Question about A-26C photos

Hi all,

The above photos are of two A-26C's, s/n's 43-22616 and 43-22647 respectively. The Invader in the top photo, 22616, has the clamshell canopy introduced during later A-26 production. However, the aircraft in the bottom photo, 22647, seems to have the "flat top" canopy of early production. Does anyone on this site have a possible explanation for this? (Main reason I'm asking is because, according to Jim Roeder's A-26 Invader Units of World War 2, the two canopy types were not interchangeable.)

The A-26B and A-26C production lines overlapped, both series had the "clamshell" introduced during mid-production of the series, the "B" was built in Long Neach, California, the "C" was built in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Clamshell was introduced on the A-26B starting with the A-26B-30-DL block, the Clamshell supposedly started with the A-26C-30-DT block, however the two seen in the photos are mid-production airframes from the A-26C-25-DT block. So it's entirely possible that the Clamshell seen in the photo was a pre-production "test run"?

Both the original flat typed canopy and the later version with higher visibility were used on A-26's in Europe. Here is a picture of a 47BG A-26C, with the early canopy type as well as nose guns not normally seen on the C model. Also attached is a picture of a B model of the 47 BG.

Finally, a picture of a "glass nose" B-26 with upper and lower rear turrets.

A venerable warrior either way

Here are a couple of 47BG turret shots. It's hard to find a picture with the guns anything but horizontal.

Here is some information on the A-26 B/C flat top canopy. Source is A-26 Invader Units of World War 2.
quote 1
Incorporating these changes in the production line without pause, along with other issues, caused the slow production rate. This initially resulted in more A-26Bs reaching the frontline. To ease the shortage of C-models in the USAAF, and to provide Invaders capable of carrying a bombardier, the Tulsa plant produced A-26C nose sections as field kits for units to install on existing A-26Bs. As many examples of the latter were fitted with a C-model nose, the serial number is the only certain way to determine if an A-26 was indeed built as a C-model, or was a B with a C nose added as a field modification.
quote 2
The introduction of a new component such as this into an active production line could easily result in serious disruption, so it was not until December 1944 that new aircraft fitted with the clamshell canopy started to leave the Douglas plants. Previous publications on the A-26 have stated that the new clamshell canopy was retrofitted to earlier Invaders fitted with the original flat style canopy.
However, the author has conducted extensive research in company literature and maintenance manuals, and pored over hundreds of production line photographs, and none have revealed evidence to support this belief. Interviews with air- and groundcrews have failed to confirm this either.
The reason for this apparent error may be, quite simply, a case of mistaken identity due to a confusion of terms. That is, confusing the revised flat top canopy with the new revised bubble canopy. The revised flat top panel could easily be installed on aircraft completed before the introduction of the revised bubble canopy, groundcrew simply removing the screws that held the original framed canopy in place and then replacing it with the flat top panel. This switch could be accomplished without the A-26 having to be taken out of service.
The clamshell canopy could not be installed on aircraft completed with the flat top canopy, however, as the redesigned component was
higher at the front than at the rear and the angle of the front windscreen was altered. To even attempt to replace the flat top canopy with the revised bubble one would have required time consuming and extensive metal and Plexiglas work far in excess of any potential benefit. There are examples of the A-26 Invader built with the original flat top canopy still in existence today, never having had their canopy assemblies replaced.
end quote

Excellent source is the book

Here is what the A-26B/C maintenance manual says about the canopy.

Hi everyone, I realize that this is an older post, but the answer was never correctly given.
The fist part of the question; why do they planes have two different cockpit canopies? They don't. They both have clamshell types. The second photo is low resolution and there's an optical illusion that makes it look like a flat top at first glance, but it's missing all of the architectural elements of the flat top designs.

There is a common misconception that the Clamshell canopy wasn't incorporated until Block 30 at Tulsa, but that's not entirely correct. They introduced the clamshell halfway through the production of Block 25, starting with Serial Number 43-22602. 43-22601 was the last flat top canopy to be built.

Also, regarding Mr. Roeder's statement in the book that the canopies could not be swapped, that is simply false. Not only could the canopies be swapped, many of the older Gen 1 and Gen 2 canopies were swapped for the Gen 3 Clamshell type. They also could do this work in the field without needing to take the plane out of service for more than a day.