B-24 Liberator

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The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, built by Consolidated Aircraft. It was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft of World War II and still holds the record as the most produced U.S. military aircraft. It was used by many Allied air forces and every U.S. branch of service during the war, attaining a distinguished war record with its operations in the northern European, Pacific and Mediterranean theaters.

Often compared to the better known B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 was a more modern design with a higher top speed and greater range yet it had a similar bombload and defensive armament. Nevertheless, popular opinion among aircrews and general staff tended to favor the B-17's rugged qualities above all other considerations.^[2] The B-24 was notorious among American air crews for its tendency to catch fire. The placement of the B-24's fuel tanks throughout the upper fuselage and its lightweight construction, designed both to increase range and optimize assembly line production, made the aircraft vulnerable to battle damage.^[3] The B-24 was more difficult to fly as well, with heavy control forces and poor formation flying characteristics. The B-24 nevertheless provided excellent service in a variety of roles thanks to its large payload and long range.

[edit] Development

The Liberator's origins stem from a USAAC request in 1938 for Consolidated to produce the B-17 under license as part of the "Project A" program for industrial expansion and production to supplement the manufacturing of key components of air power.^[4] After company executives including President Reuben Fleet visited the Boeing factory in Seattle, a decision was made to submit a more modern design instead.^[5] In January 1939, the United States Army Air Corps formally invited Consolidated Aircraft under Specification C-212,^[6] to submit a design study for a bomber with greater range, higher speed and greater ceiling than the B-17.

The contract for a prototype was awarded in March 1939, with the requirement that a prototype be ready before the end of the year. The design was simple in concept but advanced for its time. Compared to the B-17 Flying Fortress, the proposed Model 32 was shorter, had 25% less wing area but a six foot (1.8 m) greater wingspan and a substantially greater carrying capacity. Whereas the B-17 used 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, the Consolidated design would use twin-row, 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radials of 1000 hp (746 kW). The 70,547 lb (32,000 kg) maximum takeoff weight was one of the highest of the period. Consolidated also incorporated innovative features: the new design would be the first American bomber to use tricycle landing gear and it had long, thin wings with the efficient "Davis" high aspect ratio design promising to provide maximum fuel efficiency. The aircraft also had a distinctive twin tail and rudder assembly.

Due to the sophisticated design elements, wind tunnel testing and experimental programs utilizing an existing Consolidated Model 31, a twin-engined commercial flying boat, provided extensive data on the flight characteristics of the Davis airfoil.^[7]

Consolidated finished the prototype, by then known as the XB-24, and had it ready for its first flight two days before the end of 1939. Seven more YB-24 development aircraft flew in 1940 and Consolidated began preparing production tooling.^[8]Early orders—placed before the XB-24 had flown—included 36 for the United States Army Air Corps, 120 for the French Armée de l'Air and 164 for the RAF. Most of the first production B-24s went to Britain, including all those originally ordered by the Armée de l'Air after France collapsed in 1940. The name, "Liberator" was initially assigned to the RAF and subsequently was adopted by the USAAC as the official name for the type.^[9]

[edit] Design

The B-24's spacious slab-sided fuselage (which earned the aircraft the nickname "Flying Boxcar")^[10] was built around a central bomb bay that could accommodate up to 8000 pounds of bombs. The bomb bay was divided into front and rear compartments and further divided by a central catwalk, which was also the fuselage keel beam. A universal complaint arose from the extremely narrow catwalk. The aircraft was sometimes disparaged as "The Flying Coffin" because the only entry and exit from the bomber was in the rear and it was almost impossible for the flightcrew and nose gunner to get from the flight deck to the rear if they were wearing their parachutes. An unusual set of "roller-type" bomb bay doors retracted into the fuselage with a minimum of aerodynamic drag, keeping speed high over the target area.^[11]

Like the B-17, the B-24 had an array of .50 caliber machine guns in the tail, belly, top, sides and nose to defend it from attacking enemy fighters. Unlike the B-17, the ball turret could be retracted into the fuselage when not in use. The B-17's ball turret was fixed on the outside.

