The Martin B-26 Marauder
occupies a controversial
place on the bookshelf of
some enthusiasts and historians.
In its early iterations, the
Marauder exhibited traits that
were sometimes hazardous to
neophyte bomber pilots. Some
wags called the B-26 the Separator,
because its handling idiosyncrasies
separated the men
from the boys. Yet, as all too
often happens, the negative stories
have lingered long after the
B-26 evolved into a viable
weapon in the arsenal of the
Army Air Forces. By late 1943,
stories of crews deplaning from
a Marauder and checking the
sides of the fuselage for silver
casket handles were couched in
the past tense.