The A26 tanker flown by Pete would have been very rare in the 1980s. While popular for fighting fires in the 1950s, the last US fire service contract for this model was in 1973. The A26 first saw service in 1942 and would be used either as a light bomber or in a ground attack role, eventually being fitted with up to 14 50 caliber machine guns. The plane could switch roles by an easily swappable nose assembly that either housed guns or a bubble nose with Norrden bomb site. Modifications as firefighting tankers began to take place in the 1950s. An advantage of the A26 was the excellent laminar flow of its airfoils - a wing shape that created maximum lift with minimal drag. This made it an excellent choice for ground attack roles, including as fire tankers.

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