[edit] Assembly at Willow Run, USA

Many B-24 Liberators were produced by the Ford Motor Company at a purpose-built factory in Willow Run, Michigan, USA. The largest assembly line in the world (330,000 m² or 3,500,000 ft²) at the time of completion, mass production began in August 1943. At its peak the factory was completing 428 B-24s per month. Many pilots slept on cots while waiting for 'their' B-24 to roll off the assembly line.^[12]

[edit] Operational history

[edit] Deployment

The first deployment of the Liberator exploited its long-range capabilities as U.S. ferry pilots to the United Kingdom were returned home in March 1941. The LB-30A variant serving in the British Overseas Airways Corporation on trans-Atlantic transport duties soon were involved in assorted transport duties.^[13] The most indispensable role for the first batch of the Liberator GR I equipped with ASV Mark II radar was in service with RAF Coastal Command where its long range "almost doubled the reach of Britain's maritime reconnaissance force" ^[14] on anti-submarine patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic. ^[15]

Later in 1941, the first Liberator IIs entered service. This model introduced self-sealing fuel tanks and powered gun turrets. At the same time, Consolidated added a 2 ft 7 in (79 cm) plug in the forward fuselage to create more space for crew members. Liberator IIs were split between RAF Coastal Command, RAF Bomber Command and the British Overseas Airways Corporation. Two RAF squadrons subsequently were deployed to the Middle East in 1942 in the first use of the Liberator as a bomber.^[16]

At the same time, the USAAF began to take delivery of its first B-24As. Like the British, they used them as transports first. Continued development work by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines; the turbocharged engines led to the flattened oval nacelles that would distinguish all subsequent Liberator models.

The first mass-produced model, the B-24D (or Liberator III in British service) was introduced in early 1943; it had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. Three more 0.50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 machine guns brought the defensive armament up to ten machine guns. At 59,524 lb (27,000 kg) maximum takeoff weight, it was one of the heaviest aircraft in the world; only the British Lancaster and Halifax bombers were comparable.

[edit] America enters the war

American B-24s entered combat in June 1942 with a raid of 13 aircraft launched from Egypt targeting the German-built synthetic oil refinery at Ploieşti, Romania. The attack was described as "unsuccessful" by the Army and it alerted the defenders to the new threat, giving them time to bring in more defensive firepower. A year later, when 178 B-24s attacked Ploieşti again on 1 August 1943, 53 failed to return. Liberator squadrons deployed to all theaters: Africa, Europe, the Atlantic, India and the Pacific. In the Pacific, the B-24 was designated the standard heavy bomber to simplify logistics, replacing the shorter-range B-17, which had not distinguished itself there.

Liberator production increased at an astonishing rate through 1942 and 1943: Consolidated had tripled the size of its plant at San Diego and built a large new plant outside Fort Worth, Texas. More production came from Douglas in Tulsa, Oklahoma and North American was building a plant at Dallas, Texas. None of these were minor operations, but they were dwarfed by the vast new greenfield factory built by Ford at Willow Run near Detroit, which opened in August 1942. This was the largest factory in the United States, and the largest anywhere outside the USSR. Each of the B-24 factories was identified with the following production code: Consolidated / San Diego (CO), Consolidated / Ft Worth (CF), Ford / Willow Run (FO), North American (NT) and Douglas, Tulsa (DT). An interesting feature of the Willow Run plant was a large turntable two-thirds of the way along the assembly line where the B-24s would make a 90° turn before continuing to final assembly. This arrangement was to avoid having the factory building cross a county line and so be taxed by two counties. The neighboring county's taxes were higher.^[17]

In 1942, a B-24 Liberator damaged in an accident was converted into a cargo transport aircraft by elimination of the transparent nose and installation of a flat cargo floor. In April 1942, the C-87 Liberator Express transport version entered production at Fort Worth. The C-87, had a large cargo door, less powerful supercharged engines, no gun turrets, a floor in the bomb bay for freight and side windows. The navigator's position was relocated behind the pilot. Early versions were fitted with a single .50 Browning machine gun in the tail, and a few C-87s were also equipped with two .50 fixed machine guns in the nose, operable by the pilot, though these were also eventually eliminated. A more elaborate VIP transport, the C-87A, was also built in small numbers. Later, a tanker version of the Consolidated design - the C-109 - was produced, primarily for use in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater.

