Looking for info on how the B-26 stowed or slung an aerial torpedo. I've been unable to find any pics of a torpedo-armed Marauder. I did find one painting that shows the torpedo slung under the fuselage, on the centerline, at about the point where the bomb bay doors are. I'm not sure if this is an accurate depiction, as I have nothing to corroborate it. It would make more sense to me if the torpedo was stowed internally in the bomb bay, as in an Avenger or a Betty - but then what do I know... Any help is appreciated.
I did a quick scan in a couple of books in my library and couldn't find a picture (if I find one later, I'll give you the name and page), but one book did mention that shackles were provided on the B-26A for carrying a 22-inch torpedo underneath the fuselage.
A couple years ago I saw an aviation art print that depicted a flight Marauders on the target run, each with torpedo on the centerline. It was a pretty nice print.
"The world would be a much simpler place if every one could pick and choose their obligations, but we can't and we shouldn't." Major Charles W. Whittlesey
I've got a few pix somewhere. I'll try to find them.
In the meantime, if you are planning to model the Midway B-26's, they were very different than the Monogram B-26. IIRC the Midway a/c had a shorter wing and other substantial structural differences.
The torpedo was underslung and not mounted in the fuselage bomb bay.
I've seen one picture in a book (or books). It had the torpedo slung under the fuselage about where the bomb bay is. As Art says elsewhere the B-26s used at Midway were different than the currently available kits. The wingspan was shorter and the vertical tail wasn't as tall. I'm not sure as to which tail gun configuration was used but there were two different styles prior to the one most often seen. I think the earliest involved just one .50 cal. machine gun.
The closest you can get is one of Monogram's Snap-Tite B-26s. The tail gun emplacement may be correct. Otherwise you can take the Airfix B-26 and shorten the wings (between the engines and the fuselage mostly, IIRC) and the vertical tail. The scoops on the engine cowlings need to be made smaller and there may be some other minor changes.
The tail position will take some rebuilding. You'll have to extend the fuselage out to a point for either of the two varieties of emplacements. The first, single-gun, has a glass canopy extending from the base of the rudder to the end point of the tail. The second one has a small glass enclosure under the rudder with two guns poking out, the rest of the tail being conically shaped metal.
I once met a veteran who was a mechanic with this B-26 squadron at the Battle of Midway.
He mentioned that one of the first planes to make an attack run pulled up after dropping his torpedo. It wasn't long before Japanese gunners shot it down. A pilot in a trailing B-26 (the mechanic's plane) saw this happen and decided that he wasn't going to pull up after he dropped his torpedo. Instead after the drop he hugged the waves and had to pull up slightly to clear the ship he was attacking. He was able to avoid being shot down.
There were 2 B-26 and 3 B-26B models on temporary assignment to the Navy for the Battle of Midway. B-26 serial numbers 40-1391 and 40-1424, 22nd bomb group,
18th reconnaissance squadron. B-26B models, serial numbers unknown, 38th bomb group, 69th bomb squadron. One of the B-26B models was damaged in a torpedo training accident in Hawaii and was not able to be repaired in time for the battle. In order to accurately built an early B-26 in 1/48 scale, a lot of modification is necessary.Velocet made a conversion to the early B-26, but they are rare. One sold for $51.00 on ebay last week. Profile Publications B-26B & C Maruaders number 112 has a 3/4 front in flight view of a tropedo equipped aircraft. Greg
FWIW the Frog kit, now released by Eastern Express is also the early version. Assuming one would rather build in 1/72 rather than major surgery in 1/48. Cheers,
There are two pictures in the book "A Glorious Page in Our History" by Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. The pictures are on Page 73 and show one full shot from the left front of a B-26 w/ underslung torp at Adak, Alaska and one close-up of the nose (along w/ the crew). Unfortunately, I have no way to scan the pictures for you.
Also, from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of WWII:
B-26: Two 1850 h.p. P&W R-2800-5 eighteen cylinder radial air cooled engines. Crew of five. Armament consisted of five 50 cal. guns, two in the nose, two in a dorsal turret and one in the extreme tail. Tandem bomb bays.
B-26A: Two 2000 h.p. P&W R-2800-39 engines. Otherwise, same as B-26.
B-26B (Marauder IA and II): Two 2000 h.p. P&W R-2800-43 engines. Span increased from 65 ft. to 71 ft. Two 50 cal. guns in the tail position. From B-26B-10 (Marauder II) the area of the vertical tail surfaces was increased and armament was raised to include one fixed and one flexible gun in the nose, four package guns on the sides of the forward fuselage, two in the Martin dorsal turret, two flexible waist guns, one tunnel gun and two tail guns. Crew increased to seven. Use of rear bomb bay later discontinued.
Unfortunately, Jane's doesn't give the dimensions of the tail re-configuration.
To back date the 1/48 kit, one has to eliminate a number of gun positions, shorten the wing 6 ft., shorten the tail an unknown amount , add a rear bomb bay and add an underslung torp.
LOL! Nice to be remembered. There have been a few crapalanches at the Crapatorium but not much else. My old Pent I couldn't keep up with the newsgroups so I finally built a Pent III. Now if I could just get a model finished... Cheers,
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