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the B-26's, Gaines allowed that the AD-5 did have good range and combat load characteristics, but he went on to state: I personally preferred the B-26 all along, because it had a "come-home" engine ••• twin engines. The AD-5 was sort of a protege of some of the other people in the Air Section who thought that we should try it because of its range and combat load. I was more interested in deniability and, of course, the safety factor of the second. engine. 55/ Along the same line, Gaines also noted that: Jake [Esterline] had some would-be pilots on his staff who were trying to tell him how we should employ our air- craft. This caused more friction than it did help. We knew what we could do with the aircraft and we didn't need any Monday morning quarterback telling us how far we could fly B-26's, and still get home. Because we are going to be sitting in them, we want to make damn sure we get home! 56/ Like Col. Gaines, Gar Thorsrud, who actually directed the air strikes against Cuba out of the TIDE base, was unequivocal in his support of the B-26, saying: I thinR the B-26 was the best aircraft. with the firepower and the wing-loading of that aircraft ••• there were some questions later in the game ..• why didn't you have a tail gun? a tail-turret? Well, that went out years ago as far as a tail- turret on those aircraft. It might have saved someone later in the opera~ion, but I think everything should be looked at from the way it was originally planned and changed. 57/ - 45 -