Of course the Douglas A26 was a late Second World War combat aircraft. The pair of 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800s provided a blistering performance and it was very versatile.

It proved to be so valuable that it served with distinction in the Korean War, and by 1963 was being remanufactured for further service in the Vietnam War. This elderly aircraft went on to serve as a combat aircraft into the late 1970s. However in the 1960s it acquired a new profession as a fire bomber.

Our example of the Douglas A26 “Invader” entered service with Conair of Abbotsford BC in the spring of 1970. It completed over 2,000 hours of duty in its new role, until its last operational flight in 1984. Conair is a world leader in aerial fire-fighting, and generously donated the aircraft to the Museum in 1989. It was decided to keep it in its fire-fighting configuration.