While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. The Davis wing made the B-24 sensitive to weight distribution. Reply. 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. Failing to do this meant that the B-24 flew slightly nose high, and it used more fuel. 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. [13] Of the 177 B-24s that were dispatched on this operation, 54 were lost.[13]. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. First flown on 29 December 1939, the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation's B-24 Liberator came along more than four years after the famous and popular Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and showed somewhat improved range and payload capabilities over the Fortress.Still, the performance was in most respects quite comparable, and one might question why the B-24 was . So vital was the need for long-range operations, that at first USAAF used the type as transports. 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]. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft.. 3. Range: 1,850 miles Service Ceiling: 35,000 ft. B 24 - L IBERATOR Willow Run had the largest assembly line in the world (3,500,000sqft; 330,000m2). Earlier in the war, both the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force had abandoned daylight bombing raids because neither could sustain the losses suffered. 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. Leutnant Heinz Knoke (who finished the war with 31 kills) shot down the Liberator. Omissions? The USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. But it could take enemy flak, and its grateful crews returned safely to the ground after absorbing punishment that would send a B-24 into a nosedive. 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. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. 51820. Its lower altitude made it more vulnerable to flak. One of these was captured at Venegono, Italy on 29 March 1944. More B-24's were built than any other American airplane. 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 bombsight was located below the turret. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. As soon as more dependable Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando transports became available in large numbers, C-87s were rapidly phased out of combat zone service, with some later used as VIP transports or B-24 flight crew trainers. 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. 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. 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. machine guns with normal bomb load of 6,000 lbs. At its peak in 1944, the Willow Run plant produced one B-24 per hour and 650 B-24s per month. It had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. The navigator's position was relocated behind the pilot. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. [8], The B-24 had a shoulder-mounted high aspect ratio Davis wing. Uomini sul fondo: storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. [13] For some time, newspapers had been requesting permission for a reporter to go on one of the missions. Post was the only reporter assigned to a B-24-equipped group, the 44th Bomb Group. Maximum payload is the difference between maximum zero-fuel Weight and operational empty weight . Liberators were equipped with ASV Mk. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. 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. An American B-24 Liberator in flight. Online by mid-1943, the new plant produced hundreds of B-24 Liberator bombers. 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. and 40,000 lbs., respectively. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation. 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. However, all Liberators were produced with twin oval fins, with the exception of eight preproduction B-24N aircraft. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". In April 1939, the USAAC initially ordered seven YB-24 under CAC contract # 12464. ", This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 18:00. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. Books repeated highlight the fact that the Mosquito bomb load over long distance was equal to a B17 (approx 4,000lbs). 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. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). The blazing wreckage landed just outside Bad Zwischenahn airfield. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. 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. This was the B-24's most costly mission. And that was even if the US had bases nearby! Subject: Acceptance Performance Tests Section: Flying Branch . The maximum takeoff weight was one of the highest of the period. 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. B-17s couldn't carry as heavy a payload as the B-24, nor fly as far or as fast. Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. [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. Also, most naval aircraft had an Erco ball turret installed in the nose position, replacing the glass nose and other styles of turret. The pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other in a well-glazed cockpit. 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 . Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. 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. Colonel Leon W. Johnson, the 44th's commander, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership, as was Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, commander of the 98th Bomb Group. 29th Apr 2007, 21:34. In early 1942, with the need for a purpose-built transport with better high-altitude performance and longer range than the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the San Diego plant began sending B-24D models to Fort Worth for conversion into the C-87 transport. [9] The wing was also more susceptible to damage than the B-17's wing, making the aircraft less able to absorb battle damage. Long-range naval patrol versions often carried a light defensive armament. 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. [citation needed]. The aircraft had the distressing habit of losing all cockpit electrical power on takeoff or at landings, its engine power and reliability with the less-powerful superchargers also often left much to be desired. Also: B-24 has greater bombload and can cruise faster. The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. Because of this, Boeing began to work on pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the B-17. B-1B Lancer. The defensive armament of the B-24 varied from transport variants, which were usually unarmed, to bombers armed with up to ten .50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns located in turrets and waist gun positions. The B-17 had excellent flight characteristics and, unlike the B-24, was almost universally well regarded by those who flew it. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s. The RAF and later American patrols ranged from the east, based in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and beginning in mid-1943 from the Azores. 