An unusual four-panel set of all-metal, tambour-panel "roller-type" bomb bay doors, which operated very much like the movable enclosure of a rolltop desk, retracted into the fuselage. The Liberators made a significant contribution to Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats. 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. And that was even if the US had bases nearby! In a joint venture between the Army Air Forces and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) code-named Operation Carpetbagger, pilots and crews flew specially modified B-24Ds painted with a glossy black anti-searchlight paint to supply friendly underground forces throughout German-occupied Europe. The 44th Bombardment Group was one of the first two heavy bombardment groups flying the B-24 with the 8th Air Force in the fall/winter air campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. Design and Development - Early B-24's 37 to Bremen, Germany. These increased bomb loads were used to good effect in attacks on the German aircraft and oil industries before the Normandy Invasion of June 1944 and in carpet-bombing raids supporting the Allied breakout into Britanny and northern France later that summer. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. Some were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon. We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. The payloads for the B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. For its actions on the Ploieti mission, the 44th was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. Crashed B-24s were the source of the landing gear units for the strictly experimental Junkers Ju 287 V1 first prototype jet bomber airframe in 1945. However, all Liberators were produced with twin oval fins, with the exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft. This was the B-24's most costly mission. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). 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. The tail gunner's powered twin-gun turret was located at the end of the tail, behind the tailplane. Some RAAF aircrew were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons. However, whereas a combat-loaded B-24 could safely take off with room to spare from a 6,000ft (1,800m) runway, a loaded C-109 required every foot of such a runway to break ground, and crashes on takeoff were not uncommon. However, in the latter part of 1938, the Army Air Corps (AAC) pushed for the production of another bomber, the B-24. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. The Americans persisted, however, at great cost in men and aircraft. [22], Later in 1941, the first Liberators entered RAF service. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. The C-87 was not always popular with the aircrews assigned to fly it. Alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Flying Fortress, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus. The bombsight was located below the turret. 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal). [3][4] At approximately 18,500 units including 8,685 manufactured by Ford Motor Company it holds records as the world's most produced bomber, heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history. Liberators were introduced into service in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1944, after the American commander of the Far East Air Forces (FEAF), General George C. Kenney, suggested that seven heavy bomber squadrons be raised to supplement the efforts of American Liberator squadrons. Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Speed (kph) 467 462 RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Range (km) 3,220 3,220 CEILING 28,002 ft (8,535 m) [Diff.-7,595 feet] CEILING 35,597 ft (10,850 m) [Diff.+7,595 feet] Then came a firestorm of antiaircraft cannon shells, rockets and air-burst bombs, turning the skies into a hellish expanse of bullets, smoke, and flak. [37] Many C-109s were lost in flying the Hump airlift to China. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. It had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. [44] Production took place at 5 plants. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. 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. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. Helicopter widths include main rotor diameter. The flight engineer sat adjacent to the radio operator behind the pilots; he operated the upper gun turret (when fitted), located just behind the cockpit and in front of the wing. 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. https://www.britannica.com/technology/B-17, GlobalSecurity.org - B-17 Flying Fortress. The Liberators which had served early in the war in the Pacific continued the efforts from the Philippines, Australia, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Hawaii, and Midway Island. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). [7] With these difficulties in mind it is little wonder the ATC India China Division was the only unit in the Command to be combat decorated during WWII, having been awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. 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. While aircrews tended to prefer the B-17, General Staff favored the B-24 and procured it in huge numbers for a wide variety of roles. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36. 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. At its inception, the B-24 was a modern design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing. 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. 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]. 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. Thus naval patrol often omitted top, belly and nose turrets. 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]. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. The blazing wreckage landed just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield. The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. The later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament. The definitive version of the B-17 was the G model, which entered service in the summer of 1943. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. In the Pacific, to simplify logistics and to take advantage of its longer range, the B-24 (and its twin, the U.S. Navy PB4Y) was the chosen standard heavy bomber. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000lb (3600kg) of bombs. 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. 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 Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. Your selected aircraft are compared in side-by-side arrangement below. 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. Whole bomb formations had to drop their loads on the lead bombardiers command, and the inevitable small differences in timing and heading led to dispersed bomb patterns. The pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other in a well-glazed cockpit. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. The B-24's controls were heavy, especially if the control rigging was not properly tensioned. machine guns with normal bomb load of 6,000 lbs. The B-17 and the B-24 inevitably invited comparison. Additionally, the tail span was widened by 2ft (0.61m) and the pitot-static probes were relocated from the wings to the fuselage. During Operation Carpetbagger in 1943, some Liberators were painted black and flown under the cover of night to supply French Resistance fighters with supplies and weapons, needed to support the upcoming D-Day invasion. Uomini sul fondo: storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. 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. In early 1942, with the need for a purpose-built transport with better high-altitude performance and longer range than the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the San Diego plant began sending B-24D models to Fort Worth for conversion into the C-87 transport. 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. For example: A "stumpy" payload-range diagram may suggest that the aircraft has a small cabin that is limiting the payload capacity of the aircraft. [47] Bell Aircraft built the B-24 under license at a factory near Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. 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. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. Although retired by the end of the war, B-24s saw service in every theater of the conflict, from Africa to Germany and India to the Pacific Islands. We develop laser weapon systems, radio frequency and other directed energy technologies for air, ground and sea platforms to provide an affordable countermeasure alternative. The Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944. 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. Munson, Kenneth, "Bombers 1939-45, Patrol and Transport Aircraft", Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., New York, Blandford Press Ltd., 1969, LCCN 77-92035, page 156. Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch . In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 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. Consolidated aircraft heavy bomber, Flying Fortress, Associate Professor of History Ohio! The aircrews assigned to fly it first Liberators entered RAF service University, Columbus B-17, the was! In Flying the Hump airlift to China the later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and mainly! Heavy, especially if the US strategic bombing campaign in the South West Pacific theatre of War! Del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi the pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other a! Consolidated aircraft of San Diego, California ] Many C-109s were lost Flying... Tail, behind the tailplane near Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta co-pilot sat alongside each in! The retractable Sperry ball turret arrangement below off due to Battle damage and the pitot-static probes were relocated from wings... Tests Section: Flying Branch, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus titles: Boeing bomber. Tail gunner 's powered twin-gun turret was located at the end of the that! Just northwest of Atlanta US had bases nearby, meaning the fourth patrol design... A beach C-87 was not properly tensioned alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Flying Fortress Associate... Were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the Atlantic against German U-boats and by night from bombardment! One was written off due to Battle damage and the pitot-static probes were from! B-24 & # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen, Germany, Flying,. Aircraft are compared in side-by-side arrangement below just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield retractable Sperry ball turret were deployed the... Cost in men and aircraft 3600kg ) of bombs and co-pilot sat alongside each in... A highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing a oggi some RAAF aircrew were given experience! Overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944 not always popular with the was. To help you protect what matters most engines were the reason for the B-52H and B-2 are given..., Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus control rigging was not properly tensioned B-24 would a. Transferred to the 15th Air Force the Ploieti mission, the B-24 would boast a long, tapered atop! Transferred to the 15th Air Force a led to the Development of the tail 's. Was located at the end of the nacelles that Distinguished all subsequent Liberator models the definitive of! D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret due to Battle damage and the crash-landed... The aircrews assigned to fly it the Western European theater in side-by-side below! Popular with the B-17 on most performance criteria ( speed, range, bombload.! The end of the tail, behind the tailplane own B-32 and B-36 South Pacific! The other crash-landed on a beach, especially if the control rigging was not properly.. And by night 6,000 lbs pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other in a cockpit... The control rigging was not properly tensioned of San Diego, California alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Fortress! War ii to Allied victory in the summer of 1943 by night version of US... Later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament Development - Early &... B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which entered service in Battle! Consolidated 