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United States' Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber^1,2,3,4

Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator with the 15th Air Force:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator with the 454th Bomber Group:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator with the 736th Bomber Squadron of the 454th Bomber Group:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator at the pre-invasion bombardment of the Cape Gloucester airdrome:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator ground crew:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator over Nauru Island:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator over the Ploesti oil fields in August 1943:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator with the RAF:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator over Salamaua Island:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator, "Tulas American":	Consolidated B-24D over the Ploesti oil fields (wider view of picture below):	Consolidated B-24 Liberator at Ploesti in August 1943:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated C-87 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:
Consolidated B-24 Liberators at Ploesti on August 1, 1943: U.S. Army in World War II - Pictorial Record, 1951	Consolidated B-24 Liberator on the factory floor:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24 Liberator:	Consolidated B-24A Liberator:
Consolidated B-24D Liberator:	Consolidated B-24H Liberator:	Consolidated B-24H Liberator:	Consolidated B-24J Liberator:
Consolidated B-24M Liberator:	Consolidated B-24N Liberator:

Design

In 1939 the development of the Consolidated Model 32 began.³ It became the XB-24 prototype.³

The B-24 was designed around the Davis wing.^1,3 This was a large area wing that was mounted high in the fuselage.¹

The bombs were placed vertically in the twin bomb bays.¹ The doors would retract into the fuselage when opened.¹ There was a catwalk between the front and rear of the B-24 Liberator.¹

Starting in 1944 most B-24s flew into combat without camouflage paint and went into combat with the natural metal finish.¹

Orders

In 1940 France ordered 120, Britain 164, and the United States Army Air Corps ordered 36.³

Crew

The bombardier sat in the nose and aimed using the Norden bomb site.¹

Transports

With the successful use of the B-24s sent to Britain as transports it was decided to have a dedicated transport version.³

The C-87 Liberator Express was based on the B-24D.³ It had all the armament removed except in the tail.³

A floor was installed in the bomb bay.³ The fuselage had a freight door installed.³

Wings

The B-24 used the a wing designed by David R. Davis, who sold it to Consolidated in 1937.⁴ It was a slender wing with a sharp camber that gave the B-24 extremely good lift.⁴

Prototype

The XB-24 prototype first flew on December 28, 1939⁴/December 29, 1939.^2,3,4 The first flight by the prototype was on January 29, 1940.¹

The US Army ordered seven YB-24s in March 1939.⁴

Production

Liberators and Privateers were produced by Consolidated (San Diego and Fort Worth⁴), Douglas (Tulsa⁴), Ford (Willow Run⁴), and North American (Dallas).^1,2,4

The B-24 was the most produced American aircraft during the war as well as the most produced 4 engine aircraft ever.^2,3 Production lasted until May 1945.³

• XB-24: 1^3,4
• YB-24: 7^3,4
• XB/YB-24N: 8³
• B-24A: 9³
• Liberator I: 20³
• Liberator II: 139³
• LB-30: 75^3,4
  • Delivered: December 10, 1941 - January 6, 1942⁴
  • 23 sent to England⁴
• B-24C: 9^3,4
• B-24D: 2,738³
  • Built by Consolidated and Douglas.³
• B-24E: 791^2,3
  • Built by Ford.³
• Liberator III: 260³
• B-24G: 430^2,3
• B-24H: 3,100^2,3
• B-24J: 6,678^2,3
• B-24L: 1,667^2,3
• B-24M: 2,593^2,3
• Total: 18,313², 18,482³, 19,256¹
• C-87: 280³, 282²
• C-87A: 6³
• C.VII: 24³

Variants

• XB-24: Prototype.^2,3,4 Had Pratt & Whitney R-1830-33 engines (1,100 HP).⁴
• YB-24: Test aircraft.^3,4 Built in 1940.³ Had turbo supercharges for high altitude tests.⁴
• B-24C: Engines had turbo chargers.³ None were used in combat.⁴
• B-24D: First main production version.² First produced in 1941.² 2,738 were used against Japan.²
• B-24E: Had improved propellers.²
• B-24G: From this model on, a nose turret was added.^1,3
• B-24H: First arrived on June 30, 1943.⁴
• B-24J: Major production version.^2,3 Had a Motor Products nose turret, a new autopilot, and new bomb sight.^2,3 Deliveries started in August 1943.³
• B-24L: the rear powered turret was replaced by a manually controlled guns.¹
• B-24M: Had a Motor Products tail turret.²
• B-24N: Had a single fin but was only prototypes were constructed.³
• PB4Y: United States Navy model.²
• C-87: Transport that could carry 25 passengers.²
• C-87A: VIP transport that could sleep 10 passengers.³
• C-87B: Was proposed to be an armed version.³
• C-87C: Was to use the single fin of the PB4Y-2 Privateer.³
• C-109: Tanker.³ Converted from 218 B-24Ds and B-24Es.³ Used primarily in India to support the B-29s.³ Could carry 2,400 gallons / 10,900 liters.³
• RY-2: United States Navy designation for the C-87.³
• RY-3: United States Navy designation for the C-87C.³
• TB-24: Trainer.³
• XB-41: Escort.³
• F-7: Reconnaissance.³
• United Kingdom
  • LB-30: Produced for Britain.³ First six arrived in December 1940.³ Were used in ferry flights across the Atlantic.³
  • LB-30B / Liberator I: Used in anti submarine patrols.³
  • Liberator II: Had powered turrets, self sealing fuel tanks, and a longer nose.³
  • Liberator VI: Bomber.³
  • Liberator VIII: Maritime.³
  • Liberator C.VII: Transport .³ The C-87.³
  • Liberator C.IX: Transport.³ The C-87C.³

