Because of this, Boeing began to work on pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the B-17. 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. 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. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. Pilots and crews slept on 1,300 cots at Willow Run waiting for their B-24s to roll off the assembly line. [48] By 1945, Ford made 70% of all B-24s in two nine-hour shifts. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. Several storage tanks were added, allowing a C-109 to carry 2,900gal (11,000L) of fuel weighing over 22,000 pounds (10,000kg). 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. This was the B-24's most costly mission. Each of the B-24 factories was identified with a production code suffix: Consolidated/San Diego, CO; Consolidated/Fort Worth, CF; Ford/Willow Run, FO; North American, NT; and Douglas/Tulsa, DT. The B-24 was the platform for the pioneering use of the Americans' Azon laterally-guidable precision-guided munition ordnance design, a pioneering Allied radio-guided munition system during World War II. 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. 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. For its actions on the Ploieti mission, the 44th was awarded its second Distinguished Unit Citation. Range: 1,850 miles Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft. B 24 - L IBERATOR The U.S. Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and along with maritime patrol B-24s used by RAF Coastal Command this type of patrol plane had been quite successful. [22], Later in 1941, the first Liberators entered RAF service. [citation needed]. Following incidents when flare guns were accidentally discharged inside the rear fuselage, some assembly (formation) ships had pyrotechnic guns fixed through the fuselage sides. By the end of the conflict, over 18,500 B-24s had been constructed making it the . The new Model 32 combined designer David R. Davis's wing, a high-efficiency airfoil design created by unorthodox means,[6] with the twin tail design from the Consolidated Model 31 flying boat, together on a new fuselage. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. [49] In mid-1944, the production of the B-24 was consolidated from several different companies (including some in Texas) to two large factories: the Consolidated Aircraft Company in San Diego and the Ford Motor Company's factory in Willow Run, near Detroit, Michigan, which had been specially designed to produce B-24s. Three more 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) machine guns brought the defensive armament up to 10 machine guns. The design was simple in concept but, nevertheless, advanced for its time. Fuel leaks inside the crew compartment from the hastily modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence. The Liberator originated from a United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) request in 1938 for Consolidated to produce the B-17 under license. 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. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. [24][25], For 12 months, No. Thus the first six YB-24 were released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940. All armament and armor were removed and in some cases the tail turret. A 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb load was typical for long missions, though the B-17 could carry up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) internally for shorter distances at lower altitudes and even more on external racks beneath the wings. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. 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. The Eighth Air Force's 458th Bombardment Group deployed the guided Azon ordnance in Europe between June and September 1944,[32] while the Tenth Air Force's 493rd Bomb Squadron employed it against Japanese railroad bridges on the Burma Railway in early 1945, fulfilling the intended original purpose of the Azon system. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category. 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. [13] For some time, newspapers had been requesting permission for a reporter to go on one of the missions. However, in the ETO, the B-24 operated with the B-17 which constrained the aircraft's operating speed. Author of. "[31], A total of 177 B-24s carried out the famous second attack on Ploieti (Operation Tidal Wave) on 1 August 1943. All Rights Reserved. The specification was written such that the Model 32 would automatically be the winning design. ", Bhargava, Kapil, Group Captain (ret'd). 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. Only 218 C-109s were actually converted. The extended nose earned it the name Pinocchio. We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! B-17 data. The aircraft were stripped of most armaments to allow for fuel for up to 26-hour return flights such as Jessore to Singapore.[23]. 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. 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. They also bombed German oil refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Allies Mediterranean campaign. pp. it appears that the long-range heavy bomber count for the United States is: 85 active B-52H's, approximately 60 active B-1B's, and approximately 20 active B-2's, for a total of . ", "Old China Hands, Tales & Stories The Azon Bomb. Some RAAF aircrew were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons. At its inception, the B-24 was a modern design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing. The B-24 variants made by each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different parts to support various models. The B-24 was a faster plane having a greater range and payload capacity. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. In October 1944, two RAF Liberator squadrons (357 and 358) were deployed to Jessore India in support of British SAS, American OSS and French SIS underground operations throughout SE Asia. [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. [21], The first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in 1940. 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. and 40,000 lbs., respectively. [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. After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. This new fuselage was intentionally designed around twin bomb bays, each one being the same size and capacity of the B-17 bomb bays. They also flew C-47s, Douglas A-26 Invaders, and British de Havilland Mosquitos. Production of B-24s increased at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943. The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. 37 to Bremen, Germany. Lloyd H. Hughes, Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action. A 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb load was typical for long missions, though the B-17 could carry up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) internally for shorter distances at lower altitudes and even more on external racks beneath the wings. Willow Run had the largest assembly line in the world (3,500,000sqft; 330,000m2). 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. [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. The payloads for the B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. 200 Flight played an important role in supporting covert operations conducted by the Allied Intelligence Bureau; and other Liberators were converted to VIP transports. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. In April 1939, the USAAC initially ordered seven YB-24 under CAC contract # 12464. The Americans persisted, however, at great cost in men and aircraft. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. Efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing, newspapers had been to! Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action fuselage was designed... For direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940 1944, and then Kazan armament and were! Impressive long-range cruising capabilities under CAC contract # 12464 new fuselage was intentionally designed around bomb. 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