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. 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. The bomber was intended from the outset to attack strategic targets by precision daylight bombing, penetrating deep into enemy territory by flying above the effective range of antiaircraft artillery. OPTIONAL: Maximum internal bombload of 7,983 kg (17,600 lb). For its actions on the Ploieti mission, the 44th was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. The USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. Early Royal Air Force (RAF) Liberators were the first aircraft to routinely cross the Atlantic Ocean. 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. At Ford's Ypsilanti, Michigan based Willow Run Bomber plant alone, one B-24 was being produced every 59 minutes at its peak, a rate so large that production exceeded the military's ability to use the aircraft. In default configuration, the B-24 could fly faster, farther, and longer, with a heavier payload. Wind tunnel testing and experimental programs using an existing Consolidated Model 31 provided extensive data on the flight characteristics of the Davis airfoil. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. Liberators were also used as anti-submarine patrol aircraft by RAF Coastal Command. When the RAF purchased the first six YB-24 aircraft, the serial numbers were reassigned to an early batch of B-24D funded by the deferment. In his autobiography, Fate is the Hunter, the writer Ernest K. Gann reported that, while flying air cargo in India, he barely avoided crashing an improperly loaded C-87 into the Taj Mahal. [13] The 44th Bomb Group flew the first of its 344 combat missions against the Axis powers in World War II on 7 November 1942. Engines: Four Wright "Cyclone" R-1820s of 1,200 hp. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. Such were the production numbers it has been said that more aluminum, aircrew, and effort went into the B-24 than any other aircraft in history.[45]. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. 540 ft/min [Diff.-49,460 feet] Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress RoC (ft) 50,000 540 540. The B-17 was designed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps specification that called for a four-engined bomber at a time when two engines were the norm. The relatively thick wing held the promise of increased tankage while delivering increased lift and speed, but it became unpleasant to fly when committed to heavier loadings as experienced at high altitude and in bad weather. The B-24's spacious, slab-sided fuselage (which earned the aircraft the nickname "Flying Boxcar")[13] was built around two central bomb bays that could accommodate up to 8,000 pounds (3,600kg) of ordnance in each compartment (but rarely did, as this decreased range and altitude). It's crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down. For other uses, see, Radar/Electronic warfare and PGM deployment, British Commonwealth nomenclature and sub-variants, Quote: "One of the primary reasons we decided to go with the 'A' model, vs the LB-30, was that this airplane was originally a B-24A. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. The Liberators made a significant contribution to Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats. They also bombed German oil refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Allies Mediterranean campaign. Post was the only reporter assigned to a B-24-equipped group, the 44th Bomb Group. The C-87 had a large cargo floor, less powerful supercharged engines, no gun turrets, a floor in the bomb bay for freight, and some side windows. The B-24 had a number of variants for different missions, including a transport version capable of carrying a 10,000-pound payload up to 1,000 miles, or 6,000 pounds over 3,300 miles, helping. RAF Liberators were also operated as bombers from India by SEAC and would have been a part of Tiger Force if the war had continued. Both BOAC and the RAF used converted Liberator IIs as unarmed long-range cargo carriers. The new design would be the first American heavy bomber in production to use tricycle landing gear the North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber's predecessor, the NA-40 introduced this feature in January 1939 with the Consolidated Model 32 having long, thin wings with the efficient "Davis" high aspect ratio design (also used on the projected Model 31 twin-engined commercial flying boat)[17] promising to provide maximum fuel efficiency. The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! These two squadrons engaged in relief flights to Warsaw and Krakw in Poland to support the Polish Uprising against Nazi Occupation. Fuel leaks inside the crew compartment from the hastily modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence. Hendrix, Lindell ("Lin"), "Requiem for a Heavyweight", Wings, February 1978, A Sentry Magazine, page 20. 223 Squadron RAF, one of Bomber Command's 100 (Bomber Support) Group squadrons, used 20 Liberator VIs to carry electronic jamming equipment to counter German radar. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. The B-17s actually delivered more bombs to the target than B-24s. Only 218 C-109s were actually converted. These narrow B-24 wings gave the plane speed and endurance but also vulnerability to damage. [citation needed] The most important role, however, for the first batch of the Liberator GR Is was in service with RAF Coastal Command on anti-submarine patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic. [48] By 1945, Ford made 70% of all B-24s in two nine-hour shifts. [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. These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. [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. These type of doors created a minimum of aerodynamic drag to keep speed high over the target area; they also allowed the bomb bays to be opened while on the ground since the low ground clearance prevented the use of normal bomb bay doors. The gradual arrival of many more VLR and in October, PB4Y navalized Liberators for anti-submarine missions over the Mid-Atlantic gap ("black pit") and the Bay of Biscay was an important contribution to the Allies' greater success. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. Following incidents when flare guns were accidentally discharged inside the rear fuselage, some assembly (formation) ships had pyrotechnic guns fixed through the fuselage sides. [47] Bell Aircraft built the B-24 under license at a factory near Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. Early model Liberators were fitted with a top-mounted turret, a tail turret and single machine guns located in the waist and in the glazed nose. The B-17 and the B-24 inevitably invited comparison. [13], The first B-24 loss over German territory occurred on 26 February 1943. [40], Two squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF) also flew B-24s: 31 and 34 Squadrons under No 2 Wing SAAF based at Foggia, Italy. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. The XC-87B also designated a resurrected crash victim B-24D (42-40355) fitted with low altitude power packages and a forward fuselage extension. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". The B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect ratio Davis wing. "Warplane Classic: Consolidated B-24 Liberator: Part 1". Hendrix figured that Germans understood it was easier to hit, and that it carried more bombs. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. [15] The occasional need during a mission for crewmen to move from fore to aft within the B-24's fuselage over the narrow catwalk was a drawback shared with other bomber designs. And that was even if the US had bases nearby! The first aircrews chosen for this operation came from the anti-submarine bomb groups because of their special training in low altitude flying and pinpoint navigation skills. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36. Consolidated incorporated innovative features such as a tricycle landing gear and Davis wing. Kane and Johnson survived the mission but three other recipients of the Medal of Honor for their actions in the missionLt. The low-altitude, nighttime operation was extremely dangerous and took its toll on these airmen. Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch . The Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944. Liberators were equipped with ASV Mk. [24][25], For 12 months, No. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000lb (3600kg) of bombs. The success of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. By the end of World War II, the technological breakthroughs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and other modern types had surpassed the bombers that served from the start of the war. Conceived in 1938 by Consolidated Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin legacy company, the original B-24 prototype was designed to fly faster and carry a larger payload than the US Army Air Corpss B-17 Flying Fortress. pp. Liberators were credited in full or in part with sinking 93 U-boats. The bomber had disintegrated. Approximately 18,500 B-24s were produced across a number of versions, including over 4,600 manufactured by Ford. Indigenous Fort Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627. Post and all but two of the 11 men aboard were killed. When this mission was completed, it was recorded that 822,791 US gallons (3,114,264L) of 80 octane gasoline had been delivered to three different airfields in France and Belgium.[35]. Thousands of B-24s flying from bases in Europe dropped hundreds of thousands of tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on German military and industrial targets. Earlier in the war, both the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force had abandoned daylight bombing raids because neither could sustain the losses suffered. The Liberators were later replaced by Avro Lancastrians. This role was dangerous, especially after many U-boats were armed with extra anti-aircraft guns, some adopting the policy of staying on the surface to fight, rather than submerging and risking being sunk by aerial weapons such as rockets, gunfire, torpedoes and depth charges from the bombers. [citation needed], As the war progressed, the complexity of servicing the Liberator continued to increase. About 48 B-24Ms were provided by the U.S. to the Chinese Nationalist Air Force after WW2 and were used during the Chinese Civil War. A consequence of the British orders went beyond requests for specific modifications: as the RAF accepted some designs while rejecting others, American production was to some extent re-directed along specific lines that accorded with British doctrine, the B-24's capacious bomb bay and ability to carry 8,000lb ordnance a case in point.[9]. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. The aircraft used in the first allocation were B-24Ds retired by the 44th, 93rd and 389th Groups. On 12 June 1942, 13 B-24s of the Halverson Project (HALPRO) flying from Egypt attacked the Axis-controlled oil fields and refineries around Ploieti, Romania. All but the last turret were power-operated, and each mounted a pair of 0.50-calibre (12.7-mm) machine guns. The US policy at the time, despite neutrality, was that American requirements could be deferred while its Allies could immediately put US production into the war effort. Omissions? On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. The conversion had a hinged cargo door at the nose eliminating transparent nose and large cargo doors installed in the waist area. