Geoffrey Sinclair
Staff Sergeant
- 923
- Sep 30, 2021
Any information on when, or even if, the Douglas XA-26E Invader prototype 44-35563 first flew? Also whether it was accepted by the USAAF and if so, on what date?
The USAAF documentation has entries for the XB-26, XB-26A, XB-26B and XB-26F, but NOT the XB-26D and XB-26E. The exclusion of the D models is understandable as all the ones reported in the various references as becoming XA-26D were accepted as B models, as follows
44-34100, accepted and delivered as A-26B 31 January, redelivered 1 November 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM791D.
41-39543, accepted and delivered as A-26B 20 January, redelivered 6 November 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM791D.
44-34776, factory completed 14 August 1945, accepted and delivered as A-26B 15 March 1946. A note on its record states 44-34776 was to be scrapped but was exchanged for 44-35567, the latter was accepted as an A-26C 28 April, delivered 11 May, to modification centre 8 August, departed the centre 13 September 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM792.
In contrast 44-35563, the reported XA-26E prototype, has no acceptance or delivery dates after being factory completed on 23 April 1945 as an A-26C. After that I have been unable to find any other information online or in references about what happened to it, only listings of the serial and designation. I do not have a copy of its USAAF individual aircraft card.
The USAAF documentation has entries for the XB-26, XB-26A, XB-26B and XB-26F, but NOT the XB-26D and XB-26E. The exclusion of the D models is understandable as all the ones reported in the various references as becoming XA-26D were accepted as B models, as follows
44-34100, accepted and delivered as A-26B 31 January, redelivered 1 November 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM791D.
41-39543, accepted and delivered as A-26B 20 January, redelivered 6 November 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM791D.
44-34776, factory completed 14 August 1945, accepted and delivered as A-26B 15 March 1946. A note on its record states 44-34776 was to be scrapped but was exchanged for 44-35567, the latter was accepted as an A-26C 28 April, delivered 11 May, to modification centre 8 August, departed the centre 13 September 1945, Assignment/Project number DOM792.
In contrast 44-35563, the reported XA-26E prototype, has no acceptance or delivery dates after being factory completed on 23 April 1945 as an A-26C. After that I have been unable to find any other information online or in references about what happened to it, only listings of the serial and designation. I do not have a copy of its USAAF individual aircraft card.