# Martin B-26 Marauder
The **Martin B-26 Marauder** was an American twin-engine medium bomber built by the [Glenn L. Martin Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/glenn-l-martin-company) that served with the [United States Army Air Forces](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-army-air-forces) throughout World War II, in the Pacific, Mediterranean, and [Western Europe](https://www.edgepedia.org/western-europe) theaters[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/). More than 5,000 were built, and the type ended the war with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/) • [2](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458994/b-26-bomber-martin-or-douglas/). Its early accident rate earned it nicknames such as "Widow Maker", but retraining and aerodynamic changes made it a safe and effective combat aircraft[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role and maker | Twin-engine medium bomber, Glenn L. Martin Company, built at Baltimore, Maryland and Omaha, Nebraska[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/) |
| Designer | Peyton M. Magruder, responding to a January 1939 Army Air Corps specification[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000) |
| First flight | November 25, 1940; first four aircraft accepted by the USAAF on February 22, 1941[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000) • [4](https://websites.godaddy.com/blob/435d3e82-99e8-47a9-b829-c40d7fe2e078/downloads/B26%20History%2C%20Overview%20and%20Development.pdf?286d08fe%3Fver=1747717966732) |
| Production | 5,288 aircraft between February 1941 and March 1945; 522 flown by the Royal Air Force and South African Air Force[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/) |
| Dimensions | Length 58 ft 2.5 in (17.742 m); wingspan 65 ft 0 in (19.812 m); height 19 ft 10.3 in (6.053 m)[5](https://nyw.cap.gov/assets/files/dept/ae/wing_tips/wing_tips_2021.11.pdf) |
| Approach speed | 150 mph (241 km/h) on short final, unusually high for the era and a cause of early landing accidents[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/) |
| Service end | Martin B-26s withdrawn from service by June 1948, when the B-26 designation passed to the Douglas A-26 Invader[2](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458994/b-26-bomber-martin-or-douglas/) |
## Design and development
Project engineer Peyton M. Magruder designed the Marauder in response to an Army Air Corps specification issued in January 1939; the same specification drew [North American Aviation](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-american-aviation)'s response, the B-25 Mitchell[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000). To meet the proposal's maximum speed target of 520 kph (323 mph), Martin's design carried a higher wing loading (aircraft weight divided by wing area; higher means faster takeoff/landing speeds) than any other Air Corps airplane[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000). War pressures led the Air Corps to skip a prototype test stage and send both bombers straight from drawing board to production[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000).
The two official museum accounts give different figures for the September 1940 order: the [National Air and Space Museum](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-air-and-space-museum) states the Air Corps ordered 201 aircraft that month, while the [National Museum of the United States Air Force](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-museum-of-the-united-states-air-force) states it ordered 1,131 B-26s in September 1940, before the type had flown[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000) • [6](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196275/martin-b-26g-marauder/). The first production example flew on November 25, 1940[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000), and the first four B-26s were accepted by the USAAF on February 22, 1941[4](https://websites.godaddy.com/blob/435d3e82-99e8-47a9-b829-c40d7fe2e078/downloads/B26%20History%2C%20Overview%20and%20Development.pdf?286d08fe%3Fver=1747717966732).
## The "widowmaker" problem and its fix
The high wing loading dramatically increased takeoff and landing speeds, and the airplane also suffered from engine and propeller malfunctions; the combination caused many accidents in training, and production was in danger of being halted several times during the war[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000). The Marauder had to be flown at precise airspeeds, particularly on final approach or with one engine out. Pilots accustomed to slower approach speeds found the 150 mph (241 km/h) short-final speed intimidating, and when they slowed below the manual's stipulated speeds the aircraft often stalled and crashed[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/). Pejorative nicknames included "Widow-Maker", "Flying Coffin", "B-Dash-Crash", "Martin Murderer", and "Flying Prostitute"[7](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2024/12/AFmag_2010_11.pdf).