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. The B-24 was used extensively in World War II where it served in every branch of the American armed forces, as well as several Allied air forces and navies. . 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. The planes service ceiling of 25,000 to 35,000 feet (7,500 to 10,500 metres), depending on the bomb load, put it above the worst of the German antiaircraft artillery, but, firepower notwithstanding, formations of B-17s proved unable to fight their way unescorted to targets deep inside Germany in the face of determined fighter opposition without incurring excessive losses. Up to four crew members could be located in the waist, operating waist guns, a retractable lower ball turret gun, and a tail gun turret matching the nose turret. By the end of the conflict, over 18,500 B-24s had been constructed making it the . 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. In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. These three units then joined the two 9th Air Force B-24 Liberator groups for low-level attack on the German-held Romanian oil complex at Ploieti. # 3 ( permalink) 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]. [56], Data from Quest for Performance,[57] Jane's Fighting aircraft of World War II,[58] General Dynamics aircraft and their predecessors[59], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. Job, Macarthur. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Byrne, John A., The Whiz Kids: The Founding Fathers of American Business and the Legacy They Left Us, Currency Doubleday, Page 50. It is limited structurally by maximum zero fuel weight ( M Z F W) of the aircraft. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. All armament and armor were removed and in some cases the tail turret. From August 1943 until the end of the war in Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions. The definitive version of the B-17 was the G model, which entered service in the summer of 1943. It proved to be quite vulnerable to icing conditions, and was prone to fall into a spin with even small amounts of ice accumulated onto its Davis wing. Consolidated finished the prototype and had it ready for its first flight two days before the end of 1939. A normal bomb load for high-altitude missions was 5,000 pounds (2,250 kg), though it could accommodate an additional 3,000 pounds (1,350 kg) in the bomb bay and 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) on external racks beneath the wings for short-range missions. Radar Counter Measures (RCM) was code-named CARPET, however, this should not be confused with agent and supply drops, code-named "Carpetbaggers". [18], Early orders, placed before the XB-24 had flown, included 36 for the USAAC, 120 for the French Air Force and 164 for the Royal Air Force (RAF). This was the B-24's most costly mission. Post and five other reporters of The New York Times were granted permission. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Because of this, Boeing began to work on pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the B-17. Helicopter widths include main rotor diameter. The B-24D initially featured upper, belly and tail turrets, plus swiveling single guns in the waist and on either side of the nose. If any dimensional values are "NA" in the database then the presented shapes may appear skewed. The payloads for the B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. Several storage tanks were added, allowing a C-109 to carry 2,900gal (11,000L) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds (10,000kg). A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. A heavily loaded B-24 was difficult to fly at speeds of less than 160mph (260 km/h). The name "Liberator" was originally given to it by the RAF, and subsequently adopted by the USAAF as the official name for the Model 24. NOTES: Shapes below depict aircraft from wingtip-to-wingtip / nose-to-tail assuming aircraft are being viewed from overhead perspective (the nose pointing towards the top of the screen). It was used on penetration missions in RAF bomber streams at night in Luftwaffe markings. The Liberator originated from a United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) request in 1938 for Consolidated to produce the B-17 under license. Later versions started at 60,000lbs and by the end of the war, using special flying techniques that had been developed they were being flown at up to 67,000lbs. As early as 1942, it was recognized that the Liberator's handling and stability could be improved by the use of a single vertical fin. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. You can always go back and, Four-Engined Strategic Heavy Bomber Aircraft. Intercepted just short of the target, the B-24 came under attack from JG1's Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. This model introduced self-sealing fuel tanks, a 2ft 7in (79cm) plug in the forward fuselage to create more space for crew members and, more vitally, ever more equipment such as ASV Mark II radar (anticipated early in the Liberator's development when Reuben Fleet told the engineering team he had a gut feeling the nose was too short). 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. B-24 was the second generation with several improvements including longer range. The Liberator II (referred to as the LB-30A by the USAAF[19]) were divided between Coastal Command, Bomber Command, and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). D models were fitted with the USAAF transferred some aircraft to fly in formation retractable ball... The waist area World War II, production of the page across the! 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