United States' Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber

Photos

Design

In 1939 the development of the Consolidated Model 32 began and it became the XB-24 prototype. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) wanted a heavy bomber that would outperform a B-17 in speed, range, and altitude. Isaac M. Laddon, the head designer, went with a high wing design with twin tail fins.

The bombs were placed vertically in the twin bomb bays. The doors would retract into the fuselage when opened. There was a catwalk between the front and rear of the B-24 Liberator.

Starting in 1944 most B-24s flew into combat without camouflage paint and went into combat with the natural metal finish.

Orders

In 1940 France ordered 120, Britain 164, and the United States Army Air Corps ordered 36.

Crew

The bombardier sat in the nose and aimed using the Norden bomb site.

Transports

With the successful use of the B-24s sent to Britain as transports it was decided to have a dedicated transport version.

The C-87 Liberator Express was based on the B-24D. It had all the armament removed except in the tail.

A floor was installed in the bomb bay. The fuselage had a freight door installed.

Wings

The B-24 used the a wing designed by David R. Davis, who sold it to Consolidated in 1937. It was a slender wing, mounted high in the fuselage, with a sharp camber that gave the B-24 extremely good lift.

Landing Gear

The landing gear was in a tricycle pattern, which was unusual for the time. The landing gear under the wings retracted horizontally into the wings.

Range and Bomb Load Comparison

 

Prototype

A contract was signed to build a full scale prototype on March 30, 1939.

The XB-24 prototype first flew on December 28, 1939/December 29, 1939. The first flight by the prototype was on January 29, 1940.

The US Army ordered seven YB-24s in March 1939.

Production

In 1940 an order was placed for 36 aircraft with only 9 being built.

The B-24 was the most produced American aircraft during the war as well as the most produced 4 engine aircraft ever.

• Consolidated XB-24: 1
• Consolidated YB-24: 7
• Consolidated XB/YB-24N: 8
• Consolidated B-24A: 9
• Consolidated Liberator I: 20
• Consolidated Liberator II: 139
• Consolidated LB-30: 75
  • Delivered: December 10, 1941 - January 6, 1942
  • 23 sent to England
• Consolidated B-24C: 9
• Consolidated B-24D: 2,738
  • Built by Consolidated and Douglas.
• Consolidated B-24E: 791
  • Built by Ford.
• Consolidated Liberator III: 260
• Consolidated B-24G: 430
• Consolidated B-24H: 3,100
  • Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, Douglas, Ford
• Consolidated B-24J: 6,678
• Consolidated B-24L: 1,667
• Consolidated B-24M: 2,593
• Total: 18,188, 18,313, 18,482, 19,256
  • Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (San Diego and Fort Worth), Douglas (Tulsa), Ford (Willow Run), and North American (Dallas)
  • Production: ? - May 1945
• Consolidated C-87 Express: 280, 282
  • Manufacturer: Consolidated at Fort Worth, in 1944 moved to San Diego
  • Production: April 1942 - ?
• Consolidated C-87A: 6
• Consolidated C.VII: 24

 

