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B-26 Marauder in Action (Aircraft 50) By Steve Birdsall

The Army Air Corps wanted a high speed medium bomber — and to achieve that goal sacrifices in other areas were apparently acceptable. The requirements were spelled out to the competing aircraft companies In the March (939 Circular Proposal 39-640. In July the Glenn L. Martin Company submitted their design. Prepared by a design team led by Peyton M. Mag ruder, the proposed medium bomber carried the company designation Mar­tin 179. The design was to have the highest wing loading of any aircraft so far designed for the USAAC, but it would deliver the speed required (323mph). The sacrifices involved, the inevitable high landing speeds (over lOOmph) and long take-offs, were considered accep­table by the design review board. Martin's reputation for producing fine aircraft and the promise of rapid delivery also must have Influenced the decision.

The dean cigar-shaped fuselage made the new bomber perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing design achieved to date by any nation. The small wings, with a span of only 65 feet, were dominated by a pair of 1850 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-5 Double Wasp engines. The pointed tail cone was to mount a single .30 cal machine gun, and another .30 was to be mounted in a ball-joint in the nose. The armament was completed by a Martin 25CE power turret installed in the dorsal and mounting a pair of .50 cal mgs. The design easily out-scored the competitive designs submitted by other companies (the nearest contender was the North American B-25) and, in September 1939, was dubbed B-26and an initial contract for 201 aircraft was awarded — while the aircraft was still on the drawing board. Before the so-called prototype' even flew, a total i.i3t would be ordered.

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