44-34313

The aircraft now flying as N4313 “Sweet Eloise II” was built by Douglas at Long Beach, California, in 1945, as an A-26B-50-DL, construction number 27592. Delivered to the USAAF on 9 April 1945, it arrived too late for combat in the Second World War and was placed in storage.

With the outbreak of the Korean War, the aircraft was returned to service and converted to A-26C/B-26C configuration, including its distinctive glass bombardier’s nose. It served with the 730th Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Wing, operating from Pusan, South Korea. Squadron commander Charles H. Howe used the aircraft as his personal machine and named it “Sweet Eloise” after his wife.

During approximately two years of Korean War service, the Invader reportedly accumulated close to 1,900 combat hours, flying interdiction missions against enemy supply centres, roads, railways and other targets.

From Bomber to Fire Bomber

After its military career, 44-34313 was sold as surplus in 1957 and registered N5457V. It entered civilian service and was initially modified for cloud-seeding work before being converted into an aerial firefighting aircraft in 1960, operating as Tanker 27. It later moved to Canada as C-GHLK, where it continued its career as a water bomber.

The aircraft eventually passed through museum and private ownership. It was operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage from 1990 to 1999 before returning to the United States and becoming N119DR. In 2011, it was acquired by Steve Penning and Phil Gattuso of Black Crow Aviation, registered N4313, and moved to Santa Rosa, California

Restoration and Return to Flight

A major restoration followed, taking approximately seven years. The work returned the aircraft to its 1951–52 Korean War configuration, including the markings associated with its combat career. Although originally built as an A-26B, the aircraft’s conversion to the glass-nosed A-26C configuration is an important part of its individual history.

The restoration was completed in 2018, and N4313 returned to the air wearing the markings 434313 / BC-313 / “A” and the name “Sweet Eloise II.” It subsequently appeared at U.S. airshows, allowing audiences to see an authentic Korean War-era Invader in flight once again

A New Chapter in Europe

In 2022, the aircraft was sold to a new owner in Poland and ferried across the Atlantic. Registered NL4313 at the time, it made its European airshow debut at the Antidotum Airshow Leszno in June 2022. The arrival marked the beginning of a new chapter for one of the world’s best-known flying Invaders.

The aircraft has since become a regular presence on the European airshow circuit. Today, flying as N4313, Sweet Eloise II continues to carry the markings of its Korean War service, preserving the story of an aircraft that has served in combat, survived decades as a civilian fire bomber and ultimately returned to the skies as a flying warbird.