Martin B-26 Marauder

The Martin B-26 Marauder was a result of the requirement of the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) for a long-range light-to-medium bomber having capability to mount at least 2,000lbs. The Martin B-26 Marauder had the lowest attrition rate of any front line World War II aircraft. It was one of the finest medium bombers of World War 2. Responding to the US Army Air Corps’ requirement for a high speed medium bomber, the Martin Company submitted an unusual design; a cantilever shoulder wing monoplane carrying five crewmen later it changed to seven.

The Martin B-26 Marauder was designed especially for the greater speed. It was developed by selecting powerful and large engines and also with small wing area having high wing loading. Its landing speed was between 120 and 135 miles per hour which increased the injuries to the crew or the chances of damage to the airframe. Initially, The Martin B-26 Marauder’s were fitted with the Pratt & Whitney R-2800-5 radial engine of 1,850 horsepower. The pilot and co-pilot were positioned in the cockpit and had the window views to the front, sides and above. A series of failures of the front wheel strut resulted in a delay in bringing the B-26 to full operational status. It had two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-5 Double Wasp air cooled radial engines. Also it had one flexible 0.30-inch machine gun installed in the tip of a transparent nose cone and two 0.50-inch machine guns just ahead of the tail.

The production of the Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft was ceased in 1945. The B-26 was an excellent medium bomber, despite of its rough origins. The B-26 was fast and can and could carry large bombload for an aircraft.

Specifications

Crew: 7 (2 pilots, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, 3 gunners)
Length: 58 ft 3 in (17.8 m)
Wingspan: 71 ft 0 in (21.65 m)
Height: 21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Wing area: 658 ft2 (61.1 m2)
Max Speed: 287 mph (250 kn, 460 km/h) at 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
Ferry Range: 2,850 mi (2,480 nmi, 4,590 km)
Ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Empty weight: 24,000 lb (11,000 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 37,000 lb (17,000 kg)
Power plant: 2x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 radial engines, 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) each.
Armament: Guns: 12 x .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns. Bombs: 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg)