Douglas A-26 and B-26 Invader has often been overshadowed by other aircraft and circumstances. It saw service too late in World War II to lay claim to a distinctive heritage. By Korea, it was seen as a workhorse and just an old "propeller job". But there can be no doubt that the Invader was a fine aircraft - highly effective and popular with its crews. This volume presents the complete story of the Douglas Invader, from its design and early history through wartime service and peacetime uses. A selection of rare photographs are used to illustrate this history of the oft-forgotten but nonetheless impressive A-26 and B-26 Invader.

Douglas Havoc and Boston

by Scott Thompson

Published 25 June 2004
The Douglas DB-7 was an advanced attack bomber developed in the late 1930s. Though developed for the US Army Air Corps, the sleek DB-7 was first built for the French government. After the fall of France the remaining production of French DB-7s went instead to the RAF. The DB-7 flew as the Boston for the RAF and Britain purchased hundreds more directly from the Douglas Aircraft Company. The US Army Air Corps placed a production contract in 1939, ordering the plane as the A-20 Havoc. When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor came, the A-20 was among the most capable aircraft in the US inventory. It went on to serve with the US Ninth Air Force in Europe and the Fifth Air Force in the South Pacific.