The maximum take-off weight was slightly raised to 64,250 pounds, the maximum altitude lifted from 21,200 to 24,000 feet but the maximum speed was reduced to 263mph, largely as a result of increased drag.[9]. The aircraft demonstrated unstable flight characteristics with all storage tanks filled, and proved very difficult to land fully loaded at airfields above 6,000ft (1,800m) MSL in elevation, such as those around Chengdu. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36. Initially, these aircraft were to be given USAAC serials 39681 to 39-687. In addition, the 36th BS flew night missions with the RAF Bomber Command 100 Group at RAF Sculthorpe. The sudden and decisive turning of the Battle of the Atlantic in favor of the Allies in May 1943 was the result of many factors. The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. Navy PB4Y-1s assigned to Atlantic ASW and all Coast Guard PB4Y-1s had the ventral turret replaced by a retractable radome. The Davis wing made the B-24 sensitive to weight distribution. The program was run under the umbrella group, "Project A", an Air Corps requirement for an intercontinental bomber that had been conceived in the mid-1930s. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Later modifications gave it a single tail and yet another type of engine packages bring it to near C-87C configuration. The basic element of a typical formation was a squadron box of 9 or 12 aircraft; three squadron boxes staggered vertically and horizontally formed a group, and three groups in trail formed a combat wing. By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. At an altitude of 900 metres there was a tremendous explosion. It entered US service in early 1942. Designed to help the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies to create a resilient multi-domain network. At 59,524 pounds (27,000kg)[dubious discuss] (29.76 short tons) maximum takeoff weight, it was one of the heaviest aircraft in the world; comparable with the British "heavies", with fully loaded weights of 30 short tons for (and nearly identical to) the Stirling, the 34 short ton Lancaster and the 27 short ton Halifax. I: Plans & Early Operations, January 1939 to August 1942, Consolidated B-24D page, USAF National Museum, WWII photos of the 7th AAF Heavy Bombardment Group Liberators, SP-468 Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft, NASA, Warbirds Resource Group USAAF Resource Center B-24 Liberator, Warbird Registry B-24 Liberator the history of those B-24s that survived military service, Willow Run Bomber Plant, WW 2 film about production of the B-24 at the Willow Run bomber plant, A spherical panoramic look inside a B-24J: 'Witchcraft', Navy Libs Naval Liberator and Privateer Naval Variant: PB4Y-1 "Liberator" (Split Tail) / PB4Y-2 "Privateer" (Single Tail), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Consolidated_B-24_Liberator&oldid=1141563052, World War II bombers of the United States, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from May 2015, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2011, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected from banned users, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016, Articles needing additional references from December 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015, Articles needing additional references from May 2015, Articles with disputed statements from April 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2009, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Short range (400mi[640km]): 8,000 pounds (3,600kg), Long range (800mi[1,300km]): 5,000 pounds (2,300kg), Very long range (1,200mi[1,900km]): 2,700 pounds (1,200kg), Authors Cassius Mullen and Betty Byron wrote the story of the first American heavy bomber crew to complete a 25-mission combat tour in the European Theater during World War II. Robert B. It holds records as the world's most-produced bomber, heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history. Your selected aircraft are compared in side-by-side arrangement below. [37] Many C-109s were lost in flying the Hump airlift to China. The B-24N was intended as a major production variant featuring a single tail. Post and all but two of the 11 men aboard were killed. Some RAAF aircrew were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons. Rendered obsolete by the larger and more powerful B-29 Superfortress, the B-17 served on after the war in small numbers as a search-and-rescue aircraft modified to drop life rafts by parachute. Because of their special skills, they were called upon to fly fuel to General George Patton's army during the summer and early autumn of 1944 when it outran its fuel supply. 'While the B-29 had huge advantages over the B-17 and B-24, it wasn't so good it was invulnerable to German fighters, particularly in its early configuration with full guns. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range, higher capacity counterpart to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Although only 287 C-87 and eight U.S. Navy RY variants were produced, they were still important in the Army Air Forces' airlift operations early in the war when aircraft with high-altitude, long-range heavy hauling abilities were in short supply. Consolidated Aircraft tripled the size of its plant in San Diego and built a large new plant outside Fort Worth, Texas in order to receive the massive amounts of knock-down kits that the Ford Motor Company shipped via truck from its Ypsilanti Michigan Facility. From August 1943 until the end of the war in Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions. [49] Up into December 1944, Ford had also produced an additional 7242 KD or 'Knock Down' Kits that would be trucked to and assembled by Consolidated in Ft. Worth and Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa. "[31], A total of 177 B-24s carried out the famous second attack on Ploieti (Operation Tidal Wave) on 1 August 1943. It could manage an altitude of no more than 25,000ft (7600m), three or four thousand feet less than a B-17, but it flew 10-15mph (16-24 km/h) faster. [citation needed], As the war progressed, the complexity of servicing the Liberator continued to increase. The Lib's gracefully tapered 100-foot Davis airfoil wing (compared to the B-17's 103-foot-span barn door of a wing) made the difference. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. Also like the B-17, it carried the Norden bombsight. The defensive armament of the B-24 varied from transport variants, which were usually unarmed, to bombers armed with up to ten .50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns located in turrets and waist gun positions. This unit then was formalized as the 376th Bombardment Group, Heavy, and along with the 98th BG formed the nucleus of the IX Bomber Command of the Ninth Air Force, operating from Africa until absorbed into the Twelfth Air Force briefly, and then the Fifteenth Air Force, operating from Italy. Production of B-24s increased at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943. However, all Liberators were produced with twin oval fins, with the exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft. # 3 ( permalink) Alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Flying Fortress, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus. Other C-87 designations were the U.S. Navy designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator Cargo VII. MEMORANDUM REPORT ON Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No. While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. The introduction of Very Long Range (VLR) Liberators vastly increased the reach of the UK's maritime reconnaissance force, closing the Mid Atlantic Gap where a lack of air cover had allowed U-boats to operate without risk of aerial attack. The U.S. Navy received 977 PB4Y-1s (Liberators originally ordered by the USAAF) and 739 PB4Y-2 Privateers, derived from the B-24. It used differential braking and differential thrust for ground steering, which made taxiing difficult.[16]. And then, suddenly, the whole wing broke off. Post and five other reporters of The New York Times were granted permission. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation. In 1943, the model of Liberator considered by many the "definitive" version was introduced. US-based Liberators entered combat service in 1942 when on 6 June, four LB-30s from Hawaii staging through Midway Island attempted an attack on Wake Island, but were unable to find it. B-17 data. Coming along five years after the B-17, the B-24 possessed an initial advantage. Compared to the B-17, the proposed Model 32 had a shorter fuselage and 25% less wing area, but had a 6ft (1.8m) greater wingspan and a substantially larger carrying capacity, as well as a distinctive twin tail. Hendrix did not permit smoking on his B-24, even though he was a smoker. Failing to do this meant that the B-24 flew slightly nose high, and it used more fuel. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. 'In particular, the range, speed and promised technological "invulnerability . ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. The B17 was a sedate aircraft and placed fewer demands on the flight deck crew. In the event, the need to keep such tight defensive formations over Europe compromised the accuracy of the Norden bombsight, since individual bomb runs were not possible without breaking the formation. A total of 287 B-24D, B-24J, B-24L and B-24M aircraft were supplied to the RAAF, of which 33 were lost in action or accidents, with more than 200 Australians killed. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. The VLR Liberators sacrificed some armor and often gun turrets to save weight, while carrying extra aviation gasoline in their bomb-bay tanks. After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. The U.S. Army Air Corps awarded a contract for the prototype XB-24 in March 1939, with the requirement that one example should be ready before the end of the year. Liberators were also used as anti-submarine patrol aircraft by RAF Coastal Command. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. A 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb load was typical for long missions, though the B-17 could carry up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) internally for shorter distances at lower altitudes and even more on external racks beneath the wings. