Hobby Master Aviation 1:72 B-26K Counter Invader 64-17672, USAF, 1960s HA3229

The B-26K Counter Invader was a major redesign of the Invader, produced in the mid 1960s for use in Vietnam. Work on the B-26K began in 1962, but was given more urgency after a series of wing failures in 1963 and early 1964 forced the Air Force to ground its fleet of elderly B-26s. On Mark Engineers, of Van Nuys California, was chosen because it had developed some expertise in converted surplus B-26s into high speed commercial transport aircraft. The prototype YB-26K made its maiden flight on 28 January 1963. After a series of tests it was accepted by the Air Force, and in November 1963 On Mark were given a contract to convert 40 B-26s to the new standard. Only 30 of the original 40 airframes selected to be converted were actually modified using the new 64-xxxxx numbers, the remaining 10 were kept for spares. The last conversion for the Air Force was completed in April 1965.

Douglas B-26K Counter Invader

Designed as a single-pilot light attack bomber, the A-26 first flew on July 10, 1942. Built by Douglas Aircraft Company, this twin-engined aircraft was met with little enthusiasm in the Pacific Theatre, prompting General George Kenney to proclaim "We do not want the A-26 under any circumstances as a replacement for anything." The early A-26 suffered from poor visibility, a problem that was corrected in 1944 when a clamshell canopy replaced the earlier "flat-topped" style. Later models were well-received in Europe, and the A-26 went on to become a greatly successful bomber, also serving in the Korean War and in several major Cold War conflicts.