In 1943, the model of Liberator considered by many the "definitive" version was introduced. The B-24H was 10 inches (0.25 m) longer, had a powered gun turret in the nose to reduce vulnerability to head-on attack and was fitted with an improved bomb sight, autopilot and fuel transfer system. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford factories all manufactured the model, while the version made in Dallas by North American was designated the B-24G. All five plants switched over to the almost identical B-24J in August 1943. The later B-24L and B-24M were lighter weight versions and differed mainly in defensive weaponry.

As the war went on, the complexity of servicing the B-24 grew greater and greater. Since B-24s were made by a number of different companies, repair depots had to keep a large stock of many kinds of parts to supply various B-24 models. Fortunately, in the summer of 1944, this problem was eased when three plants stopped making B-24s, leaving only the Consolidated plant in San Diego and the Ford plant in Willow Run.

In all, 18,482 Liberators were built by September 1945. In addition to the twelve thousand that saw service with the United States Army Air Forces, the Royal Air Force flew about 2,100 aircraft in 46 bomber groups and 41 squadrons, the Royal Canadian Air Force 1,200 B-24Js, the U.S. Navy about 1,000 PB4Y-1s (and almost 800 PB4Y-2 Privateers, which were derived from the Liberator) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) 287 B-24Js, B-24Ls and B-24Ms—(Liberators were the only heavy bomber used by the RAAF in the Pacific). Two squadrons of the South African Air Force deployed in the Mediterranean flew B-24s.

[edit] Other Roles

The B-24's long operating range made it suitable for other duties including maritime patrol (known as the PB4Y in U.S. Navy service), antisubmarine, reconnaissance, tanker, cargo (where it was designated C-87 and C-109, and also developed into the Navy's R2Y) and personnel transport. Winston Churchill used one as his own transport aircraft. One of the most valuable contributions to Allied victory was the use of the B-24 in combating the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic. When the "very long range" Liberators were unleashed on the vulnerable submarines, a so-called "Atlantic Gap" was ultimately closed, allowing Britain's convoy lifeline to be maintained.^[18]

[edit] Maritime Patrol

The Liberator made a massive contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic. The decision to allocate early Liberators to RAF Coastal Command produced results immediately. The Very Long Range (VLR) Liberator closed the vital Atlantic Gap and was the only aircraft with the range to do so. The VLR sacrificed some armor and often turrets for weight whilst adding extra fuel in bomb bay tanks. Radar and the Leigh light gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and night. They were operated from both sides of the Atlantic with the RCAF to the west and the RAF from the UK and Iceland. However, B-24s remained vulnerable to attack, especially after many U-boats were armed with Flak guns and adopted a policy of staying on the surface to fight. Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot Lloyd Allan Trigg was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross following such a duel, off the coast of West Africa. Trigg's Liberator and its crew were lost, as was their foe, U-468. Trigg's VC is one of the very few awarded on the recommendation of enemy personnel, the seven U-boat crew members who survived.

Later models were more capable of surviving over occupied Europe or against Axis fighters but because of the extra weight allocated to their defense, they had a shorter range. Nothing was done to improve or replace the patrol aircraft until late in the war when the U-boat threat was waning. For twelve months, No. 120 Squadron RAF of Coastal Command, with its handful of much patched and modified early model Liberators, supplied the only air cover for convoys in the Atlantic Gap, even while shipments of B-24s to strategic bombing squadrons doubled and redoubled (no Liberators ever served with RAF Bomber Command during the war in Europe as bombers, but Bomber Command’s 100 (Bomber Support) Group 's 223 Squadron was equipped with 20 Liberators carrying electronic jamming equipment to counter enemy defences against Bomber Command operations). The sudden and decisive turning of the Battle of the Atlantic in the Allies' favor in May 1943 was the result of many factors. However, it was no accident that it coincided with the long delayed arrival of many more VLR Liberators for maritime patrol. Liberators were credited in full or part with 72 U-boat kills. In addition to very long range patrols, the B-24 was vital for patrols of a radius less than 1,000 mile (1,609 km), in both the Atlantic and in the Pacific where B-24s and PB4Y-1s took a heavy toll of Japanese shipping. A total of 977 USN PB4Y-1s were used in the Pacific Theater in VB and VPB squadrons.