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. The design MTOW for a B-24D was initially set at 56,000lbs. Two were shot up by Japanese fighters, but both managed to land safely. Its lower altitude made it more vulnerable to flak. The navigator's position was relocated behind the pilot. [44] Production took place at 5 plants. Though produced in smaller numbers than its partner the B-24 Liberator, the B-17, with superior high-altitude performance and greater resistance to battle damage, was the mainstay of the strategic bombing campaign. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). B-24 bombers were also extensively used in the Pacific area after the end of World War II to transport cargo and supplies during the rebuilding of Japan, China, and the Philippines. 37 to Bremen, Germany. The Liberator carried a crew of up to ten. The later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament. The C-87A was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Additionally, the Liberator equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles. 120 Squadron RAF of Coastal Command with its handful of worn and modified early model Liberators supplied the only air cover for convoys in the Atlantic Gap, the Liberator being the only airplane with sufficient range. As soon as more dependable Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando transports became available in large numbers, C-87s were rapidly phased out of combat zone service, with some later used as VIP transports or B-24 flight crew trainers. The specification was written such that the Model 32 would automatically be the winning design. ". Liberators were the only heavy bomber flown by the RAAF in the Pacific. [28] The B-24 was vital for missions of a radius less than 1,000mi (1,600km), in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters where U.S. Navy PB4Y-1s and USAAF SB-24s took a heavy toll of enemy submarines and surface combatants and shipping. The single fin was tested by Ford on a single B-24ST variant and an experimental XB-24K: it was found to improve handling. The first Liberators in British service were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to Liberator GR Is (USAAF designation: LB-30A). Autry, Gene with Herskowitz, Mickey. Flying mainly from bases in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, aircraft conducted bombing raids against Japanese positions, ships and strategic targets in New Guinea, Borneo and the Netherlands East Indies. They also flew C-47s, Douglas A-26 Invaders, and British de Havilland Mosquitos. Over the next three years, B-24 squadrons deployed to all theaters of the war: African, European, China-Burma-India, the Anti-submarine Campaign, the Southwest Pacific Theater and the Pacific Theater. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. A B-24 could reach 290 miles per hour and carry a 5,000-pound bomb load for 1,700 miles, giving it a longer range, greater speed, and a bigger payload than its B-17 cousin." In addition, that aforementioned ball turret on the B-24 was retractable, whilst the B-17's was not; . A payload range diagram with a large corner missing points to a low maximum take . In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. Hendrix claimed that a lightly loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning. (Later versions were fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret.) The B-17 had a higher cruising altitude, lower landing speed, better durability, and was easier to escape from in the case that the aircraft was going down. [citation needed] A new government plant was built in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Reconstruction Finance Corporation funds and leased to Douglas Aircraft for assembly of B-24s from Ford parts;[46] Douglas ultimately built a total of 962 of the D, E, H, and J models there. The 36th Bombardment Squadron was the Eighth Air Force's only electronic warfare squadron using specially equipped B-24s to jam German VHF communications during large Eighth Air Force daylight raids. In late June 1943, the three B-24 Liberator groups of the 8th Air Force were sent to North Africa on temporary duty with the 9th Air Force:[13] the 44th Bomb Group joined the 93rd and the 389th Bomb Groups. Whereas the B-17 used 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, the Consolidated design used twin-row, 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" radials of 1,000hp (750kW). Our Multi-Domain Operations/Joint All-Domain Operations solutions provide a complete picture of the battlespace and empowers warfighters to quickly make decisions that drive action. The design MTOW for a B-24D was initially set at 56,000lbs the flattened oval shape of the and. Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No the RAF bomber Command 100 Group at RAF Sculthorpe to! His B-24, even though he was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity United. Were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to Liberator GR Is ( USAAF designation: LB-30A ) to save weight, North. 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