Variants

• Consolidated XB-24: Prototype. Had Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 engines (1,100 HP).
• Consolidated YB-24: Test aircraft. Built in 1940. Had turbo supercharges for high altitude tests.
• Consolidated B-24A: First model ordered for production. Only nine completed.
• Consolidated B-24C: Engines (Pratt & Whitney R-1830) had turbo chargers. None were used in combat.
• Consolidated B-24D: First main production version. First produced in 1941. 2,738 were used against Japan. Douglas, Ford, and North American became manufacturers. First to go into combat.
• Consolidated B-24E: Had improved propellers.
• Consolidated B-24G: From this model on, a nose turret was added.
• Consolidated B-24H: First arrived on June 30, 1943. Variety of nose turrets used.
• Consolidated B-24J: Major production version. Had a Motor Products nose turret, a new autopilot, and new bomb sight. Deliveries started in August 1943. Fuel system updated. Controls for the engines improved.
• Consolidated B-24L: The rear powered turret was replaced by a manually controlled guns.
• Consolidated B-24M: Had a Motor Products tail turret.
• Consolidated B-24N: Had a single fin but was only prototypes were constructed.
• Consolidated PB4Y: United States Navy model.
• Consolidated C-87 Express, RY-2, Liberator C.VII: Transport that could carry 25 passengers. Six foot square door was placed in fuselage for loading and unloading. One .50 cal machine gun in tail.
• Consolidated C-87A, RY-1: VIP transport that could sleep 10 passengers. There was a galley in the aft of the fuselage.
• Consolidated C-87B: Was proposed to be an armed version. Two machine guns in the nose that were fired by the pilot. There was a top turret. In a ventral position was a rear firing machine gun.
• Consolidated C-87C, RY-3, Liberator C.IX: Was to use the single fin of the PB4Y-2 Privateer.
• Consolidated C-109: Tanker. Converted from 218 B-24Ds and B-24Es. Used primarily in India to support the B-29s. Could carry 2,400 gallons / 10,900 liters.
• Consolidated RY-1: United States Navy designation for the C-87A.
• Consolidated RY-2: United States Navy designation for the C-87.
• Consolidated RY-3: United States Navy designation for the C-87C.
• Consolidated TB-24: Trainer.
• Consolidated AT-22: Navigation trainer.
• Consolidated XB-41: Escort. Carried fourteen 12.7 mm machine guns. Only a prototype.
• Consolidated F-7: Reconnaissance.
• United Kingdom
  • Consolidated LB-30: Produced for Britain. First six arrived in December 1940. Were used in ferry flights across the Atlantic.
  • Consolidated LB-30B / Consolidated Liberator Mk I: Used in anti submarine patrols.
  • Consolidated Liberator Mk II: The B-24C. Had powered turrets, self sealing fuel tanks, and a longer nose.
  • Consolidated Liberator Mk III: The B-24D.
  • Consolidated Liberator Mk IV: The B-24E.
  • Consolidated Liberator GR.Mk V: The B-24G.
  • Consolidated Liberator GR.Mk VI: Bomber. The B-24G and B-24H.
  • Consolidated Liberator GR.Mk VIII: Maritime.
  • Consolidated Liberator C.VII: Transport . The C-87.
  • Consolidated Liberator C.IX: Transport. The C-87C.

Usage

Australia, Britain, Canada, and the United States used the B-24 Liberator.

During World War II B-24 Liberators dropped 635,000 tons of bombs and shot down 4,189 enemy planes.

Pearl Harbor

There was one B-24 Liberator destroyed on the ground at Hickam Field, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. Its mission was to be flown by 1st Lieutenant Ted S. Faulkner in reconnaissance flights over the Japanese held islands in the Marshalls and Caroline Islands. Lieutenant Kunikiya Hira, from the carrier Shokaku was flying a Aichi D3A Type 99 "Val" dive bomber when he destroyed Faulkner's plane.

Evacuation of Java

B-24s were used to help evacuate personnel and cargo from Java to Australia because of its large fuselage.

United Kingdom

A modified B-24 was used by Winston Churchill as his personal transport, the LB-30 Commando.

41 / 42 RAF squadrons were equipped with the B-24.

1,668 Liberator VIs and VIIIs were supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF). A total of 1,694 B-24s were supplied to Coastal Command and Bomber Command.

The RAF Transport Command had three squadrons equipped with the Liberator C.VIIs. These were primarily used in the Far East from 1944 to 1945.

In March 1945 Liberators from five squadrons sank seven U-Boats within six days.

Pacific

It was decided to concentrate the use of B-24s in the Pacific due to its long range.

Australia

Australia received 275 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms and 12 B-24Ds.

Canada

1,200 B-24Js were delivered to Canada.

First Use of the LB-30

During the night of January 16-17, 1942, three LB-30s, with two B-17Es, attacked targets in the Celebes. These three LB-30s were part of the 7th BG (bomber group). The mission was led by Major Austin Straubel, and the other two were piloted by 1st Lieutenant Jack Dougherty and 1st Lieutenant William E. Bayse.

United States First Use of the B-24

The first delivery to a combat unit was in April 1942.

In June 1942 B-24s based in Egypt were used to attack Romanian oilfields.

Bomber Groups

At their peak usage there were 6,043 B-24s on active service in 46 United States Army Air Force bomber groups.

Germany

A captured B-24 was used on covert operations.