Witness the Restoration of the Historic WWII Aircraft A-26 Invader

A Piece of History Reborn

During World War II, the United States focused on building aircraft faster than ever before, with production reaching more than 50,000 planes a year. Among those designs was the Douglas A-26 Invader, developed as a successor to the A-20. If the war had continued, the A-26 may have become the country’s main light bomber.

The aircraft was fast, versatile, and heavily armed. Built for speed and efficiency, thousands of workers filled the assembly lines in the 1940s. But rebuilding one today is a much harder task. That’s exactly what a group in Provo, Utah, has been doing—bringing an A-26 back to life from nearly nothing.

Years of Dedication and Hard Work

Volunteers like Jan Franc and Bob Schroeder started work on the aircraft 14 years ago. The plane arrived in pieces, hauled on five flatbed trailers. The wings, tail, and engines were all missing. They had to sort through parts, clean every surface, and wire every line. Bob joked about how much safety wire was needed throughout the aircraft.

The restoration took place in a hangar, with a small but determined team giving their time and effort. It wasn’t easy. Every part led to another step, which brought even more challenges. One of the crew members said you don’t build a plane once—you build it several times.

More Than Just an Airplane

The aircraft has been named “High Maintenance,” a fitting title given the long and detailed process. The controls are now connected, and final details are being wrapped up. As the 80th anniversary of its first flight nears, the team hopes to fly it again soon.

Keep going for the video below: