| Flak-Bait | |
|---|---|
 Flak-Bait atAndrews Field,England, 1945 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Martin B-26 Marauder |
| Manufacturer | Glenn L. Martin Company |
| Owners | United States Army Air Force (USAAF) |
| Serial | 41-31773 |
| Radio code | PN-O |
| History | |
| First flight | April 1943 |
| In service | April 1943 to December 1946 |
| Preserved at | Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center,Chantilly,Virginia |
| Fate | Museum display; currently undergoing restoration and conservation work |
Flak-Bait is theMartin B-26 Marauder aircraft which holds the record within theUnited States Army Air Forces for the number of bombing missions survived duringWorld War II. Manufactured inBaltimore, Maryland, as a B-26B-25-MA, byMartin, it was completed in April 1943, accepted by the United States Army Air Forces, and christenedFlak-Bait by its first assigned pilot, James J. Farrell, who adapted the nickname of a family dog, "Flea Bait".Flak-Bait was assigned to the449th Bombardment Squadron,322d Bombardment Group stationed in easternEngland.[1][2]
During the course of its 202 (207 including its five decoy missions[2]) bombing missions overGermany as well as theNetherlands,Belgium, andFrance,Flak-Bait lived up to its name by being shot with over 1,000 holes, returned twice on one engine (once with the disabled engine on fire), and lost itselectrical system once and itshydraulic system twice. Despite the level of damage it received, none ofFlak-Bait's crew was killed during the war and only one was injured. Over two years of operations,Flak-Bait accumulated 725 hours of combat time and participating in bombing missions in support of theNormandy Landings, theBattle of the Bulge, andOperation Crossbow againstV-1 flying bomb sites.[1][2][3]
A series of red-colored bombs is painted on the side of the aircraft, each representing an individual mission (202 bombs in total). White tails painted on the bombs represented every fifth mission. There is one black-colored bomb which represents a night mission. In addition to the bombs, there are also six red ducks painted on the aircraft representing decoy missions. There is also a detailedNaziswastika painted above a bomb to representFlak-Bait's only confirmed kill against a German aircraft.[4]
On March 18, 1946, Major John Egan and Captain Norman Schloesser flewFlak-Bait for the last time, to an air depot atOberpfaffenhofen,Bavaria. There, the famed bomber was disassembled, crated, and shipped in December 1946 to aDouglas Aircraft factory inPark Ridge, Illinois.[5]
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When theNational Air and Space Museum opened inWashington, D.C., in 1976, the nose section ofFlak-Bait was placed on display there, with the remainder of the aircraft in storage at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility inSilver Hill, Maryland. In 2014, all parts ofFlak-Bait were moved to the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center inChantilly,Virginia, for a comprehensive preservation and reassembly, which is ongoing as of mid 2025.[6][7]