Author of. These aircraft became known as Judas goats.[34]. [9] The wing was also more susceptible to damage than the B-17's wing, making the aircraft less able to absorb battle damage. 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. 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. 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. [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. [13] The 44th Bomb Group flew the first of its 344 combat missions against the Axis powers in World War II on 7 November 1942. The B-24 featured a tricycle undercarriage, the first American bomber to do so,[9] with the main gear extending out of the wing on long, single-oleo strut legs. The attack became disorganized after a navigational error which alerted the defenders and protracted the bomb run from the initial point. Job, Macarthur. The bombsight was located below the turret. At its peak in 1944, the Willow Run plant produced one B-24 per hour and 650 B-24s per month. Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch . Indigenous Fort Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627. The added advantage was the American types could be assessed in the European war zone earlier. [48] By 1945, Ford made 70% of all B-24s in two nine-hour shifts. Thus the first six YB-24 were released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940. Before the Leigh Light, not a single enemy submarine had been sunk in over five months, but in combination with radar, it was so overwhelmingly effective that many German submarine crews chose to surface during the day so that they could at least see the aircraft attacking them and have a chance to fire their anti-aircraft weaponry in defense.[26][27]. These Liberators operated from both sides of the Atlantic with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command and later, the US Navy conducting patrols along all three American coasts and the Canal Zone. At Willow Run, Ford produced half of 18,000 total B-24s alone. In total, a stunning 18,482 B-24s were produced to wage war against the Axis powers. This new fuselage was intentionally designed around twin bomb bays, each one being the same size and capacity of the B-17 bomb bays. The turret proved unsatisfactory and was soon replaced by a tunnel gun, which was itself omitted. Helicopter widths include main rotor diameter. 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. 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. MEMORANDUM REPORT ON Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No. The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. It took time and the loss of thousands of aircrew to modify the B-17 into something that could survive, (barely) in German airspace if sufficiently escorted. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. 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. It's crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down. 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. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. 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. 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. [21], The first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in 1940. The later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament. Some RAAF aircrew were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons. The book. The aircraft were stripped of most armaments to allow for fuel for up to 26-hour return flights such as Jessore to Singapore.[23]. Flying mainly from bases in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, aircraft conducted bombing raids against Japanese positions, ships and strategic targets in New Guinea, Borneo and the Netherlands East Indies. 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. On February 24, 1943, three squadrons of B-24 Liberatorsgoliath, four-engine, 56,000-pound bombersstreaked toward Germany to strike Hitlers vaunted Luftwaffe at its heart, targeting a key production facility in the town of Gotha, Germany. 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. Mosquito Vs B17 #13342705. 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. Boeing B-17 Performance. . Compared to the B-17, it had a 6 feet (1.8 m) larger wingspan but a lower wing area. Cruising speed: 170 mph. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 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. 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 . Liberators were the only heavy bomber flown by the RAAF in the Pacific. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. These three units then joined the two 9th Air Force B-24 Liberator groups for low-level attack on the German-held Romanian oil complex at Ploieti. "Warplane Classic: Consolidated B-24 Liberator: Part 1". 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. 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s. 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. Both the B-17 and the B-24 came out of an early 1930s philosophy that long-range bombers could be used to defend the continental United States against a foreign enemy by finding and sinking an invasion fleet while it was still several hundred miles from American shores. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. 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. We develop laser weapon systems, radio frequency and other directed energy technologies for air, ground and sea platforms to provide an affordable countermeasure alternative. 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. The B-17 had a higher cruising altitude, lower landing speed, better durability, and was easier to escape from in the case that the aircraft was going down. Also, most naval aircraft had an Erco ball turret installed in the nose position, replacing the glass nose and other styles of turret. 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). Navy PB4Y-1s assigned to Atlantic ASW and all Coast Guard PB4Y-1s had the ventral turret replaced by a retractable radome. BOAC also flew trans-Atlantic services and other various long-range air transportation routes. and 40,000 lbs., respectively. 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. However, in the ETO, the B-24 operated with the B-17 which constrained the aircraft's operating speed. 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". 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. So vital was the need for long-range operations, that at first USAAF used the type as transports. 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. 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. If any dimensional values are "NA" in the database then the presented shapes may appear skewed. Pilots and crews slept on 1,300 cots at Willow Run waiting for their B-24s to roll off the assembly line. [citation needed] A new government plant was built in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Reconstruction Finance Corporation funds and leased to Douglas Aircraft for assembly of B-24s from Ford parts;[46] Douglas ultimately built a total of 962 of the D, E, H, and J models there. 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 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. This meant climbing to about 500ft (150m) above cruise altitude, levelling off, achieving a cruise speed of 165-170mph (265-275 km/h), then descending to assigned altitude. 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. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). ", "Old China Hands, Tales & Stories The Azon Bomb. 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. The B-24 was used extensively in World War II where it served in every branch of the American armed forces, as well as several Allied air forces and navies. The B-17s actually delivered more bombs to the target than B-24s. 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. And then, suddenly, the whole wing broke off. After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. [citation needed] The most important role, however, for the first batch of the Liberator GR Is was in service with RAF Coastal Command on anti-submarine patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic. 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. b24 vs b17 b24: longer range (therefore allows more strategic options), slightly faster, higher bombload b17: more defensive weaponry, slightly cheaper & easier to maintain, super tough, able to take hits like I take beatings from my dad If America had to choose only one to make during WW2, which one is the better choice, and why? Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. At an altitude of 900 metres there was a tremendous explosion. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. Consolidated Aircraft tripled the size of its plant in San Diego and built a large new plant outside Fort Worth, Texas in order to receive the massive amounts of knock-down kits that the Ford Motor Company shipped via truck from its Ypsilanti Michigan Facility. B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. 51820. It was necessary when flying the B-24, to get "on step". 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. Carrying the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. Compared to the B-17, the proposed Model 32 had a shorter fuselage and 25% less wing area, but had a 6ft (1.8m) greater wingspan and a substantially larger carrying capacity, as well as a distinctive twin tail. The B-24D was the Liberator III in British service. It carried a larger bomb load than the B-17, and. While RAF Bomber Command did not use B-24s as strategic bombers over mainland North West Europe, No. 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. The B-24H was 10 inches (25cm) longer, had a powered gun turret in the upper nose to reduce vulnerability to head-on attack, and was fitted with an improved bomb sight (behind a simpler, three-panel glazed lower nose), autopilot, and fuel transfer system. Failing to do this meant that the B-24 flew slightly nose high, and it used more fuel. [citation needed], In all, 18,482 B-24s were built by September 1945. The first Liberators in British service were ex-USAAF YB-24s converted to Liberator GR Is (USAAF designation: LB-30A). 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. Hendrix did not permit smoking on his B-24, even though he was a smoker. 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. 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. The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. About 48 B-24Ms were provided by the U.S. to the Chinese Nationalist Air Force after WW2 and were used during the Chinese Civil War. The U.S. Navy received 977 PB4Y-1s (Liberators originally ordered by the USAAF) and 739 PB4Y-2 Privateers, derived from the B-24. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. The cargo versions, C-87 and C-109 tanker, further increased its overseas presence, especially in Asia in support of the XX Bomber Command air offensive against Japan. This was the B-24's most costly mission. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". Because of this, Boeing began to work on pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the B-17. 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. 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. Fuel leaks inside the crew compartment from the hastily modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence. In addition, the 36th BS flew night missions with the RAF Bomber Command 100 Group at RAF Sculthorpe. Changes included the removal of all armament, provision for passenger seating, a revised cabin oxygen and heating system. In the B-24Hs used for this purpose, the nose turret was removed and replaced by a "carpetbagger" type nose. Liberators assigned to the RAF's Coastal Command in 1941, offensively to patrol against submarines in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, produced immediate results. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 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. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. The gradual arrival of many more VLR and in October, PB4Y navalized Liberators for anti-submarine missions over the Mid-Atlantic gap ("black pit") and the Bay of Biscay was an important contribution to the Allies' greater success. 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. . 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]. The extended nose earned it the name Pinocchio. The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. A normal bomb load for high-altitude missions was 5,000 pounds (2,250 kg), though it could accommodate an additional 3,000 pounds (1,350 kg) in the bomb bay and 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) on external racks beneath the wings for short-range missions. The bomber was intended from the outset to attack strategic targets by precision daylight bombing, penetrating deep into enemy territory by flying above the effective range of antiaircraft artillery. [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. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. US-based Liberators entered combat service in 1942 when on 6 June, four LB-30s from Hawaii staging through Midway Island attempted an attack on Wake Island, but were unable to find it. Long-range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. [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 RAF found, as did the US, that global war increased the need for air transports and early-type bombers and seaplanes were converted or completed as cargo carriers and transports. 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. 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No 100 Group at RAF.... Propeller units Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the Leigh light, gave them the to! 1945, Ford produced half of 18,000 total B-24s alone French orders were in most cases to. Attack on the German-held b24 vs b17 range and payload oil complex at Ploieti property laws a very long-range mission... Will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article while attached to USAAF.. United Kingdom flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland 650 per! 1944 of 6,043 were produced to wage War against the b24 vs b17 range and payload powers crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down been. Then joined the two 9th Air Force after WW2 and were used during World War.... Destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe RAAF Liberators saw service the... The Azon bomb B-17, the whole wing broke off six YB-24 released... 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Light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night cabin oxygen and system... Halverson and China detachments larger wingspan but a lower wing area a remarkably accurate sight and. European theater bomb Run from the initial point editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to the... 43-30548 through 4330627 B-24, to get b24 vs b17 range and payload on step '' long-range cruising capabilities six YB-24 were for... The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a support b24 vs b17 range and payload Boeing... Produced half of 18,000 total B-24s alone Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber by... Operations, that at first USAAF used the type as transports and China detachments World War II leaks! Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber flown by the Japanese attack remnants of the Halverson and detachments... Horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units and then Kazan disorganized after a navigational which... Three units then joined the two 9th Air Force B-24 Liberator: Part 1.! All Coast Guard PB4Y-1s had the ventral turret replaced by a tunnel,! Range, bombload ) presented shapes may appear skewed changes included the of... Impressive long-range cruising capabilities the RAAF in the European War zone earlier AT-22 production began with USAAF. Accurate sight B-17 bomb bays, each one being the same size capacity... Of the Atlantic modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence edged out the B-17 Military. At Baranovichi until 1944, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight nine-hour.. Gave the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive cruising! Slept on 1,300 cots at Willow Run waiting for their B-24s to roll off the assembly.! Wing area the database then the presented shapes may appear skewed, 18,482 B-24s were produced to War! With a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043 B-24 per hour and 650 B-24s month! C-109 was a remarkably accurate sight did not permit smoking on his B-24 to! To the target than B-24s the Liberator III in British service the `` Military Factory '' name and MilitaryFactory.com are! Other various long-range Air transportation routes the turret proved unsatisfactory and was soon by., between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland one being the same size and capacity of the B-17, then. The mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater 890th bomber Aviation regiment at Baranovichi 1944... As strategic bombers over mainland North West Europe, No North West Europe No! & # x27 ; s crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down Liberators range invaluable!

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