See also: PB4Y Privateer

[edit] Transport

Early model Liberators were used as unarmed long-range cargo carriers. They flew between Britain and Egypt (with an extensive detour around Spain over the Atlantic) and were used in the evacuation of Java. This success led to the development of dedicated transport models, known variously as the C-87 Liberator Express, RY-2, or Liberator Cargo VII. The United States only made about 300 transports (as compared with over 18,000 other versions) but they were nevertheless the backbone of the Army Air Force’s heavy transport operation, which incorporated not only military, but also civilian airline crews from American, TWA, and United Airlines. The C-87 flew in many theaters, including much hazardous duty in flights from Labrador to Greenland and Iceland in the North Atlantic. The aircraft proved extremely vulnerable to icing conditions, and was prone to fall into a spin with even small amounts of ice collected on the Davis wing.

In the CBI theater, the C-87 was used to transport cargo and fuel over the Hump from India to China. The C-87 was not popular with either the military or the civilian transport crews assigned to fly them. The aircraft had a distressing habit of losing all cockpit electrical power on takeoff and landings, while engine power and reliability with the less-powerful superchargers often left much to be desired. Designed as a bomber intended to drop its loads while airborne, the C-87's nose gear was not designed for landing with heavy loads, and frequently collapsed from the strain. Fuel leaks from the transport's hastily-modified fuel system were a common occurrence. In his autobiography, Fate is the Hunter, author Ernest K. Gann reported, while flying cargo in India, he barely avoided crashing a severely overloaded C-87 into the Taj Mahal. As more and more Douglas C-54 transports became available for service, the C-87 was rapidly phased out of service.

The B-24 was also used heavily in the pacific after the war to transport cargo and supplies during the rebuilding of Japan, China, and the Philipines.

In addition, a large number of unmodified B-24s were pressed into transport duties. Qantas Empire Airways used Liberators on the Perth-Colombo route, at the time the longest non-stop route in the world, until they were replaced by Avro Lancastrians. A Liberator II version was refurbished as a VIP transport and used by Winston Churchill as his personal aircraft.

The U.S. Army Air Force also converted 218 B-24Ds and B-24Es into C-109 tankers. These tankers were used in all theaters but they were most heavily employed transporting fuel in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater, flying over the "Hump." C-109s flew from India, over the Himalayas, to B-29 bases in China. With all armor and military equipment removed to save weight, a C-109 could carry almost 2,905 gal (11,000 L) of fuel, over 22,000 lb (10,000 kg). However, while a combat-loaded B-24 could safely take off with room to spare from a 6000-foot runway, a loaded C-109 required every foot of such a runway to break ground, and crashes were not uncommon. With its forward fuel tank filled to capacity, the C-109 tanker version proved to be longitudinally unstable while airborne as well.

[edit] Variants and conversions

[edit] U.S. Army Air Force Variants

XB-24 (Consolidated Model 32)

Designed in 1938 as an improvement on the B-17 Flying Fortress, at the request of the Army Air Corps. It had a wing specially designed for a high aspect ratio, tricycle landing gear, and twin vertical stabilizers. The XB-24 was ordered in 1939 March, and first flew on 29 December 1939. (Total: one)

YB-24/LB-30A Preproduction prototypes

Six examples were sent to Great Britain under lend-lease, under the designation LB-30A.

