November 25, 1940, was one of those exciting moments in the history of aviation. Engineer and test pilot William Kenneth Ebel got airborne in the first B-26 Marauder with co-pilot Ed Fenimore and flight engineer Al Malewski on board. This twin-engine medium bomber was such an urgent requirement and was designed with high speed as its primary factor that production models were built without prototypes.
The length of the B-26 Marauder was 58 feet, 2.5 inches, with a wingspan of 65 feet. It was powered by two radial Pratt & Whitney R-2800-5s that provided 1,850 horsepower each. This gave a maximum speed of 326 miles per hour for the bomber and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. Despite its impressive specifications, the B-26 quickly picked up the reputation of being a “widowmaker” from its high accident rate during training, caused by its relatively short wings and high landing speeds.
Circular Proposal 39-640 was issued by the United States Army Air Corps on 11 March 1939 for new and improved bombardment aircraft. The Glenn L Martin Company’s design, with project engineer Peyton M. Magruder heading the team, was successful in winning a contract for 201 aircraft under the B-26 designation. The Marauder made its appearance in 1941 and began operations in the Pacific Theater in 1942, moving later to the Mediterranean and Western Europe.
The early models of the B-26 were suffering from engine and propeller malfunctions, which resulted in many mishaps that gave it a bad reputation at the very start, especially during takeoffs and landings; some even nicknamed it the “Flying Coffin” or “One-a-Day-in-Tampa-Bay.” Following aerodynamic modifications and crews being retrained in its operation, the B-26 became a much safer and highly successful bomber. Eventually, it held the lowest loss rate among all U.S. aircraft during WWII.
Probably the best remembered B-26 Marauder was “Flak-Bait,” which survived 207 operational missions—more than any other U.S. aircraft during the war. Assigned to the 449th Bombardment Squadron of the 322nd Bombardment Group, “Flak-Bait” logged 725 hours of combat time against Nazi Germany. In 1949, this aircraft was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution, where its forward fuselage remains on display.
It was also the very first WWII-era aircraft to have four-bladed propellers and a power-operated gun turret. Among its many innovations, the B-26 had an all-plexiglass bombardier’s nose and the very first practical use of rubber self-sealing fuel tanks. Its design let it carry a heavier payload, more so than the contemporary B-17, and it was the first twin-engine bomber to try out the bicycle-type landing gear that would later be applied to the B-47 and B-52 jet bombers.
Although it rather inauspiciously started, the B-26 Marauder would prove to be a very capable, at times even dependable, aircraft. From “widowmaker” to one of the most efficient bombers of WWII, its career was truly one of the most remarkable testaments to the strength and ingenuity of the men who designed and flew it.