B-26C-15 S/N 41-34938 "Big Ass Bird"
created March 11, 2002
FSDS Model created by W. E. Stephens and Textures by W. E. Stephens [Wstephens08502@rcn.com]
Panel by Rob Clark [rlclark@ix.netcom.com]
Original aviator figure belong to David Eckert. [www.daviator.com]

W. E. Stephens
WestwindRet@rcn.com
April 6, 2002


TAKOFF Rotation is approximately: 135 mph with 1/4 flaps
Your are carrying 4000 lbs of bombs in your bomb bay



AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATIONS (B-26C-15)

Span: 71 ft. 0 in.
Length 56 ft. 1 in.
Height 20 ft. 4 in.
Wing Area, 658 sq. ft.
Weight: 38,200 lbs. (max.)

Armament: Twelve .50-cal. machine guns plus 5,200 lbs. of bombs (max. overload) or one externally mounted torpedo
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-43 "Double Wasp" radials of 2,000 hp. each (take-off power)
Crew: 5-7

PERFORMANCE

Maximum speed: 282 mph at 10,000ft.
Cruising speed: 214 mph.
Range: 1,150 miles w/ 3,000 lbs. bomb load; 2,850 miles (max.)
Service Ceiling: 21,700 ft.
Combat range, 1150 miles

"Big Ass Bird" was from the 12th Air Force, 319th Bomb Group (Medium), 440 Bomb Squadron based in Rufisque French West Africa, Tafaraoui, Algeria (outside of Oran), Maison Blanche, Algeria (outside of Algers), Dejedeida, Tunisia (outside of Tunis) and Decimomannu, Sardinia (outside of Cagliari) in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. She flew 145 missions between June 1943 and November 1944 in North Africa, Italy and southern France and was the fastest plane in the group. Her first crew was led by Lt. T. C. Rammelkamp but was flown by other crews including Lt. Lawrence E. Stephens. She was shot up badly on her 55th mission and again on her 59th, but remained a lucky ship. Her crew chief was J. Wesley Johnston for her first 120 missions.

This aircraft is a memorial to my father Col. Lawrence E. Stephens, USAF, ret. who served his country for 30 years and passed away on June 26, 2000. After WWII he was assigned to the USAF Strategic Air Command in Omaha, NE. In the course of this military career, he was the Base Commander at Glasgow AFB, Glasgow, Montana and the Wing Commander at Anderson AFB on Guam. He retired in 1970 from March ARB, in Riverside, CA.

The B-26C-15 was built in Omaha, Nebraska in 1941.