B26 Marauder - the thing on top?

[Paul Wagner]

I'm putting together a couple of Airfix B26s, and there in an option to put on either a clear bubble or a closed hatch on top, just behind the canopy. I have ascertained this is either the "Navigator's Astro Hatch" (clear I guess) or just an escape port (solid). But I don't know what kinds of Marauders had which?

Paul

[Steven Eisenman]

I just went through all my B-26 Marauder referencers and cannot find a picture of a B-26 with an astrodome. There should be round hatch behind the cockpit and just forward of the leading edge.

[Heraldcoupe]

I've seen it in some pictures, this SAAF example comes to mind,

Cheers,

Bill.

[fightersweep]

I used to be with the Rebel Air Museum at Earls Colne, and the collection very dedicated to the B-26 Marauder.

We had one of these astrodomes in the collection. It had two release handles each side of the dome. I'll need to fish out my references, but if I remember correctly, all B-26's had these as standard. What I can't remember off hand is if the dome folded inwards inside the fuselage, to be replaced with the hatch cover. I think that it was stowed in the radio operator/navigators compartment.

I've got the manuals in the man cave...I'll look as soon as I get the chance.

Regards;
Steve

Edited January 7, 2014 by fightersweep

[Steven Eisenman]

I've seen it in some pictures, this SAAF example comes to mind,

Cheers,

Bill.

Nice find, I though I rembered a Commonwealth aircraft with one, but could not find it. But, that could be the one.

[Steven Eisenman]

A little more searching and found one more, but the two here seem to be the exception for in flight service.

[Learstang]

A little more searching and found one more, but the two here seem to be the exception for in flight service.

Wow! The Marauder wasn't half a tough aeroplane! Come to think of it, it that flak had hit a little further towards the fuselage, it would have been half an aeroplane!

Regards,

Jason

Edited January 7, 2014 by Learstang

[Paul Wagner]

I also found this

http://www.b26.com/page/case_history_of_b-26_airplane_project.htm

Which states that

"... on 25 February 1943, the Director of Military Requirements directed that the following items be deleted from all B-26 series aircraft: the astro dome, astro graphs, astro compass, outlets for electrically heated clothing, and the camera mount..."

...all as weight saving measures

Paul

[Chuck1945]

FWIW, both photos showing the astro dome are of early short tail B-26s, not the taller tail and longer wingspan B-26B/C in the Airfix (or Hasegawa) kit

[Steven Eisenman]

FWIW, both photos showing the astro dome are of early short tail B-26s, not the taller tail and longer wingspan B-26B/C in the Airfix (or Hasegawa) kit

That is the conclusion to which I have come. Going on further search, found one more picture of a RAF/Commonwealth Marauder with astrodome, but early model.

[fightersweep]

Hi all;

Found the following text online which seems to reference astrodomes fitted to later B-26's;

Arriving at Selfridge (or Omaha, for those few who picked up their airplanes there) the 386th found that all had the longer wingspan - 71 feet - and many other refinements which were designed to make the Marauder an outstanding fighting machine. The vertical fin had been lengthened, increasing control in single engine emergencies. Four .50 caliber "package" guns were mounted, two on each side of the fuselage, firing forward. some had Bell hydraulic power tail turret in place of the twin flexible mount .50's. All the bomb stations in the rear bomb bays had been removed and the doors sealed.

The Bombardier's position in the plexiglas nose held all the controls for the bomb doors and the bomb racks, provisions for a bomb sight and a flexible .50 caliber machine gun. A few models also had a fixed .50 caliber firing forward. This fixed gun was generally removed after the 386th reached England.

A navigator's and radio operator's compartment, located just aft of the cockpit, provided space and facilities for the navigators and carried the long range liaison radio. A hatch which was equipped with an astro-dome, allowed sextant shooting for celestial navigation. It also provided a spot for a crewmember to ride during taxi in congested areas. He was thus able to clear the wingtips and the tail section and prevent collisions with other aircraft or fixed objects.

I thought this was interesting as it related to 386th BG training with the long span B-26B's, yet also mentions the astrodome. There's also mention in the Osprey Publishing B-26 book (page 35) of an incident where the group CO of the 320th BG received head injuries whilst observing a raid from the astrodome of a B-26B-45 (42-95759 "Tiger Lily").

I know that the vast majority of B-26B photos show the astrodome stowed/deleted, but there is evidence that they were still being used. The B-26 astrodome we had in our museum was recovered along with the fuselage of B-26C-25 41-35253 that was recovered from a scrapyard in Warrington. So were the astrodomes completely deleted?

Having said that, If I were building another B-26, I would have the hatch installed as opposed to an astrodome. It does seem to be the most common configuration.

Regards;

Steve

[Don McIntyre]

I also found this

http://www.b26.com/page/case_history_of_b-26_airplane_project.htm

Which states that

"... on 25 February 1943, the Director of Military Requirements directed that the following items be deleted from all B-26 series aircraft: the astro dome, astro graphs, astro compass, outlets for electrically heated clothing, and the camera mount..."

...all as weight saving measures

Paul

I wonder what the crews thought of deleting the outlets for the heated suits? Surely whoever came up with that idea didn't fly in combat over Northern Europe in the dead of winter?