B-24

Service test version of the XB-24, ordered on 27 April 1939, less than 30 days after the XB-24 was ordered, before the XB-24 design was complete. A number of minor modifications were made: elimination of leading edge slots, addition of de-icing boots. (Total: seven; only one used for actual testing)

B-24A/LB-30B

Ordered in 1939, the B-24A was the first production model. Due to the need for heavy bombers, the B-24A was ordered before any version of the B-24 flew. The main improvement over the XB-24 was improved aerodynamics, which led to better performance. Some sent to Great Britain under Lend Lease as LB-30B. (Total: 38,20 LB-30Bs, nine B-24Cs)

XB-24B

When the XB-24 failed to reach its projected top speed, the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 radials rated at 1,000 hp (746 kW) it carried were replaced with R-1830-41 turbo-supercharged radials rated at 1,200 hp (895 kW), increasing its top speed by 37 mph (59 km/h). The addition of the turbo-superchargers made the engine cowlings elliptical. The XB-24B version also lacked the engine slots of the original. (Total: one converted XB-24)

B-24C

Conversion of the B-24A using turbo-supercharged R-1830-41 engines. To hold the supercharger and the intercooler intake, the cowlings were made elliptical and the new items added on the sides. The tail gunner position was improved by adding an Emerson A-6 power turret with twin .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns; a Martin power turret was added to the forward fuselage. (Total: nine converted B-24As)

B-24D

First model produced on a large scale; ordered from 1940 to 1942, as a B-24C with better engines (R-1830-43 supercharged engines). During the production run, the tunnel gun in the belly was replaced by a remote-sited Bendix belly turret; this was later replaced by a Sperry ball turret. In late B-24Ds, 'cheek' guns were added. (Total: 2696, 2381 Consolidated, San Diego; 305 Consolidated, Fort Worth, ten Douglas, Tulsa, Oklahoma)

B-24E

A slight alteration of the B-24D built by Ford, using R-1830-65 engines. Unlike the B-24D, the B-24E retained the tunnel gun in the belly. The USAAF used the B-24E's primary as training aircraft since this model was not current in armaments and other technology as the aircraft being produced by Consolidated / San Diego (CO). Ford also built sub-assemblies for Douglas; these sub-assemblies were identical to Ford-built B-24Es, except that they used the same engines as the B-24D (R-1830-43 radials). These sub-assemblies were called PK ships and were shipped by truck from Willow Run to the final assembly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Total: 801)

XB-24F

A prototype made to test thermal de-icers, instead of the standard inflatable rubber "boots." (Total: one converted B-24D)

B-24G

Sperry ball turret, three .50 caliber- (12.7 mm) machine guns in nose. All B-24Gs were built by North American Aviation, which was contracted in 1942. (Total: 25)

• B-24G-1

  Modified Emerson A-6 tail turret in nose instead of two- three .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns in earlier models. The B-24G-1 was based on the design of the B-24H (Total: 405)

B-24H

Because of obvious vulnerability of the B-24 to head-on attack, the B-24H design made by Ford used a nose turret, generally a modified Emerson A-6 tail turret. The entire aircraft was redesigned to better fit the turret; 50 airframe changes were made, including a redesigned bombardier compartment. The tail turret was given larger windows for better visibility, the top turret a higher bubble, and the waist gunner positions were offset, to reduce their interference during battle. (Total: 3100)

B-24J

The B-24J was very similar to the B-24H, although the defensive improvements made in the B-24H were not incorporated in the B-24J. The B-24J featured an improved autopilot (type C-1) and a bombsight of the M-1 series. B-24H sub-assemblies made by Ford and constructed by other companies and any model with a C-1 or M-1 retrofit, were all designated B-24Js. (Total: 6678)

XB-24K

An experimental aircraft, made by Ford by splicing a B-23 Dragon tail empennage onto a B-24D airframe. The aircraft was more stable and had better handling than other models, but changing the B-24 design was too expensive to do at the time. However, the XB-24K was the ancestor of the Navy's PB4Y-1. (Total: one converted B-24D)

B-24L

Because of the immense weight of the B-24J, the Army pushed for a lighter version. In the B-24L, the ball turret was replaced by a floor ring mount with two .50 caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns, and the A-6B tail turret by an M-6A. In later aircraft, no tail armament was installed, and when it arrived at its airfield, either an A-6B, an M-6A, or a dual-mount manual .50-caliber (12.7 mm) gun was field-installed. (Total: 1667)

