<< Previous Topic | Next Topic >>Return to Index  

B-26 torpedo carrier confusion

August 15 2008 at 7:01 AM
  (Login Buzz1941)
HyperScale Forums
from IP address 66.8.180.144
According to most refs I've seen, Lt. Muri's SUSIE-Q was serial was 40-1391, indicating it was from the B-26-MA block.

But according to Stapfer's "B-26 in Action" book, only the follow-on B-26A-MA block were fitted to carry torpedoes.

Hmmmmm.

Possible reasons:

(A) The serial number of Muri's plane is wrong.

(B) Stapfer is wrong.

(C) Some earlier models of B-26s were converted to torpedo capability. There's a historical abstract online that indicates this may have been the case.

Anyone know for sure?


    
This message has been edited by Buzz1941 from IP address 66.8.180.144 on Aug 15, 2008 7:15 AM


 
 Respond to this message   
AuthorReply

(Login TomCalbury)
HyperScale Forums
66.222.230.172

Re: B-26. Some help

August 15 2008, 10:54 AM 

Burl,

According to Squadron In Action book on B-26, s/n's were as follows:

B-26MA: 40-1361 through to 40-1561.

B-26A-MA: 41-7345 through to 41-7365, 41-7368, 41-7431, 41-7477 through to 41-7483.

Warbird Tech books states that B-26A's received torpedo gear first.

There is also a picture in Famous Airplanes of The World #80 from 1976 on the B-26, which shows B-26A-1-MA 41-7462 carrying a torpedo.
Tom


    
This message has been edited by TomCalbury from IP address 66.222.230.172 on Aug 15, 2008 11:11 AM


 
 Respond to this message   

Burl Burlingame
(Login Buzz1941)
HyperScale Forums
66.162.249.165

And so it begins...

August 15 2008, 7:30 PM 

Muri has stated in interviews that the torpedo gear was retrofitted to his and the other B-26s. He was the default maintenance officer for the 22nd when it was at Hawaii Air Depot, so I have to assume his recollections of such technical details are as accurate as we're going to get — a B-26-MA with torpedo gear attached. These B-26-MA birds might have been the only ones so retrofitted, as the other 22nd bombers seem to have already departed for Australia.

The "short-wing" B-26s are actually short-everything except the fuselages. No wonder the plane seemed to have "no visible means of support"! This means massive whacking and hacking on the Monogram kit. Sigh.

First off, know your limitations. These is meant for a museum display, so no time will be wasted super-detailing an unseen interior or wheel wells. The visible stuff will get the labor.

The fuselage is rescribed on appropriate panel lines, the rudder removed, the windows placed in their mounts and sanded flush. The only windows that will be polished out are the lower waist positions and the two navigator's windows ahead of the wing roots. The others are later addition that aren't appropriate to this engine block. I've already screwed up and installed the bubble window on the starboard side. This will have to be replaced, as early-edition Marauders had flat windows there.


 
 Respond to this message   
Current Topic - B-26 torpedo carrier confusion
  << Previous Topic | Next Topic >>Return to Index  

Posting or replying to messages on Plane Talking requires visitors to register:

  1. First you will need to register with Network 54, the Forum provider. Click here to register with Network 54. (If you already have a Network 54 Login you can go straight to the next step)

  2. Then, while signed in to Network 54, you can sign up for HyperScale's forums. Click here to sign up for HyperScale's forums.

Your user name and password will give you full posting privileges to all of HyperScale Forums.

Please note the following conditions of posting:

All contributions are welcome but please refrain from political or abusive comments, swearing (including the thin disguising of swear words with asterisks and other characters), and crude metaphors. Please do not use Plane Talking as a public platform to complain about retailers or manufacturers (about issues such as broken or missing parts) before you have followed all normal channels to resolve any greivance. Plane Talking is not the place to conduct personal feuds or for posting personal attacks. Please do not post in capital letters only, as this is considered to be shouting and therefore impolite. Also, please do not post in 'texting message' word format. Any posts breaching these guidelines will promptly be removed from the server and the offender may be excluded from further posting to the HyperScale Forums. Off-topic posts may also be removed from the server.

In addition, Plane Talking is not a forum for the public criticism of the models that appear as Galleries or Articles. Please make any suggestions for improvements or criticism direct to the author via the email link at the bottom of the Article.

Finally, please note that this Discussion Group is privately operated and that I reserve the right to delete any post or cancel any registration for any reason whatsoever.