Douglas B-26K Counter Invader – Congolese Air Force, Brazzaville, Congo, 1965

Hobby Master 1/72 scale HA3228: Douglas B-26K Counter Invader #64-17649 Special K of the Congolese Air Force, Brazzaville, Congo, 1965. (with 4 x LAU rocket launchers). Low production run of only 300 models.

Length 8.25 inches Wingspan 11.75 inches

The Congo achieved independence in June 1960 and a Civil War took place between 1960 and 1965. Mutinies soon broke out by Congolese soldiers wanting better pay and advancement. Some provinces broke away and rebel armies formed. In 1964 in an attempt to back Colonel Joseph Mobutu the CIA sent 4 B-26s and in January 1965 two B-26Ks Counter Invaders were delivered. These aircraft were meant to destroy the rebel forces and end the unrest. One of the B-26Ks was 64-17649 built as an A-26C and upgraded by On-mark to a B-26K. The aircraft wore FR-649 in the Congo.

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.