B-24M

An enhancement of the B-24L with further weight-saving devices. The B-24M used a more lightweight version of the A-6B tail turret; the waist gunner positions were left open. For better visibility, the windshield was replaced by a "knife-edge" dual pane versions. The B-24M became the last production model of the B-24; a number of the B-24s built flew only the course between the factory and the scrap heap. (Total: 2593)

XB-24N

A redesign of the B-24J, made to accommodate a single tail. It also featured improved nose and tail turrets. While 5168 B-24Ns were ordered, World War II ended and there was no longer any need for them. (Total: one)

YB-24N

Pre-production service test version of the XB-24N. (Total: seven)

XB-24P

A modified B-24D, made by Sperry Gyroscope Company to test airborne fire control systems. (Total: one converted B-24D)

XB-24Q

A General Electric conversion of the B-24L, using radar-controlled tail turrets. (Total: one converted B-24L).

XB-41

Because there were no fighters capable of escorting bomber formations on deep strike missions early in World War II, the Army authorized tests for heavily armed bombers to act as escorts for bombing missions. It was completed in 1942. The results of 1943 testing were very negative and the project was quickly cancelled. Performance changed drastically with the addition of more turrets. The escorts were also unable to keep up with bomber formations once the bombs had been dropped.
The XB-41 had 14, .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns, through the addition of a Bendix chin turret and a dorsal Martin power turret on the mid-fuselage. (Total: one converted B-24D)

AT-22 or TB-24

C-87 used for flight engineer training.

• RB-24L

  Developed for training B-29 gunners on an identical remote gun system installed on a B-24L.

  TB-24L

  As with the RB-24L, but with additional radar equipment.

C-87 Liberator Express

Passenger transports with accommodation for 20 passengers.

• C-87A

  VIP transports with R-1830-45 instead of -43 engines and sleep accommodations for 16 passengers.

  C-87B

  Projected armed transport variant with nose guns, dorsal turret, and ventral tunnel gun; never produced.

  C-87C

  U.S. Army Air Force/Air Force designation for the RY-3.

XC-109/C-109

Tankers with specialized equipment to help prevent explosions, used to ferry fuel from India to China to support initial B-29 raids against Japan.

XF-7

Photographic reconnaissance variant developed from the B-24D.

F-7

Photographic reconnaissance variant developed from the B-24H; -FO block.

F-7A

Photographic reconnaissance variant developed from the B-24J; three cameras in the nose and three in the bomb bay.

F-7B

Photographic reconnaissance variant developed from the B-24J; six cameras in the bomb bay.

[edit] U.S. Navy Nomenclature and Subvariants

PB4Y-1

B-24D with different nose turret for U.S. Navy. Designation later applied to all G, J, L and M models received by the U.S. Navy.^[20]

• PB4Y-1P

  Photographic reconnaissance variant developed from the PB4Y-1.

PB4Y-2 Privateer

See Main Article

RY-1

U.S. Navy designation for the C-87A.

RY-2

U.S. Navy designation for the C-87.

RY-3

Transport variant of the PB4Y-2.

[edit] British Nomenclature and subvariants

Liberator B Mk I

B-24A (Total: 20), used in British Coastal Patrol and Defense Squadrons.

Liberator B Mk II

The first combat ready B-24. The modifications included a three foot nose extension as well as a deeper aft fuselage and wider tailplane – there was no direct B-24 equivalent but similar to the B-24C - built to meet British specifications with British equipment and armament. A small series of B Mk IIs were reconstructed as unarmed transports, designated the LB-30 with the USAAF. (Total production: 165)

Liberator B Mk III

B-24D variant with single .303 Browning machine gun in the nose, two in each beam position, and four in a Boulton Paul tail turret similar to that on the Lancaster, as well as, other British equipment. The Martin dorsal turret was retained. (Total: 156)

• Liberator B Mk IIIA

  Lend-Lease B-24Ds with American equipment and weapons.