The aircraft became safer once crews were retrained and aerodynamic modifications were introduced: an increase in wingspan and wing angle of incidence for better takeoff performance, and a larger vertical stabilizer and rudder[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/). A 1943 USAAF report comparing the B-25 and B-26 found the B-25 outperforming the Marauder in accident loss rate, combat loss rate, and unit cost, in some cases by multiple factors, and the USAAF considered reducing or canceling the B-26 program[8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d89jyhQ3K7g).
## Combat service
First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, the B-26 also served in the Mediterranean Theater and Western Europe[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/). The Marauder ended World War II with the lowest loss rate of any USAAF bomber[1](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/). It was the only USAAF bomber to drop torpedoes, and a B-26B, *Flak-Bait*, set the single American aircraft sortie record in Europe at 207[7](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2024/12/AFmag_2010_11.pdf). The type was built in greater numbers than any other Martin aircraft[7](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2024/12/AFmag_2010_11.pdf).
The Navy's account of the [Doolittle Raid](https://www.edgepedia.org/doolittle-raid) notes that the Martin B-26 was considered for the carrier-launched strike and rejected because of its unsuitable handling characteristics[9](https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1942/halsey-doolittle-raid.html).
## Retirement and the name confusion
All Martin B-26s were declared obsolete by the [United States Air Force](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-air-force) in 1948, by which time few survived as airworthy aircraft[2](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458994/b-26-bomber-martin-or-douglas/). In June 1948 the attack category of aircraft designation was abandoned, the [Douglas A-26 Invader](https://www.edgepedia.org/douglas-a-26-invader) was redesignated B-26, and the Martin Marauder was withdrawn from service, creating lasting confusion between two unrelated aircraft sharing the name[2](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458994/b-26-bomber-martin-or-douglas/).
## Flak-Bait
The Martin B-26B-25-MA *Flak-Bait* survives in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which calls its history and state of preservation exceptionally rare for a World War II artifact[10](https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/researchers/projects/flak-bait). Lt. James J. Farrell of Greenwich, Connecticut, flew more missions in it than any other pilot and named the bomber after "Flea Bait", his brother's nickname for the family dog[3](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000). The Air Force officially transferred *Flak-Bait* to the Smithsonian in 1960[10](https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/researchers/projects/flak-bait).
## References
1. [December 18, 1941: First Local Aircraft Mishap, Air Force Test Center](https://www.aftc.af.mil/About-Us/History/On-This-Day-in-Test-History/Article-Display-Test-History/Article/2421018/december-18-1941-first-local-aircraft-mishap/)
2. [B-26 Bomber, Martin or Douglas?, Air Force Historical Support Division Fact Sheet](https://www.afhistory.af.mil/FAQs/Fact-Sheets/Article/458994/b-26-bomber-martin-or-douglas/)
3. [Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder "Flak-Bait", National Air and Space Museum](https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000)
4. [B-26 History, Overview and Development, Marauder Historical Society](https://websites.godaddy.com/blob/435d3e82-99e8-47a9-b829-c40d7fe2e078/downloads/B26%20History%2C%20Overview%20and%20Development.pdf?286d08fe%3Fver=1747717966732)
5. [Aviation History Series, Civil Air Patrol New York Wing (November 2021)](https://nyw.cap.gov/assets/files/dept/ae/wing_tips/wing_tips_2021.11.pdf)
6. [Martin B-26G Marauder, National Museum of the United States Air Force](https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196275/martin-b-26g-marauder/)
7. [Airpower Classics: B-26 Marauder, Air & Space Forces Magazine (November 2010)](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2024/12/AFmag_2010_11.pdf)
8. [B-25 Vs. B-26 WWII Medium Bombers, Combat Effectiveness USAAF 1943 Review](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d89jyhQ3K7g)
9. [Doolittle Raid, Naval History and Heritage Command](https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1942/halsey-doolittle-raid.html)
10. [Flak-Bait research project, National Air and Space Museum](https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/researchers/projects/flak-bait)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Aviation › Military aviation › Military aircraft by type and era › Bomber and strike aircraft › World War II bomber and strike aircraft*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license