a-26b.html

Douglas A/B-26B Invader

This A-26B "Invader" is located at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, California. This was my first visit and
I had a surprise in store. The aircraft are on outdoor display and each one has a crew chief assigned to it.
They are volunteers that maintain the aircraft to which they are assigned as crew chief. Jeff Dunwoody is the
crew chief of the A/B-26B and was there polishing it. Well, to make a long story short, he gave me the VIP
treatment. He opened doors and hatches on the aircraft so that I could take photos. After that he said, "Are
you ready to go in the cockpit ?" He put a stair case up to the left wing and we went up on the left wing. He
showed me where to step and we went to the cockpit where he opened up both top hatches. I got cockpit and
topside photos both. This doesn't happen often. He then told me that he was the crew chief of the C-46. That's
another story. The rest of the day Jeff drove me from aircraft to aircraft in a golf cart and waited while I took
pictures. He is very proud of the A-26B and wants to make it look like new. He kicks in the money for polish,
cleaners, and bug bombs. He does battle with insects for the occupation of the A-26. He said the only bombs
the -26 dropped now are bug bombs which he stores in the gunner's compartment. He wants to repaint the
aircraft because the markings , "Are all wrong". Even the serial number painted on the tail is incorrect; the
true serial number is 44-35345 which is an A-26B. A lower turret was never installed on this aircraft even
though it has the periscope protruding from the bottom of the gunner's compartment. Thanks Jeff for a
great day and I will return.

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