Liberator B Mk IV

Reserved for the B-24E, but there is no record of the RAF actually receiving any.

Liberator B Mk V

B-24D modified for extra fuel capacity at the cost or armor, with the same armament fit as the Liberator Mk III.

Liberator B Mk VI

B-24Hs in RAF service fitted with Boulton Paul tail turrets, but retaining the rest of their armament.

Liberator B Mk VIII

RAF designation for B-24Js.

Liberator GR Mk V

B-24D modified by RAF Coastal Command for the anti-submarine role with search radar and Leigh Light. Some were fitted with eight zero-length rocket launchers, four on each wing.

Liberator GR Mk VI

B-24G/H/J type used as a long-range general reconnaissance aircraft by RAF Coastal Command.

Liberator GR Mk VIII

B-24J modified by RAF Coastal Command for the anti-submarine role.

Liberator C Mk VI

Liberator B Mk VIII converted for use as a transport.

Liberator C Mk VII

British designation for C-87.

Liberator C Mk VIII

Liberator G Mk VIII converted for use as a transport.

Liberator C Mk IX

RAF designation for the RY-3/C-87C

[edit] Operators

Main article: List of B-24 Liberator operators

Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia

Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil

Image:Canadian Red Ensign 1921.svg Canada

Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Republic of China

(Chinese Nationalists - Flying Tigers)

Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Czechoslovakia

Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg Germany

As captured aircraft only. Used to train pilots in bomber attack methods.

Image:Flag of India.svg India

Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy

Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands

Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand

Image:Flag of Poland.svg Poland

Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal

Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union

Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg South Africa

Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey

Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom

Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States

Image:Flag of Romania.svg Romania

Operated one captured B-24 as a transport.

[edit] Survivors

Main article: Consolidated B-24 Survivors

A large number of surviving airframes exist both in flyable condition as well as in static display condition in museum collections worldwide.

[edit] Specifications (B-24J)

Data from Quest for Performance^[21]

General characteristics

• Crew: 7-10
• Length: 67 ft 8 in (20.6 m)
• Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.5 m)
• Height: 18 ft 0 in (5.5 m)
• Wing area: 1,048 ft² (97.4 m²)
• Empty weight: 36,500 lb (16,590 kg)
• Loaded weight: 55,000 lb (25,000 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
• Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-1830 turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (900 kW) each
• * Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0406
• Drag area: 42.54 ft² (3.95 m²)
• Aspect ratio: 11.55

Performance

• Maximum speed: 290 mph (250 knots, 470 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 215 mph (187 knots, 346 km/h)
• Stall speed: 95 mph (83 knots, 153 km/h)
• Combat radius: 2,100 mi (1,800 NM, 3,400 km)
• Ferry range: 3,700 mi (3,200 NM, 6,000 km)
• Service ceiling 28,000 ft (8,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,025 ft/min (5.2 m/s)
• Wing loading: 52.5 lb/ft² (256 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.0873 hp/lb (144 W/kg)
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.9

Armament

• Guns: 10× .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
• Bombs:
  
  • Short range (˜400 mi): 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
  • Long range (˜800 mi): 5,000 lb (2,300 kg)
  • Very long range (˜1,200 mi): 2,700 lb (1,200 kg)
  • Bombloads used in practice: Maximum Reported B-17 & B-24 Bomb Loads

