Carpetbagger

[Ratch]

A bit of background:

The Douglas A-26 B/C Invader arrived at Harrington on 14th March 1945 and assigned to No 801 (Provisional) Bomb Group, 856th Bomb Squadron (formerly 36th Sqn). A-26C-25-DT serial no. 43-22626 was designed for level bombing. The C variant had a glazed nose whereas the Bs nose was solid and used for ground strafing and rocket attacks. The C was utilised as a delivery ship to place agents behind enemy lines as part of the 492^nd Carpetbagger Group. They were stripped of everything but the barest essentials for low level flying at speed. These operations were popularly known as Red Stocking missions, though they were documented as Joan Eleanor Project or JE Project.

The crew consisted of the pilot, general navigator, a ‘pilotage’ navigator and a turret gunner. The agent (or ‘Joe’) was carried in the bomb bay. The aircraft is depicted as she was in April 1945, her fate is unknown. This aircraft was fitted with the ‘clamshell’ canopy. Underwing pylons and all guns except the two remote turrets were removed to save weight. The bomb bay doors were typically left open while on the ground (10g nose weight is required), which meant the airflow spoilers in front of the bomb bay were deployed too.

Exterior finish was gloss black with a medium level of weathering. The cockpit interior and wheel wells were tinted (green) Zinc Chromate. The instrument panel and coaming were matt black. Light grey belts and harnesses. Landing gear doors, cowling interiors, propeller hubs and bomb bay were natural metal finish. Propellers were matt black with yellow tips. Landing gear and wheels were painted with matt aluminium lacquer.

The kit:

Eight sprues of light grey plastic with lots of raised rivet detail and no evidence of flash and one sprue of crisp, clear mouldings. The decal sheet has two options which are slightly out of register, as neither option depicts my chosen subject this is not too frustrating. The instruction sheet spreads over three pages and an additional ‘part 2’ sheet has been included in my box.

Firstly, the runners were checked and washed in warm, soapy water and left to air dry. It's a lovely sunny day here and that didn't take too long. I followed the assembly sequence, constructing the cockpit, upper remote guns, remote gunner’s position and lower remote guns ready for painting.

 

 

[Ratch]

I painted the crew and selected a spare spy (though I doubt that ‘Joes’ flew in civilian clothes).

The interior colour was airbrushed, and details painted in by brush.

The interior was assembled, and the fuselage joined.

[Rocket Ron.]

Nice start. I only live down the road from Harrington and visit the museum often.

I offered to build some models for them because they said they were struggling to find replacements and/or planes to complete the history of the airfield. Up to now I've built and donated a couple of German nightfighters that would have intercepted Harringtons aircraft as they entered northern France. These are minus squadron codes/markings because the museum was unsure as to which German units were used.

I felt very priveliged to help.

Maybe they would be interested in your A-26 because of its relevance,if you were willing. 

Enjoy your build.

[T2B]

Good start Ratch. I always liked the Douglas Invader kit but I haven't done 1 for a while. And I recognised the SOE Agent from previous missions with the Airfix Lysander!! 

[T2B]

Sorry Ratch just realised for your build the agent will be on secondment to the OSS! 

[Ratch]

Thanks for your interest. I'm not sure whether I'll use him or not. 

I fixed the pilot and general navigator in the cockpit then masked the canopy.

This was secured with PVA.

Moving on to the wings, the landing lights were glued into the wings. The internal surface was painted silver and the outer was covered with making tape.

The ailerons were joined and placed in the lower part of each wing. The machine guns were removed from the upper part, which was then fixed to the lower section. I filled the locating holes in the lower wings with Vallejo Plastic Putty. The wings were then joined with the fuselage.

I painted the propeller tips yellow. The aerials were fixed to the spine of the fuselage. I then masked the gunner’s window and fixed it.

The tail was then assembled and fixed to the fuselage.

[Ratch]

Before starting assembly of the engines, I primed them, and the undercarriage and bomb bay doors with Vallejo Acrylic 74660 Gloss Black Polyurethane Surface Primer.

[NWR-Gordon-4]

Good work. Ratch. You have few days work / entertainment there. That is sure to keep you indoors and to stop the temptation of going out, even on these lovely sunny days we are having currently!  🤔  😆  😉  😀

 

GNR-Gordon-4 (AF)

[Ratch]

The engines and cowling interiors were sprayed with Alclad Steel

and the undercarriage and bomb bay doors with AK Dark Aluminium. The propellers were painted then assembled with the engines and cowlings.

Wheel wells and undercarriage were added to the cowlings then fixed under the wings. The fit was excellent.

[Ratch]

I brush painted around the wheel wells and over the undercarriage doors. The C variant had the glazed nose, so there is no room for my tyre weights.

I assembled and fitted the nose section. The weights were set in the bomb bay, as far forward as possible. 25g was required to keep the nose down. I used cyanoacrylate to fix them.

[Ratch]

I added the access ladder and painted it and the nose, including the framing by hand. Stages 13 to 17 could be omitted for my build.

To hide the weights, I decided to fit a piece of plywood flooring that the agent would lay upon. This was cut from thin plastic card, painted and tacked over the weights. Having fitted the nose wheel and doors, and then fitted the bomb bay doors, I needed a further 5g to move the centre of gravity forward.

[Ratch]

Getting the decals on. Sorry about the OOF, hopefully the next pix will be sharp.

[Dad Paul B]

Nice work Ratch. I remember building one of these with my brother back in the '70s. The same year we were at the Biggin Hill airshow where one of these crashed in the dip. It dropped below the treeline and everything went quiet until a big plume of black smoke climbed up. The owner had several passengers on board for the display which he was not supposed to do.

We saw it warming up on the runway just before and got into an argument with some bloke who swore it was a Mitchell. I have been reading Arthur Schlesinger's book on the Kennedy presidency. A-26s were used by both sides during the Bay of Pigs fiasco (the Cubans also had quite a few Sea Furies, one of which sank the nationalist ship which had most of their ammunition). I will have to see if there are decals for this period.

[Ratch]

Thanks Paul, I hadn't realised these had such long service.

[Ratch]

To recap, with construction completed I could airbrush the overall black, then overspray with Klear. I then applied the Wolfpak Decals 72-049 Back in Black for ‘Queen of Spades’ 322626. These were then sealed under another coat of Klear, and the masking could be removed.

[Ratch]

I removed the masking from landing lights, then painted and fixed wingtip lights and the tail navigation lights. A simple base was painted on hardboard. Concrete panels were marked with Derwent Pastel P620 Dark Sanguine, P660 Seal and Berol Colourcraft 12 Dark Brown pencils with markings in Vallejo Model Air 71002 Medium Yellow, applied with a ruling pen. I then took several Airfix figures (and two possibly from Czechmaster) to create a vignette of the aircraft preparing for a mission.

[Ratch]

 

[Ratch]

[david_hughes2]

Great build and in record time.  The photos are super and really paint a picture.  Love the fleeting glimpse of the agent / spy / Joe boarding the plane in his European civies.  It has a feeling of a war movie about it.

[Ratch]

Thanks very much David