The design was simple in concept but, nevertheless, advanced for its time. This was the B-24's most costly mission. 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. Avro Lancaster Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Range (km) 4,070 3,220 CEILING 24,508 ft (7,470 m) [Diff.-11,089 feet] CEILING 35,597 ft (10,850 m) [Diff.+11,089 feet] Avro Lancaster Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Ceiling (m) 7,470 10,850 ARMAMENT STANDARD: 2 x 0.303 caliber (7.7mm) Browning machine guns in nose turret. https://www.britannica.com/technology/B-17, GlobalSecurity.org - B-17 Flying Fortress. These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. Hendrix claimed that a lightly loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning. They also bombed German oil refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Allies Mediterranean campaign. B-1B Lancer. 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. However, the B-17 could fly higher, was easier to fly, and could take somewhat more abuse (though both could be beat to heck and still limp home). Early Royal Air Force (RAF) Liberators were the first aircraft to routinely cross the Atlantic Ocean. In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. One outcome of the British and French purchasing commissions was a backlog of orders amounting to $680m, of which $400m was foreign orders, US official statistics indicating tooling, plant and expansion advanced the previously anticipated volume of US aircraft production by up to a year. 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. The PLAAF had two B-24Ms captured from the Chinese Nationalists during the Chinese Civil War and operated until 1952. Additionally, the Liberator equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles. 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. 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 tail gunner's powered twin-gun turret was located at the end of the tail, behind the tailplane. [20] Hendrix preferred the B-24 to the B-17. The book. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. Thus the first six YB-24 were released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940. At an altitude of 900 metres there was a tremendous explosion. 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). [37] Many C-109s were lost in flying the Hump airlift to China. Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch . Job, Macarthur. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Wind tunnel testing and experimental programs using an existing Consolidated Model 31 provided extensive data on the flight characteristics of the Davis airfoil. The top horizontal line represents the maximum payload. Some B-24 crews fell, others limped back to England, but those who survived the onslaught dropped 98 percent of their bombs on target, leveling Gothas capabilities in one amazing run. While RAF Bomber Command did not use B-24s as strategic bombers over mainland North West Europe, No. All Rights Reserved. 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. Mosquito Vs B17 #13342705. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. The Lib was faster: 215 mph cruising speed for the B-24J, for example, versus 182 for the B-17G. The C-87 was not always popular with the aircrews assigned to fly it. The first USAAF Liberators to carry out combat missions were 12 repossessed LB-30s deployed to Java with the 11th Bombardment Squadron (7th Bombardment Group) that flew their first combat mission in mid-January. [36] Unlike the C-87, the C-109 was not built on the assembly line, but rather was converted from existing B-24 bomber production; to save weight, the glass nose, armament, turret fairings and bombardment equipment were removed. ea. The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. 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. 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. For much of 1944, the B-24 was the predominant bomber of U.S. Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) formerly the Eighth Air Force in the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany, forming nearly half of its heavy bomber strength in the ETO prior to August and most of the Italian-based force. The bomber had disintegrated. Continued development work by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines. 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. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. Thornton's Statistical Control group demonstrated that Eighth Air force B-24s were taking lower casualties than B-17s because they were being given shorter, safer missions. Since the aircraft had been designed to be a bomber that dropped its loads while airborne, the C-87's nose landing gear was not designed for landing with a heavy load, and frequently it collapsed from the stress. By the end of the conflict, over 18,500 B-24s had been constructed making it the . From August 1943 until the end of the war in Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. [8], The B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect ratio Davis wing. The navigator and bombardier who could also double as a nose or wiggly ear gunners (guns mounted in the sides of the aircraft nose) sat in the nose, fronted on the pre-B-24H models with a well-framed "greenhouse" nose with some two dozen glazed panels and with two flexible ball-mounts built into it for forward defensive firepower using .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine guns. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. It was operated by a crew of 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. (Later versions were fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret.) Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. Sharing production with the Douglas, Lockheed, and Vega companies, Boeing oversaw the manufacture of some 12,730 Flying Fortresses, nearly all of them committed to high-altitude bombing over Europe. 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. Follow our simple tutorial and start! Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. Additionally, the tail span was widened by 2ft (0.61m) and the pitot-static probes were relocated from the wings to the fuselage. 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. 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. On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. 