[edit] Popular Culture

• Don Herbert, television pioneer "Mr. Wizard", flew 56 missions as a Liberator pilot over Northern Italy, Germany, and Yugoslavia, winning the Distinguished Flying Cross.
• American Senator and 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern served as a B-24 pilot in missions over Italy as a member of the 455th Bomb Group of the Fifteenth Air Force; his wartime exploits and some of the characteristics of the B-24 are the focus of Stephen Ambrose's book The Wild Blue.
• Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart USAF Reserve, flew B-24s as commanding officer of the 703rd BS, 445th BG out of RAF Tibenham, UK, before a promotion to operations officer of the 453rd BG. From 1943-44, Stewart flew 20 combat missions as a pilot, including one over Berlin. Stewart's leadership qualities were highly regarded; the men who served under him praised his coolness under fire. He entered service as a private in early 1941 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1945.
• Former Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, served as a B-24 bombardier in the Pacific. He recounts his experience in his book The Flying Circus: Pacific War – 1943 – as Seen Through a Bombsight.
• The book One Damned Island After Another (1946) contains the official history of the 7th Bomber Command of the Seventh Air Force. It describes B-24 operations in the Central Pacific. B-24s from the Seventh Air Force were the first B-24s to bomb the Japanese home islands.
• The story of the "Lady Be Good" inspired a 1960s television movie titled "The Sole Survivor", with a B-25 Mitchell playing the B-24D role.
• In the young adult novel Under a War-Torn Sky, the main character Henry Forester co-pilots Out of the Blue, a U.S. B-24 Liberator serving in the Royal Air Force.

[edit] References

Notes

Bibliography

[edit] External links

B-24 Aircraft

• B-24 Best Web - Image Archive and Research/Reference Center
• [2] Retrieved on 3 December 2005.
• The Collings Foundation - Last operable B-24
• The B-24 Liberator
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Encyclopedia of American Aircraft Retrieved on 13 October 2004.
• SP-468 Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft, NASA
• Consolidated B-24A page
• Consolidated B-24D page, USAF National Museum
• Warbird Alley: B-24 page - Information about B-24s still flying today
• Warbirds Resource Group U.S.A.A.F Resource Center - B-24 Liberator
• Warbird Registry - B-24 Liberator- Tracking the history of those B-24s that survived military service
• Warbird Information Exchange (WIX) - LB-30 restored to B-24A - The restoration of the CAFs' Diamond Lil to Ol' 92 B-24 "Specific" - Air Force / Bomb Group / Bomb Squadron
• B-24/PB4Y Combined Links Uniting B-24s
• Bomber Aircraft Virtual Gallery. Dayton, OH: National Museum of the USAF. Retrieved on 13 October 2004.

Naval Liberator and Privateer

• Navy Libs - Naval Liberator and Privateer Naval Variant: PB4Y-1 "Liberator" (Split Tail) / PB4Y-2 "Privateer" (Single Tail)
• VPNavy - Naval Liberator and Privateer

[edit] Related content

Related development

• B-32 Dominator
• C-87 Liberator Express
• C-109 Liberator Express
• PB4Y Privateer
• XB-41 Liberator
• Preproduction B-24
• Consolidated Liberator I
• Consolidated R2Y

Comparable aircraft

• Avro Lancaster
• B-17 Flying Fortress
• Focke-Wulf Fw 200
• Handley-Page Halifax
• Junkers Ju 290
• Petlyakov Pe-8
• Piaggio P.108B
• Short Stirling
• Vickers Windsor

Designation sequence

• Consolidated: 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35
• Pre-1948 USAAC/F:
  • Bomber: XB-21 - XB-22 - B-23 - B-24 - B-25 - B-26 - XB-27
  • Photographic Reconnaissance: F-4 - F-5 - F-6 - F-7 - F-8 - F-9 - F-11
  • Advanced Trainer: AT-19 - AT-20 - AT-21 - AT-22 - AT-23 - AT-24 - AT-25
  • Transport: - C-106 - C-107 - C-108 - XC-109 - C-110 - C-111 - C-112

• 1922-1962 Navy :
  • Patrol Bomber: PBY - PB2Y - PB3Y - PB4Y-1 - PB4Y-2
  • Patrol: PY - P2Y - P3Y - P4Y-1 - P4Y-2 - P5Y - P6Y
  • Transport: R6V - R7V - R8V - RY - R2Y - R3Y - R4Y
  • Transport: RM - RO - RQ - RR - RS - RT - RY

Related lists

• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States

See also

• H2X radar
• Operation Aphrodite

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Categories: United States bomber aircraft 1930-1939 | World War II aircraft | Consolidated aircraft | United States Coast Guard Aviation | Propeller aircraft | Multiple engine aircraft | High wing aircraft