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Rare Behind The Scenes Footage with Pilot and Crew of the Lewis Air Legends Douglas A-20 Havoc
Freeport News Network ^ | 05/14/2017 | Freeport News Network

Posted on 08/10/2017 9:24:54 AM PDT by DFG

Freeport, Illinois — Join our producer for this rare behind the scenes footage with Pilot and crew of the Lewis Air Legends Douglas A-20 Havoc as they prepare to complete A-20’s mission to make it to OshKosh.

The WWII light bomber, stored in Freeport at the Albertus Airport for nearly a year, is the only known airworthy A-20 in the world.

We hung out with the pilot and crew to bring you this exclusive behind the scenes rare look at one truly incredible airplane and the cool people behind it.

The plane will leave Freeport today, on Mother’s Day for OskKosh. Here is our segment with the guys of this historic A-20 Havoc.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: a20; aviation; freeport; havoc; lewis; wwii
Over 7000 A-20 Havocs were built in WW2. This is the only one in flying condition today.

http://lewisairlegends.com/aircraft/a-20-havoc

https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

1 posted on 08/10/2017 9:24:54 AM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG

Thanks for this.

I have more than a casual interest in WWII aircraft and hadn’t heard of the A-20.

Have to say it’s a beautiful design. It’s a shame more didn’t survive.

I bet it’s a blast to fly with an empty bomb bay.


2 posted on 08/10/2017 9:38:56 AM PDT by chrisser
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To: DFG

Beautiful. I loved the engine sounds on the fly by.


3 posted on 08/10/2017 9:41:28 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (WKU 2016 Boca Raton Bowl Champions)
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To: DFG

Neat old warbird and it was interesting listening to the crew talk about the A-20 and the work they put into it.


4 posted on 08/10/2017 9:44:41 AM PDT by rochester_veteran (All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: chrisser
The A-20 was the first USAAC aircraft modified to be a nightfighter (P-70). A F-3A photo recon version of the A-20 was the first Allied aircraft to land at Itazuke, Japan after the August 1945 surrender. Specifications (A-20G-20-DO) General characteristics Crew: 3 Length: 47 ft 11 1⁄7/8 in (14.63 m) Wingspan: 61 ft 4 in (18.69 m) Height: 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m) Wing area: 464 ft² (43.1 m²) Empty weight: 16693 lb (7708 kg) Loaded weight: 24127 lb (10964 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-2600-23 "Twin Cyclone" radial engines, 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 317 mph (276 kn, 510 km/h) at 10,700 ft (3,260 m) Cruise speed: 256 mph (223 kn, 412 km/h) Range: 945 mi (822 nmi, 1,521 km) (Combat range) Service ceiling: 23,700 ft (7,225 m) Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 8.8 min Armament Guns: 6× fixed forward firing 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the nose 2× 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns in dorsal turret 1x flexible 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine gun, mounted behind bomb bay Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-20_Havoc _______________________________________________ Further development of the A-20 led to the A-26 Invader. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26_Invader Specifications (A-26B-15-DL Invader) General characteristics Crew: 3 Length: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m) Wingspan: 70 ft 0 in (21.34 m) Height: 18 ft 3 in (5.64 m) Wing area: 540 ft² (50 m²) Empty weight: 22,850 lb (10,365 kg) Loaded weight: 27,600 lb (12,519 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,900 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 "Double Wasp" radial engine, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 355 mph (308 kn, 570 km/h) Range: 1,400 mi (1,200 nmi, 2,300 km) Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m) Rate of climb: 1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s) Wing loading: 51 lb/ft² (250 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.145 hp/lb (108 W/kg) Armament Guns: 6 or 8 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in solid, "all purpose" nose: or 2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in glass "bombardier" nose Up to 8 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns paired in four optional under wing pods: or 3 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in each outer wing panel 2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled dorsal turret 2 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns in remote-controlled ventral turret Rockets: Up to 10 5-inch (12.7 cm) HVAR rockets on "zero length" launch pylons, five under each outer wing panel Bombs: Up to 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) capacity - 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) in the bomb bay plus 2,000 lb (910 kg) carried externally on underwing hardpoints
5 posted on 08/10/2017 9:53:59 AM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG

Sorry about the formatting


6 posted on 08/10/2017 9:55:13 AM PDT by DFG
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To: chrisser
Never played any of the old Avalon Hills games, eh?

In the game "Luftwaffe", I remember the A-20 having a small role. Maybe a quarter or two - the game was set up that "missions" represented 3 months worth of bombing.

7 posted on 08/10/2017 10:00:28 AM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: chrisser
I have more than a casual interest in WWII aircraft and hadn’t heard of the A-20.

Used to good effect by Gen. Kenney's 5th Air Force as "super strafers" in the South Pacific.

8 posted on 08/10/2017 10:17:44 AM PDT by fso301
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To: fso301

Same airframe as the “Black Widow” reconnaissance plane?


9 posted on 08/10/2017 10:29:35 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam. Buy ammo.")
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To: DFG

I see the information copied from wikepedia, but disagree with their conclusion that the A-26/B-26 was derived from the A-20. The A-26 did follow the A-20 in time, but there appears little in else common between the two other than the 2-pilot, twin-radial-engine, single tailplane, high-wing medium bomber/utility plane. (The B-25 Mitchell was a more popular, dual-tailplane competitor to both.)

Havoc/Hudson/Boston confusion in terms perhaps?

The B-26 was built in Baltimore, and earned its poor reputation as a difficult plane to master, but fast as adequate low-level bomber once it was mastered by an experienced crew. If they survived the training and the low-level missions to get the experience.


10 posted on 08/10/2017 10:35:47 AM PDT by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

The Douglas A-26 Invader and the Martin B-26 Marauder are 2 different airplanes. The A-26 Invader was derived from the A-20 Havoc. The A-26 was deployed late in WW2 and it saw service in the Korean War, early in the Vietnam War, and in the Cuban Missile crisis.


11 posted on 08/10/2017 10:49:38 AM PDT by DFG
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To: elcid1970
The Northrup P-61 "Black Widow" nightfighter was a different airplane. The photo recon version of the P-61 (F-15/RF-61C) was developed in mid 1945.
12 posted on 08/10/2017 10:55:17 AM PDT by DFG
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To: elcid1970
Same airframe as the “Black Widow” reconnaissance plane?

There was a reconnaissance version of the A-20 but the only "Black Widow" I am familiar with was the P-61.


13 posted on 08/10/2017 11:47:11 AM PDT by fso301
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To: DFG

Could look it up later, but I think one of the old WWII twin engine bombers had a short run in the earlier days of Viet Nam. Might have been the A-20.


14 posted on 08/10/2017 12:11:27 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: doorgunner69

The A-26 Invader was used in the early part of the Vietnam War and in the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-26_Invader


15 posted on 08/10/2017 12:40:46 PM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG
My Father taught egress systems for the USAF (USAF 1947-1977) and mentioned to me on more than one occasion there was no practical egress from the A-20 or B-26 Bombers. He later taught egress systems maintenance to pilots and enlisted at Laughlin AFB just for the T-33, T-37 and T-38s.
16 posted on 08/10/2017 1:26:17 PM PDT by vetvetdoug
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To: DFG

Ed Heinneman was involved in the design, which means there was still plenty of life in the A 20 when production stopped.


17 posted on 08/10/2017 2:16:17 PM PDT by yawningotter
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