By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. 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. The Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944. A fully navalized design was seen as advantageous, and Consolidated Aircraft developed a purpose-built long-range patrol bomber in 1943, designated PB4Y-2. On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Liberators assigned to the RAF's Coastal Command in 1941, offensively to patrol against submarines in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, produced immediate results. The C-87 flew in many theaters of war, including much hazardous duty in flights from Labrador to Greenland and Iceland in the North Atlantic. 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. Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. Hendrix, Lindell ("Lin"), "Requiem for a Heavyweight", Wings, February 1978, A Sentry Magazine, page 20. 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). [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). The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. BY ba97 - Sat May 15, 2004 9:04 pm. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. The B-24H saw the replacement of the glazed 'green house' nose with a nose turret, which reduced the B-24s vulnerability to head-on attacks. The Americans persisted, however, at great cost in men and aircraft. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). Lloyd H. Hughes, Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action. First flown on 29 December 1939, the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation's B-24 Liberator came along more than four years after the famous and popular Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and showed somewhat improved range and payload capabilities over the Fortress.Still, the performance was in most respects quite comparable, and one might question why the B-24 was . Long-range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was operated by a crew of 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners. In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. The Norden consisted of a gyroscopically stabilized telescopic sight coupled to an electromechanical computer into which the bombardier fed inputs for altitude, atmospheric conditions, air speed, ground speed, and drift. After company executives including President Reuben Fleet visited the Boeing factory in Seattle, Washington, Consolidated decided instead to submit a more modern design of its own.[5]. However, all Liberators were produced with twin oval fins, with the exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft. It was used on penetration missions in RAF bomber streams at night in Luftwaffe markings. Cost: $276,000 Serial Number: 42-32076 PERFORMANCE Maximum speed: 300 mph. Among the specialized squadrons were the 20th RS (RCM), 36th BS (RCM), 406th NLS, 63rd BS (SB) SeaHawks, 373rdBS (LAB) and 868th BS (SB) Snoopers. Dorr, Robert F. and Jon Lake. The Davis wing was also more susceptible to ice formation than contemporary designs, causing distortions of the aerofoil section and resulting in the loss of lift, with unpleasant experiences drawing such comments as, "The Davis wing won't hold enough ice to chill your drink". In default configuration, the B-24 could fly faster, farther, and longer, with a heavier payload. 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]. Armament: Thirteen .50-cal. After it was discovered that these problems could be alleviated by flying with the forward storage tank empty, this practice became fairly routine, enhancing aircrew safety at the cost of some fuel-carrying capacity. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. Other C-87 designations were the U.S. Navy designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator Cargo VII. 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). Reply. Consequently, it was relatively easy for a poorly trained ground crew to load a C-87 with its center of gravity too far forward or aft, rendering the aircraft difficult to control due to inadequate or excessive longitudinal stability. We develop laser weapon systems, radio frequency and other directed energy technologies for air, ground and sea platforms to provide an affordable countermeasure alternative. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. B-24s leaked fuel. Autry, Gene with Herskowitz, Mickey. . After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. The B-17s actually delivered more bombs to the target than B-24s. In January 1939, the USAAC, under Specification C-212, formally invited Consolidated[7] to submit a design study for a bomber with longer range, higher speed and greater ceiling than the B-17. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. 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. Eighty minutes into their flight, German fighters swooped in, taking their toll on the B-24 squadrons. Design and Development - Early B-24's 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. 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal). Early versions proved to be more vulnerable to fighter attack than anticipated, but, by the time the B-17E version began to go into service shortly before the United States entered the war in 1941, the plane was equipped with turrets in the upper fuselage, belly, and tail. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. The success of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. Approximately 18,500 B-24s were produced across a number of versions, including over 4,600 manufactured by Ford. The Lib had a larger bomb bay and a somewhat longer range. 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. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! 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. MEMORANDUM REPORT ON Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No. Although the B-24 did not meet Project A goals, it was a step in that direction. Turbo-supercharged radial engines (a uniquely American development) were to give the necessary high-altitude performance, and heavy defensive armament was to provide protection against attacking fighters. No other American combat aircraft in history was produced on a larger scale. All five plants switched over to the almost identical B-24J in August 1943. The USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. By 1941, B-24s were being shipped to Great Britain, where they were given the name Liberator and adapted for a variety of purposes, including coastal patrol, protecting critical Atlantic cargo ship convoy crossings. According to the history of the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, at least one squadron was assigned to the IX Troop Carrier Command in Europe to transport gasoline to advancing ground and air forces on the Continent after the Normandy invasion. B-17s couldn't carry as heavy a payload as the B-24, nor fly as far or as fast. As a result, the mechanically supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33s were replaced with the turbo-supercharged R-1830s. 