Never Have So Few Done So Much To So Many

With many standard equipments removed, the CAF B-26 night intruders flew behind the enemy line, dropping supplies, leaflets, food tickets, Communist currency, and agents in the Cold War. The promised combination of high speed and low altitude performance made the Invader a natural selection for such a role in 1954-59.

Accurate low-level deep-penetration depends on good navigation, because only a single run can be made over target. Without a standard night navigation radar, the CAF aircrews had to use an altimeter and a LORAN to familiarize the air-to-ground ranging and navigation through the Minimum Safety Altitude training. Also, mission had to be conducted with full moon for the best night visibility, between 13 and 19 every lunar month. The ability to make these high-speed precision terrain-following sorties resulted from the long spell of maneuver, flying in the dark anonymity of earth and hugged the ground all the way go and back. After the mandatory MSA was accomplished on the s/n 888, official trial followed immediately, one of these runs over Guangdong resulted in the removal of the local commander of air defense.

This coverage is supplemented with some Cold War friends and foes - Douglas C-54 Skymaster, Douglas B-26 Invader, Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Tupolev Tu-2, and Tu-4. Although a brief historical summary is always presented in each of my drawing, it is not intended to be all inclusive.