B-26 Marauder cockpit details

[Seahawk]

The Hasegawa 1/72 B-26 Marauder frames come with 2 types of seat, one (G12) with a higher, squarer back than the other (G13), and 2 types of control wheel, one (G19) an inverted half wheel and the other (G20) of the spectacle type.  In the B-26B/C boxing B-26B-25MA 41-31773 has a rounder seat (G13) on the left and a square one (G12) on the right, B-26B-50MA 42-95884 and B-26C-45MO 42-107666 both have 2 rounder seats .  All 3 options use the spectacle type control wheel (G20)   In the B-26F/G boxing all 3 options (B-26F-1MA 42-96281, B-26G-1MA 43-34191 and B-26G-10MA 43-34571) are shown with the square seat and the spectacle-type control wheels.

 

Two questions:

• Is there a handy guide to which B-26 subtype used which seat?  (The pattern from the very limited info above tempts me toward B26B/C with round seats, B-26F/G with squarer ones, with B-26B-25MA 41-31773 (Flak Bait) having been retro-fitted with one of the newer types, but it's probably more complicated than that.)
•  Which if any B-26 variants used the half-wheel type (which is what Airfix provide for their kit)?

 

This is to support correctly depicting options other than those provided in the kits and establishing what I can rob to tart up an Airfix kit.

 

Thanks in advance.

[72modeler]

15 hours ago, Seahawk said:

 Which if any B-26 variants used the half-wheel type (which is what Airfix provide for their kit)?

Interesting questions, and I'm not sure I can give you definite answers to both, but I can share some observations about the B-26 control wheels:

Flak Bait, a B-26B has two spectacle-type control wheels, as seen in period and museum photos

The B-26G at the USAF Museum has a half-wheel on the LH side and a spectacle type wheel on the RH side; I will make a guess that the B-26F used the same wheels

The short wing/tail B-26 in the Kermit Weeks collection has two spectacle type control wheels; I have seen a photo of a B-26 cockpit dated 1941 that also shows two spectacle-type wheels, but the version is not identified; I'm guessing a 1941 photo would be an early short wing/tail Marauder

 

I have the William Wolf book on the B-26, and there are diagrams and photos of the seats. According to the photos and diagrams, the pilot seat is tall and has a rounded top; the co-pilot seat is much shorter and also has a rounded top. The radio operator and bombardier seats are both tall and have a squared-off top. The pilot, co-pilot, and radio operator/bombardier seats have different armrests.

 

In the Wolf book and one other book I have that has both the B-25 and B-26, there are breakdowns by variant and block, but in neither book is there any notation about control wheels or seats fitted to each. Best I can do, but maybe someone who has better references or knowledge of the Marauder can help you.

Mike

 

 

 

[Seahawk]

Many thanks.  Useful evidence.  It's the sort of detail I hoped I might find in the old Squadron Signal At War book but no such luck.

[Finn]

Might not find exact details you are looking for but several B-26 manuals are here:

 

http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/search?q=B-26

 

the dates on the manuals may indicate who had what and when. Also some other interesting tidbits can be found in them. Click on the last download link of each one to get the files directly instead of having to download them. In cases where you have to download first, use the slow method, slow but free.

 

Jari

Edited June 27, 2020 by Finn

[Finn]

Here is a parts manual for the B-26K:

 

https://www.docdroid.com/oiHN1it/douglas-b-26k-illustrated-parts-breakdown-pdf

 

but it shows various other versions as well as i don't think the K carried torpedoes:

 

https://www.docdroid.com/oiHN1it/douglas-b-26k-illustrated-parts-breakdown-pdf#page=324

 

and the recon gear:

 

https://www.docdroid.com/oiHN1it/douglas-b-26k-illustrated-parts-breakdown-pdf#page=342

 

Jari

[Seahawk]

Very kind and thanks, but it's the wrong B-26!  I'm interested in the true B-26, by Martin, not the rebadged A-26!