Martin B-26 Marauder Bomber 
     The B26 was one of several Medium Bombers which saw service for the U.S. in World War II. Of these the Marauder had the most troubled history - it survived no less than four official inquiries attempting to have the plane grounded and production stopped. The B26 survived all of them, and finally proved itself by recording the lowest loss rate of any American Medium Bomber in the War. The Marauder was a difficult plane to fly, in fact the non-combatants ferry service, which flew the plane to the front, refused to fly the plane for a time. The B26 had a high take off and landing speed due to its high wing loading, and suffered a high accident rate. Only a very experienced pilot could bring the plane down successfully on one engine.
      Although the Marauder did not make its first flight until November 25, 1940, its design showed such promise that 1,131 B-26s were ordered by the Air Corps in September 1940. The airplane began flying combat missions in the Southwest Pacific in the spring of 1942, but most of the B-26s subsequently assigned to operational theaters were sent to England and the Mediterranean area.
     Bombing from medium altitudes of 10,000 to 15,000 feet, the Marauder had the lowest loss rate of any Allied bomber--less than one-half of one percent. By the end of WW II, it had flown more than 110,000 sorties and had dropped 150,000 tons of bombs, and had been used in combat by British, Free French, Australian, South African and Canadian forces in addition to U.S. units. In 1945 when B-26 production was halted, 5,266 had been built.

  

B-26 Marauder "Yankee Guerrilla"
From our Premier Series.  1/41st scale.  18" wingspan by 17" long.
  No. AEB4D-YG.  Only $174.95
B-26 Marauder "Black Bandit"
From our Standard Series.
1/48th scale. 15" wingspan by 13.25" long.
  No. AEB4D-S1.  Only $119.95
B-26 Marauder "Zebra Wings"
From our Standard Series.
1/48th scale. 15" wingspan by 13.25" long.
  No. AEB4D-S2.  Only $119.95
 
aviation td15