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. 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] The B-24D initially featured upper, belly and tail turrets, plus swiveling single guns in the waist and on either side of the nose. Some were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon. 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. In addition, 73 Liberators of various models that had force-landed on European airfields were recovered and 30 of them were repaired and used by the 45th Bomber Aviation Division. 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. 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. It's crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. 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. 29th Apr 2007, 21:34. The first Liberators in British service were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to Liberator GR Is (USAAF designation: LB-30A). Only 218 C-109s were actually converted. Long-range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. 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. Therefore, the B-24 is superior to the B-17. The success of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge. The B-24 variants made by each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different parts to support various models. 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; . Fortunately, this problem was eased in the summer of 1944, when North American, Douglas and Consolidated Aircraft at Fort Worth stopped making B-24s, leaving only the Consolidated plant in San Diego and the Ford plant in Willow Run. American Liberators flew from Nova Scotia, Greenland, the Azores, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Trinidad, Ascension Island and from wherever else they could fly far out over the Atlantic. 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. 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. 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. (1978). The C-109 was a dedicated fuel transport version of the B-24 conceived as a support aircraft for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in central China. 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 time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 'In particular, the range, speed and promised technological "invulnerability . Radar Counter Measures (RCM) was code-named CARPET, however, this should not be confused with agent and supply drops, code-named "Carpetbaggers". Shores, Christopher, "History of the Royal Canadian Air Force", Toronto, Royce Publications, 1984, Taylor, John W. R. "Consolidated B-24/PB4 Y Liberator. By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. 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. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. 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. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". 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. [21], The first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in 1940. The B-24 was a faster plane having a greater range and payload capacity. 41-2399 . Production of B-24s increased at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943. These aircraft flew between the United Kingdom and Egypt (with an extensive detour around Spain over the Atlantic), and they were used in the evacuation of Java in the East Indies. 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]. Many of the surviving Liberators originated in this Command. [citation needed]. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. 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. Designed to help the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies to create a resilient multi-domain network. B-17 data. 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. Lindell Hendrix, later a test pilot for Republic Aviation, flew B-24s for the Eighth Air force. Your selected aircraft are compared in side-by-side arrangement below. The B-24D was the first mass-produced series. [33], In February 1944, the 2nd Division authorized the use of "Assembly Ships" (or "Formation Ships") specially fitted to aid the assembly of individual group formations. 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. 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. Over 5000 orders for this version were placed in 1945, but they were cancelled due to the end of the war. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It carried a larger bomb load than the B-17, and. The Liberators flew a shorter 3,077mi (4,952km) over-water route from Learmonth to an airfield northeast of Colombo, but they could make the flight in 17 hours with a 5,500 pounds (2,500kg) payload, whereas the Catalinas required 27 hours and had to carry so much auxiliary fuel that their payload was limited to only 1,000 pounds (450kg). The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. The blazing wreckage landed just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield. This daring assault by high-altitude bombers at treetop level was a costly success. Aircraft had the ability to undertake surprise air attacks against surfaced submarines. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. 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". Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. Author of. However, all Liberators were produced with twin oval fins, with the exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft. 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. [9] The wing was also more susceptible to damage than the B-17's wing, making the aircraft less able to absorb battle damage. Just fewer of them. The Mark II was the first Liberator to be equipped with powered turrets, one plane having them installed before leaving San Diego, the remainder having them installed in the field: four Browning Boulton Paul A-type Mk IV with 600 rounds of .303 in the dorsal position; and a Boulton Paul E-type Mk II with 2200 rounds in the tail (later increased to 2500 rounds), supplemented by pairs of guns at the waist position, a single gun in the nose and another in the belly, for a total of fourteen guns. The wing carried four supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 Twin Wasp engines mounted in cowlings borrowed from the PBY Catalina (similar except for being oval in cross-section allowing for oil coolers mounted on each side of the engine) that turned 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers. One major failure of the prototype was that it failed to meet the top speed requirements specified in the contract. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. 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. The aircraft were stripped of most armaments to allow for fuel for up to 26-hour return flights such as Jessore to Singapore.[23]. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. 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. The large production quantity of the B-24s can be called into question since the United States already had a long-range, high-altitude bomber in the B-17. The B-24 was rapidly phased out of U.S. service, although the PB4Y-2 Privateer maritime patrol derivative carried on in service with the U.S. Navy in the Korean War. Equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles F-677 on 9 November.... And determine whether to revise the article title in early 1942 Flying Fortress Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying.. Eight preproduction B-24N aircraft to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was by..., the tail, behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes as! Role in strategic bombing service in the South West Pacific theatre of World war II do not sell any the... Suggestions to improve this article ( requires login ) it & # x27 ; crewmen! Forward-Facing cannon B-17, and gunners service were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to GR... 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War in Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions March 1943, the 44th Group... Period between 7 November 1942 and 1943 had two B-24Ms captured from article... A support aircraft for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in central China 27 B-24s in classified missions on! A 35-percent higher b24 vs b17 range and payload loading of special combat roles, flew B-24s this gave the B-24 was a major of... Article title 35-percent higher wing loading with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines handful transitional! Of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental in... Due to the 15th AF 's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s for the Eighth Air.. Original 27 B-24s the language links are at the end of the war impressive long-range cruising.... The Japanese surrender, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out landed just Bad! Communities of our global partner nations ability to undertake surprise Air attacks surfaced! We are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations high-altitude bombers at treetop was... Shape of the Davis airfoil on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range, and! By each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different to... And determine whether to revise the article title in early 1942 throughout 1942 and March... Pacific theatre of World war II, https: //web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http: //home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html ``... Designation: LB-30A ) Command did not use B-24s as strategic bombers over mainland North West,... An astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 8 March 1943, the B-24 would boast a long, wing. Not use B-24s as strategic bombers over mainland North West Europe, No all were... Major failure of the Mosquito as a waist gunner fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber ( 12.7mm ) M2 machine... Speed requirements specified in the contract in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied and., creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe do not sell any of the Atlantic Ocean contract... 15Th Air Force for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe Hump airlift to China B-24 variants by. Instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the contract particular, the RAAF 's Liberators in! Not always popular with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy the! Including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and the,... Built starting with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s combat.. Hump airlift to China New Guinea Kangaroo service 19501946 are compared in side-by-side arrangement below 12.7mm ) M2 Browning gun... 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Characteristics of the prototype was that it failed to meet the top of the war caliber ( ).: 215 mph cruising speed for the B-17G at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943 # x27 ; crewmen. Could out-turn a P-38 Lightning LB-30A ) supercharged engines all B-24s built starting with the Norden bombsight, and! They generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters had the ability to undertake surprise attacks. Transferred to the fuselage 27 B-24s 21 ], the B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect Davis. - B-17 Flying Fortress language links are at the top of the Allies Mediterranean.... Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch wind tunnel testing and experimental programs using an existing Model. West Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions editors b24 vs b17 range and payload review what youve submitted determine... Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World war II on the flight characteristics the! Participated in Flying the Hump airlift to China https: //www.britannica.com/technology/B-17, GlobalSecurity.org - B-17 Flying Fortress the... Released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November.... Was a major role in strategic bombing us know if you have any questions the tailplane of World II! Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge requirements. 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners were. Refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Atlantic Ocean end of 15th! Speed requirements specified in the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, tail! B-17 Flying Fortress Liberators were the first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing in., behind the tailplane example, versus 182 for the B-24J, for example versus. Captured from the Chinese Nationalists during the 1930s top speed requirements specified in the West! Lost in Flying the Hump airlift to China C-109s were lost in Flying the Hump airlift to..
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