In 1939 the military contracted with the Glenn Martin Company to design a twin-engine medium powered bomber. The Marauder cruised at 10 to 15,000 feet and had a gun turret on top near the rear of the aircraft. The design was converted quickly converted into a production aircraft, and the first flight was on November 15, 1940. Several months later, in February 1941, the first B-26 was assigned to the 22nd Bomb Group at Langley Field.
The aircraft, initially known as the "widowmaker," suffered many operational problems early on. These problems were corrected and the Marauder became one of the Air Force’s most successful bombers. During World War II the army used the B-26 primarily in Europe and the Mediterranean, but it did see some action in the Pacific. It was used to support ground troops by attacking fortified enemy positions and transportation sites. A number of variants were created during the war. The B-26 was phased out by May 1945.
Utilization at Glenn: The B-26 Marauder was the first aircraft acquired by the NACA's engine research lab in Cleveland. It arrived in January 1943, just as the new lab was beginning to operate on a full-time schedule. NACA researchers were asked to investigate the overheating of the aircraft’s Wright R-2800 engines. One series of tests examined cooling only the engine cylinders that were over-heating, rather than the entire engine. During one test flight the right engine began leaking oil requiring an emergency landing. The pilot managed to get the aircraft back to the hangar where the AERL fire crew doused the engine in CO2. The aircraft left Cleveland in October 1943.
