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[Jeff Victor Hayden]

It could very well be a B-26 martin Marauder judging by the number of wheel spokes. However, as Ric pointed out their use in the Pacific theatre was very limited. Still, they should have known that the Doolittle raid used B-25 Mitchells.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-26_Pacific.html

[Tim Gard]

Is a B-26 even capable of operating from a carrier?

[JNev]

Is a B-26 even capable of operating from a carrier?

Not of that time, but then the B-25 technically wasn't either.  That said, Vref speeds, etc. for the B-26 were probably much higher than those of the B-25.  Land based entirely so far as I know.

[Ric Gillespie]

Vref speeds, etc. for the B-26 were probably much higher than those of the B-25.

Indeed.  Especially the early short-wing version.  A very hot ship with a bad (albeit undeserved) reputation as a "widow-maker."

[JNev]

I believe it was Seversky himself who in WWII went out and demonstrated the airplane in the East (CBI theatre I'm told) to put confidence in the crews who were being retrained to respect 'the numbers' in the B-26 after a number of accidents.  I'm told that just before he closed the hatch behind himself (climbing in) that he tossed his prosthetic leg out onto the ground and proceeded to do a breathtaking demonstration of controllability - rolls and such - on one engine (and obviously with one leg).  Point was "respect the numbers and the airplane is safe" (like any winged beast).

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Initially the Marauder was one of the candidates for the Doolittle raid but was rejected due to
"questionable takeoff characteristics from a carrier deck" which begs the question, did they try a few tests?

Possible aircraft candidate:

Requirements for the aircraft for a cruising range of 2,400 nautical miles(4,400 km) with a 2,000-pound(910 kg) bomb load resulted in the selection of the B-25B Mitchell to carry out the mission.The Martin B-26 Marauder,Douglas B-23 Dragon and Douglas B-18 Bolo were also considered.However,the B-26 had questionable takeoff characteristics from a carrier deck,the B-23's wingspan was nearly 50% greater than the B-25's,reducing the number that could be taken aboard a carrier and posing risks to the ship's superstructure and the B-18,one of the final two types considered by Doolittle, was rejected for the same reason.Although,the B-25 had yet to be tested in combat,subsequent tests with B-25s indicated they could fulfill the mission's requirements.

[Russ Matthews]

"B-26 bomber" could also refer to the Douglas A-26 (later B-26) Invader .. though I've checked the photos and they seem to sport a nose wheel of the 8 spoked variety as well.

As Ric says, this wouldn't be the first time locale folklore misidentified a wreck.  About 20 years ago a group of TIGHARs (including myself) conclusively demonstrated that the "old B-25" resting in the mudflats of San Pablo Bay just short of the runway at Hamilton Field was, in fact, the remains of a rare interwar Martin B-10. People just assumed a twin engine plane of that vintage must be a Mitchell.

I wonder if we're dealing with something similar here.  My first thought was maybe Lockheed P-38, which does have a 6 spoked nose wheel, but it would be hard to mistake those 12 cylinder inline Allisons for radial engines.

So the next candidate I'll throw out there is a Northrop P-61 .. a monstrous, twin (radial) engine, twin tail night fighter .. with a 6 spoked nose wheel.  Is there any indication of a Black Widow squadron operating in or transiting the area in WWII?

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Is there any indication of a Black Widow squadron operating in or transiting the area in WWII?

"Aircraft lost in the vicinity of Nikumaroro" has some links in the footnotes that might help answer that question.

[Ric Gillespie]

"Aircraft lost in the vicinity of Nikumaroro" has some links in the footnotes that might help answer that question.

Fiji is not exactly in the vicinity of Nikumaroro.  It's about a thousand miles away (I remember every one of them).

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

Here's a video of the dive onto the "B-26 Marauder?", two radial engines, extended nacelles? standard tailplane layout, similar tail plane and wing shape.

http://youtu.be/fkvNwMGsDwU

[Monty Fowler]

God knows I'm not an expert, but the nose gear structure and the wing structure in that video look a LOT more like a B-25 Mitchell than a B-26 Marauder. I've built both, and that's how it looks to me. Whatever it is, it had to have hit the water pretty hard and fast to come apart like that.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

"Aircraft lost in the vicinity of Nikumaroro" has some links in the footnotes that might help answer that question.

Fiji is not exactly in the vicinity of Nikumaroro.  It's about a thousand miles away (I remember every one of them).

Here are the links from the article that might help folks find out about Fiji:

• US Navy and US Marine Corps Bunos
• USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List
• Aviation Archaeology, "PB4Y USN Aircraft Airframe History List."
• "1944 USAAF Serial Numbers."

These websites may well have links, in turn, that would point to other helpful resources.

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

God knows I'm not an expert, but the nose gear structure and the wing structure in that video look a LOT more like a B-25 Mitchell than a B-26 Marauder. I've built both, and that's how it looks to me. Whatever it is, it had to have hit the water pretty hard and fast to come apart like that.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

Mid-air collision?

http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-26/41-17590.html

Aircraft History
 Built by Martin. Assigned to the 38th Bombardment Group, 70th Bombardment Squadron. No known nickname or noseart. Aircraft Number 90.

Mission History
Took off from Nandi Airfield on a local flight for altitude training. Suffered a midair collision with P-39D Airacobra 41-7043 roughly 300 yards south of Itai Island off near Nandi Airfield. The B-26 fell into the sea and no bodies were recovered.


Which matches up with the co-ordinates given for the dive

[Tim Gard]

B26 training video ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azfeFkWWDMg

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

B26 training video ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azfeFkWWDMg

Great find Tim, these training videos are a Goldmine of information.