Hobby Master 1:72 Air Power Series Die-cast Model

Douglas B-26K (A-26) Counter Invader – AF64-646, 609th SOS, 56th SOW, USAF, Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand, 1969 (Vietnam War)

1:72 Scale.  Length: 8.25".  Wingspan: 11.75”


Limited production of approximately 800 models worldwide

On Mark Engineers was given the job to convert B-26s to the K variant. B-26K Counter Invader #AF64-646 joined the USAF on August 12, 1964 and assigned to the 1st Air Commando Wing and sent to the CIA in the Congo. In July 1967 the aircraft was assigned to the 634th Combat Support Group in Thailand and then in August the 56th Air Commando Wing, later becoming the 56th Special Operations Wing. On July 8, 1969 AF64-646 became the last B-26 lost during the Vietnam War when it hit a hillside during a strafing run.

The Douglas B-26K Counter Invader was a modified variant of the A-26 Invader, a light bomber first flown on July 10, 1942 and used in World War II. Redesignated as B-26 in 1948 the Invader served again during the Korean War from 1950-1953 and was used primarily as a night intruder against North Korean supply lines. Removed from service in 1958 the B-26 was recalled for use in 1961 and deployed to South Vietnam with the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron under Project "Farm Gate". The squadron’s mission was to train crews of the Vietnam Air Force to fly older U.S. aircraft including the B-26 and T-28. Combat duty and two decades of wear took their toll and in 1964, after two accidents, B-26s again were removed from service.

The first production flight of the extensively upgraded B-26K Counter Invader took place on May 30, 1964. The aircraft had improved engines, propellers and brakes, strengthened wings, wing tip fuel tanks and other refinements. The B-26K returned to Southeast Asia starting in 1966 and were deployed to Thailand during the Vietnam war to help disrupt enemy supplies moving along the Ho Chi Minh trail. In May 1966, B-26Ks were reassigned their old designation of A-26A. The last A-26 in active U.S. service was retired in 1972 by the U.S. Air Force.


Hobby Master is a manufacturer of high quality, pre-built, diecast models. Each model is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using specifications of the original aircraft or vehicle. They are made with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of a B-26K Counter Invader features: