Academy 12656 1/144 Martin B -26 B Marauder Medium Bomber

Fast, twin-engine medium bomber used by the USAAF during World War II. Entering service in 1941, it featured tricycle landing gear, a sleek fuselage, and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines. Early handling challenges were addressed through design changes, including a broader wingspan and tail. Armed with multiple .50?cal machine guns and capable of carrying up to 4,000?lbs of bombs, the B-26 saw extensive use in Europe and the Mediterranean. Over 5,200 were built, also serving with the RAF and Free French forces.

The Martin B-26 Marauder is a medium-sized American twin-engine bomber with an all-metal high wing structure. The first test flight of the prototype took place in 1940, and serial production began in 1941. Due to the many "childhood diseases" of the first production batches, which led to numerous disasters, the plane was nicknamed "The Widowmaker". . This opinion overshadowed the very low combat losses among the crews flying the B-26 Marauder of later versions. Undoubtedly, however, this machine was very difficult to pilot and required great skills from the pilots. The B-26 bomber was produced in several versions, the most important of which were: A, B, F and G. The F and G versions were the least emergency of all produced. They also had much better performance than the B-25 bombers. Martin B-26 fought primarily at the European Theater of Warfare (Mediterranean Sea and North-Western Europe). In total, more than 5,000 of this aircraft were manufactured. Technical data (version G): Maximum speed: 451 km / h, practical ceiling 6040 m, operational range: 1850 km, armament: fixed - 5 machine guns caliber 12.7 mm, mounted - up to 2400 kg.

B-26B-25-MA Marauder 131773/PN-O "Flak-Bait" (S/N 41-31773);

B-26C-45-MO Marauder 2107614/RJ-H (S/N 42-107614);

B-26B-25-MA Marauder 31788/PN-A (S/N 41-31788).