Winston
Lorenzo von Matterhorn
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26_Invader
On Mark Engineering conversions of 40 B-26Bs or TB-26Bs with two B-26Cs and a single JB-26C; changes included fitting of 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) R-2800-52W engines with no propeller spinners and the six wing guns deleted. During operations in Vietnam, in May 1966, the aircraft were reassigned the old attack designation of A-26A.[N 1] The A-26As were retired in 1969 when they had reached the safe limits of allotted flying time.[42]
With the establishment of the United States Air Force as an independent service in 1947, the Strategic Air Command operated the now-redesignated B-26 as an RB-26 reconnaissance aircraft in service from 1949 through 1950. U.S. Air Forces in Europe continued operating the redesignated B-26 until 1957 and the Tactical Air Command operated the aircraft as both a B-26 and later redesignated back to A-26, the final variant designated as B-26K until 1966, when it again became the A-26A. This final version continued in service through the late 1960s with active duty special operations TAC units, and through 1972 with TAC-gained special operations units of the Air National Guard.
The first production flight of the B-26K was on 30 May 1964 at the Van Nuys Airport. On Mark converted 40 Invaders to the new B-26K Counter-Invader standard, which included upgraded engines, propellers, and brakes, re-manufactured wings, and wing tip fuel tanks, for use by the 609th Special Operations Squadron. In May 1966, the B-26K was re-designated A-26A for political reasons (Thailand did not allow the U.S. to have bombers stationed in country at the time, so the Invaders were redesignated with an "A", for attack aircraft) and deployed in Thailand to help disrupt supplies moving along the Ho Chi Minh trail. Two of these aircraft were further modified with a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR system) under project Lonesome Tiger, as a part of Operation Shed Light.[30]
