft  F3D-1 · F4D-1
A-4 Skyhawk  A-4B · A-4E Early
Export  ▄Havoc Mk I · ▄Boston Mk I · ▄DB-7 · ▂A-20G-30 · ▄AD-4 · ▄AD-4NA
A-4 Skyhawk  A-4H · A-4E Early (M) · Ayit · A-4E
  The Douglas Aircraft Company merged with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas.

USA strike aircraft
Douglas  A-20G-25 · A-26B-10 · A-26B-50 · A2D-1 · AD-2 · AD-4 · A-1H
North American  A-36 · PBJ-1H · PBJ-1J
Other  AM-1 · AU-1 · XA-38