Marked "12 TRS".

Delivered to the USAAF as 44-34726. Registered as N3152G in 1964. To the Portuguese Air Force as 7104 in 1965. Stored at Alverca in 1971. Moved to Alcochete storage facility by 2018.

Conair Aviation flown by Ralph Bolton

The BC Forest Service first evaluated the Douglas A-26 Invader for firefighting in June 1969 when three aircraft attacked 30 fires over a 12-day period from the Kamloops tanker base. In 1970, Conair Aviation won contracts for three A-26s which joined three Flying Fireman PBY-5 Cansos, and five Conair TBMs Avengers to form BC's provincial firefighting fleet. This Douglas A-26C was delivered to the USAAF as 44-34520 in June 1945. In 1958 it became N9420Z and flew as a corporate aircraft. Conair imported it in 1974 as C-GHCF. Sold it to Hawkins & Powers Avn. in 1988 as N94207. To N126HP in 1989.

Conair Aviation Douglas A-26, C-GHLI was photographed at the fuel pumps at Abbotsford Airport on April 4, 1976 during pilot training to the start of the wildfire season. This A-26 carried the USAAF serial 44-34423 and flew in the Korean War. It remained in USAF inventory until 1958. Sold to Stahmann Farms, Las Cruces, NM as N9594Z and owned 1958-1972. Sold to Victor Newman in TX in 1972 and to Conair in 1974 for airtanker conversion and use. Damaged by fire at Williams Lake, BC on July 1, 1984 and to scrap yard. To Aero Nostalgia 1990. Rebuilt & Preserved at Fairchild AFB, WA.

This A26 is on display as 44-35523, cn 28802, ex-N3428G and is often misidentified. In fact, the frame is 44-35552, cn 28831, ex N5544V.

Maintenance in Copenhagen before delivery to the French Air Force

Conair Tanker 21 on a practice retardant drop near Kamloops BC

Conair Aviation Douglas A-26, C-GHLK was photographed departing the Abbotsford air tanker base on July 6, 1975. Conair was operating a large firefighting fleet of Grumman TBM-3 Avengers, A-26 Invaders and Douglas DC-6Bs at the time, all of which would be parked on the grass at Abbotsford during the off season. For more information of the history of C-GHLK, see Gary Vincent's 1980 photo on this site.

This Douglas A-26, C-GHLX, was imported from the US in 1975 and became by Conair Aviation's air tanker No. 32. The aircraft still wears its former US colour scheme, with the US history documented on this site by other photographers. On the far left of the photo is a gunbutt from there wartime RCAF Abbotsford (No. 5 OTU) base and on the right are the fuel pumps and fire retardant tanks of the old BC Forest Service air tanker base. This aircraft was later repainted in Conair's new red and white colours. It was de-registered by Conair in Dec 1985 and registered to Air Spray 1967 Ltd. in July 1987

Marksman conversion #5 of just eight, a true gem saved by the Drakensberg Truck Manufacturers owners from further decay at the SAAF Museum, that lacked funding for this non-air force aircraft. High-speed civil executive Invader conversion, pressurized and fitted with DC-6 flat windshields and cockpit side windows. Originally A-26B 44-34567, to N9412Z in 1960 with On Mark Engineering at Van Nuys, CA. As ZS-CVD to the Iron & Steel Industrial Corporation (ISCOR), 1962 to 1976. To the SAAF Museum in 1977 after engines had been sold separately. Brought here in 2010 and reassembled in 2018, still in the same livery as with ISCOR.