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." The C-87A was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity. The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. The PLAAF had two B-24Ms captured from the Chinese Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War and operated until 1952. Learn how and when to remove this template message, British and French purchasing commissions, South West Pacific theatre of World War II, Watch video of B-24 production and testing, List of Consolidated B-24 Liberator operators, List of surviving Consolidated B-24 Liberators, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Accidents and incidents involving the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, "The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress vs. the Consolidated B-24 Liberator", "A Brief History of the 44th Bomb Group. 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. B-24s were also used by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps for ASW, anti-ship patrol, and photographic reconnaissance in the Pacific Theater, and by the U.S. Coast Guard for patrol and SAR. Liberators were credited in full or in part with sinking 93 U-boats. 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. The Double Sunrise route across the Indian Ocean was 3,513mi (5,654km) long, the longest non-stop airline route in the world at the time. Online by mid-1943, the new plant produced hundreds of B-24 Liberator bombers. The route was named Kangaroo Service and marked the first time that Qantas's now-famous Kangaroo logo was used; passengers received a certificate proclaiming them as members of The Order of the Longest Hop. By June 6, 1944, they found themselves at the heart of the D-Day invasion, softening Nazi positions behind the lines before ground forces stormed the Normandy beaches. The C-87 was not always popular with the aircrews assigned to fly it. Chain smoker "Tex" Thornton, then in command of the US Army Air Corps' Statistical Control, flew across the Atlantic in a B-24, and was not permitted to smoke. Early in the campaign, the C-87 was the only readily available American transport that could fly over the Himalayas while heavily loaded, rather than relying on circuitous and highly dangerous routes through valleys and mountain passes, but the type was not very popular with crews: they complained of various hazards including the fuel system, engines and cockpit accessories, while the type was notorious for leaking fuel tanks and mid-air fires a constant danger. [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 pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other in a well-glazed cockpit. While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. It saw use in every theater of operations. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time. The single fin did appear in production on the PB4Y Privateer derivative.[10][11][12]. The low-altitude, nighttime operation was extremely dangerous and took its toll on these airmen. The attack became disorganized after a navigational error which alerted the defenders and protracted the bomb run from the initial point. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. It had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. [citation needed]. An American B-24 Liberator in flight. It's crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down. Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. The payloads for the B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. Arrangements for signal lighting varied from group to group, but generally consisted of white flashing lamps on both sides of the fuselage arranged to form the identification letter of the group. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation. However, in the latter part of 1938, the Army Air Corps (AAC) pushed for the production of another bomber, the B-24. Earlier in the war, both the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force had abandoned daylight bombing raids because neither could sustain the losses suffered. They also flew C-47s, Douglas A-26 Invaders, and British de Havilland Mosquitos. Several storage tanks were added, allowing a C-109 to carry 2,900gal (11,000L) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds (10,000kg). In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. B-17 wing . The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. Deep raids were called off in mid-October 1943 and were not resumed until February 1944, when long-range escort fighters such as the P-51 Mustang became available. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. [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. Colonel Leon W. Johnson, the 44th's commander, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership, as was Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, commander of the 98th Bomb Group. Seven flying squadrons, an operational training unit, and two special duties flights were equipped with the aircraft by the end of World War II in August 1945. In comparison with its contemporaries, the B-24 was relatively difficult to fly and had poor low-speed performance; it also had a lower ceiling and was less robust than the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. Hendrix claimed that a lightly loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning. 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. It was necessary when flying the B-24, to get "on step". 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. Shores, Christopher, "History of the Royal Canadian Air Force", Toronto, Royce Publications, 1984, Taylor, John W. R. "Consolidated B-24/PB4 Y Liberator. [41], Three B-24s were captured and then operated by the German secret operations unit KG 200, which also tested, evaluated and sometimes clandestinely operated captured enemy aircraft during World War II.[42]. Lindell Hendrix, later a test pilot for Republic Aviation, flew B-24s for the Eighth Air force. The Royal Air Force received about 2,100 B-24s equipping 46 bomber groups and 41 squadrons; the Royal Canadian Air Force 1,200 B-24Js; and the Royal Australian Air Force 287 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms. 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. Coming along five years after the B-17, the B-24 possessed an initial advantage. The book. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range, higher capacity counterpart to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Flying the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage which! And destroyers across Europe, 2004 9:04 pm German fighters swooped in, their... C-109 to carry 2,900gal ( 11,000L ) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds ( 10,000kg ) by mid-1943, small. The B-17 was phased out bomber in 1943, designated PB4Y-2 USSTAF and took major... 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