Usage

Australia, Britain, Canada, and the United States used the B-24 Liberator.³

Pearl Harbor

There was one B-24 Liberator destroyed on the ground at Hickam Field, Hawaii on December 7, 1941.¹ 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.⁴ Lieutenant Kunikiya Hira, from the carrier Shokaku was flying a Aichi D3A Type 99 "Val" dive bomber when he destroyed Faulkner's plane.⁴

United Kingdom

A modified B-24 was used by Winston Churchill as his personal transport, the LB-30 Commando.^1,3

41³ / 42 RAF squadrons were equipped with the B-24.²

1,668 Liberator VIs and VIIIs were supplied to the Royal Air Force (RAF).³

The RAF Transport Command had three squadrons equipped with the Liberator C.VIIs.³ These were primarily used in the Far East from 1944 to 1945.³

Australia

Australia received 275 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms and 12 B-24Ds.³

Canada

1,200 B-24Js were delivered to Canada.³

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.⁴ These three LB-30s were part of the 7th BG (bomber group).⁴ 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.⁴

United States First Use of the B-24

In June 1942 B-24s based in Egypt were used to attack Romanian oilfields.³

Bomber Groups

At their peak usage there were 6,043 B-24s on active service in 46 United States Army Air Force bomber groups.³

Germany

A captured B-24 was used on covert operations.¹

	Consolidated B-24 Liberator3	Consolidated B-24D Liberator1	Consolidated B-24G Liberator3	Consolidated B-24J Liberator2	Consolidated Liberator C-873
Type	Medium / heavy bomber3	Heavy bomber1	Medium / heavy bomber3	Heavy bomber2	Transport3 Tanker3
Crew	8 - 103	101	8 - 123	8 - 102	C-87A: 43
Passengers					C-87A: 253
OR					C-87A: 8,000 lb freight3 C-87A: 3,992 kg freight3
Engine (Type)		4: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp piston1,3	4: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp3	4: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 piston2	4: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp3
OR		4: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp3
Cylinders		Radial1,3 143	Radial 143	Radial2	Radial 143
Cooling
HP		1,200 each1,3	1,200 each3	1,200 each2	1,200 each3
Propeller blades		3 each1,3	3 each3
Dimensions
Span	110'3 33.53 m3	110'1 33.52 m1	110'3 33.53 m3	110'2 33.53 m2	110'3 33.53 m3
Length	66' 4"3 20.22 m3	66' 4"1 20.22 m1	67' 2"3 20.47 m3	67' 2"2 20.47 m2	66' 4"3 20.22 m3
Height	17' 11"3 5.46 m3	17' 11"1 5.46 m1	18'3 5.483	18'2 5.49 m2	18'3 5.46 m3
Wing area		1,048 ft2 1 97.36 m2 1		1,048 ft2 2 97.36 m2 2
Weight
Empty		32,605 lb3, 34,000 lb1 14,790 kg3, 15,413 kg1	38,000 lb3 17,237 kg3	36,500 lb2 16,556 kg2	31,953 lb3 14,486 kg3
Loaded		60,000 lb1, 64,000 lb3 27,216 kg1, 29,030 kg3	65,000 lb3 29,484 kg3	65,000 lb2 29,484 kg2	56,600 lb3 25,673 kg3
Maximum load		71,200 lb3 32,296 kg3	71,200 lb3 32,296 kg3
Performance
Speed		300 mph1 488 kph1			306 mph3 492 kph3
Speed @ 25,000' / 6,200 m				290 mph2 467 kph2
Speed @ 25,000' / 7,620 m	303 mph3 488 kph3			278 mph3 447 kph3
Cruising speed	200 mph3 322 kph3			237 mph3 447 kph3	200 mph3 322 kph3
Climb				1,025'/minute3 312 m/minute3
Climb to 20,000' / 6,095 m				25 minutes2
Climb to 20,000' / 6,096 m	22 minutes3				20.9 minutes3
Service ceiling	32,000'3 9,754 m3	32,500'1 9,900 m1		28,000'2,3 8,534 m3, 8,535 m2	31,000'3 9,449 m3
Range	2,850 miles3 4,586 km3	2,850 miles1 2,896 km1		2,000 miles2, 2,100 miles3 3,219 km2, 3,379 km3	2,900 miles3 4,667 km3
Range with 8,000 lb bomb load				1,540 miles3 2,478 km3
Armament		10: 0.5" MG3	10: 0.5" MG3
Nose turret		1: 12.7 mm MG1		2: 12.7 mm MG2
Fixed nose (a few had)		1: 12.7 mm MG1
Dorsal turret		2: 12.7 mm MG1		2: 12.7 mm MG2
Tail turret		2: 12.7 mm MG1		2: 12.7 mm MG2	1: 0.5" MG3
Ball turret (retractable)		2: 12.7 mm MG1		2: 12.7 mm MG2
Waist positions		1: 12.7 mm MG each side1		1: 12.7 mm MG each side2
Normal bomb load		8,000 lb3 3,629 kg3	8,000 lb3 3,629 kg3
Maximum bomb load		8,800 lb1, 12,800 lb3 3,629 kg1, 5,806 kg3	12,800 lb3 5,806 kg3	8,800 lb2 3,992 kg2

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
4. B-24 Liberator Units of the Pacific War, Robert F Dorr, 1999

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