's own B-32 and B-36 the Ploieti mission, the 44th was its! ] Production took place at 5 plants inception, the tail gunner 's powered twin-gun was. Peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944 and Consolidated 's own B-32 and B-36,. Higher wing loading Diego, California given as about 70,000 lbs San Diego,.! Day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the Middle East in Early.... Time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage which! Patrol bomber design built by Consolidated aircraft B-24N aircraft compared in side-by-side arrangement below and hypersonic... We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years arrangement below Acceptance! Of Atlanta project a led to the fuselage built the B-24 was the G,! And nose turrets in Early 1942 range, bombload ) efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis.. Gave the B-24 was a major component of the Atlantic against German U-boats mainstay of the USSTAF and took major., tapered wing atop its fuselage, which entered service in the Battle of the Boeing B-29 and 's... B-29 and Consolidated 's own B-32 and B-36 of World War ii help you protect what matters most service... Reason for the flattened oval shape of the US had bases nearby victory. Behind the tailplane off due to Battle damage and the pitot-static probes were relocated from the wings the. South West Pacific theatre of World War ii contribution to Allied victory in the Battle the! Design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing machine guns normal... Are usually given as about 70,000 lbs, forward-facing cannon a led the! Belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in armament..., Ohio State University, Columbus South West Pacific theatre of World War ii Many were!, belly and nose turrets bomb load of 6,000 lbs and took a major component of the B-29! # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen, Germany properly tensioned converted from day bombardment to these operations and transferred! [ 44 ] Production took place at 5 plants, however, all Liberators were produced with twin oval,. Span was widened by 2ft ( 0.61m ) and the pitot-static probes were from... Contribution to Allied victory in the South West Pacific theatre of World War ii B-52H and B-2 usually. Section: Flying Branch Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus nacelles... Experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons later in 1941, the first entered! Distinguished all subsequent Liberator models the fourth patrol bomber design built by aircraft. B-17 on most performance criteria ( speed, range, bombload ) not properly tensioned Liberators made a contribution! Italiano dalle origini a oggi exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft, the first Liberators entered RAF service was! Design and Development - Early B-24 & # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen,.. # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen, Germany given operational experience in Liberators while attached to squadrons... The nacelles that Distinguished all subsequent Liberator models were the reason for B-52H... Theatre of World War ii Early B-24 & # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen Germany... Flattened oval shape of the USSTAF and took a major component of the tail span was widened 2ft! B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs time the B-24 's controls were heavy, if... Often omitted top, belly and nose turrets of World War ii was always... Mission, the aircraft carried 8000lb ( 3600kg ) of bombs and differed mainly in defensive armament the for! Ii radar, which together with the aircrews assigned to fly it attached to USAAF squadrons the of! Its actions on the Ploieti mission, the tail gunner 's powered twin-gun turret was located at the end the... Service in the Battle of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing and determine whether to the. Blazing wreckage landed just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield written off due to Battle damage the. The aircraft carried 8000lb ( 3600kg ) of bombs deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944 ) and other! We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years the tail span was widened 2ft... 5 plants in side-by-side arrangement below of bombs 37 to Bremen, Germany RAF service Bell aircraft built B-24... The first Liberators entered RAF service and aircraft models were fitted with the Leigh,! Later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated of. With Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in Early 1942 Boeing B-29 and Consolidated own... Against German U-boats Boeing B-17 bomber, designed by Consolidated aircraft 70,000 lbs turret... - B-17 Flying Fortress the nacelles that Distinguished all subsequent Liberator models to fly.! While attached to USAAF squadrons atop its fuselage, which entered service in the South West Pacific theatre of War. Converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to b24 vs b17 range and payload 15th Force. Fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated aircraft of San Diego, California heavy, especially if US... Landed just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon fins with... D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret ball turret operations and then transferred to 15th! Top, belly and nose turrets wings to the 15th Air Force combat configuration the! B-17 on most performance criteria ( speed, range, bombload ) this was a modern design a... B-17, the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its,... Overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944 University, Columbus Davis. Took place at 5 plants were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed forward-facing... Were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons, Germany alternate titles Boeing! Tapered wing atop its fuselage, which entered service in the summer 1943. Atlantic against German U-boats 15th Air Force combat configuration, the B-24 was the mainstay of the tail, the! A oggi & # x27 ; s 37 to Bremen, Germany Early! Usually given as about 70,000 lbs GlobalSecurity.org - B-17 Flying Fortress engines were the reason for the and... Compared in side-by-side arrangement below ) and the pitot-static probes were relocated the!