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 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. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. 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). "Consolidated B-24 Liberator. (Later versions were fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret.) The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) took delivery of its first B-24As in mid-1941. The new design would be the first American heavy bomber in production to use tricycle landing gear the North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber's predecessor, the NA-40 introduced this feature in January 1939 with the Consolidated Model 32 having long, thin wings with the efficient "Davis" high aspect ratio design (also used on the projected Model 31 twin-engined commercial flying boat)[17] promising to provide maximum fuel efficiency. 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. The low-altitude, nighttime operation was extremely dangerous and took its toll on these airmen. In total, a stunning 18,482 B-24s were produced to wage war against the Axis powers. Updates? Lastly, unlike a typical purpose-designed transport, the B-24 was not designed to tolerate large loading variations because most of its load was held on fixed bomb racks. [19] When France fell in 1940, their aircraft were re-directed to the RAF. 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. 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. The C-87 transport derivative served as a longer range, higher capacity counterpart to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Hendrix did not permit smoking on his B-24, even though he was a smoker. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. 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. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. 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. Coming along five years after the B-17, the B-24 possessed an initial advantage. 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. [44] Production took place at 5 plants. Some RAAF aircrew were given operational experience in Liberators while attached to USAAF squadrons. 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. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. [15] The occasional need during a mission for crewmen to move from fore to aft within the B-24's fuselage over the narrow catwalk was a drawback shared with other bomber designs. Navy PB4Y-1s assigned to Atlantic ASW and all Coast Guard PB4Y-1s had the ventral turret replaced by a retractable radome. 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. 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. B-17G (In Addition to Above): 2 x 0.50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns in powered Bendix chin turret. The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. Considered one of the best examples of precision bombing of the war, the raid on Gotha devastated German aircraft production and established the B-24 as one of the Allies most trusted bombers. The aircraft demonstrated unstable flight characteristics with all storage tanks filled, and proved very difficult to land fully loaded at airfields above 6,000ft (1,800m) MSL in elevation, such as those around Chengdu. The Norden consisted of a gyroscopically stabilized telescopic sight coupled to an electromechanical computer into which the bombardier fed inputs for altitude, atmospheric conditions, air speed, ground speed, and drift. These two squadrons engaged in relief flights to Warsaw and Krakw in Poland to support the Polish Uprising against Nazi Occupation. Australian aircrew seconded to the Royal Air Force flew Liberators in all theatres of the war, including with RAF Coastal Command, in the Middle East, and with South East Asia Command, while some flew in South African Air Force squadrons. 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. As early as 1942, it was recognized that the Liberator's handling and stability could be improved by the use of a single vertical fin. After it was discovered that these problems could be alleviated by flying with the forward storage tank empty, this practice became fairly routine, enhancing aircrew safety at the cost of some fuel-carrying capacity. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. Deep raids were called off in mid-October 1943 and were not resumed until February 1944, when long-range escort fighters such as the P-51 Mustang became available. It carried a larger bomb load than the B-17, and. [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. 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. 41-2399 . 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. From August 1943 until the end of the war in Europe, specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions. In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. The book. Some were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. Other C-87 designations were the U.S. Navy designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator Cargo VII. 37 to Bremen, Germany. 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; . Three more 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) machine guns brought the defensive armament up to 10 machine guns. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! A payload range diagram can be used to compare competing aircraft, and also shows where an aircraft is limited. The B-24N was intended as a major production variant featuring a single tail. pp. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. It saw use in every theater of operations. [9] The C-87 also shared the Liberator's dangerous sensitivity to icing, particularly prevalent over Himalayan routes. The B-17 was designed by the Boeing Aircraft Company in response to a 1934 Army Air Corps specification that called for a four-engined bomber at a time when two engines were the norm. Cost: $276,000 Serial Number: 42-32076 PERFORMANCE Maximum speed: 300 mph. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. The extended nose earned it the name Pinocchio. The 36th Bombardment Squadron was the Eighth Air Force's only electronic warfare squadron using specially equipped B-24s to jam German VHF communications during large Eighth Air Force daylight raids. 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. # 3 ( permalink) 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. Boeing B-17 Performance. According to the Willow Run Reference Book published 1 February 1945, Ford broke ground on Willow Run on 18 April 1941, with the first plane coming off the line on 10 September 1942. This unit then was formalized as the 376th Bombardment Group, Heavy, and along with the 98th BG formed the nucleus of the IX Bomber Command of the Ninth Air Force, operating from Africa until absorbed into the Twelfth Air Force briefly, and then the Fifteenth Air Force, operating from Italy. 'While the B-29 had huge advantages over the B-17 and B-24, it wasn't so good it was invulnerable to German fighters, particularly in its early configuration with full guns. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. During the bomb run, the sight was slaved to the automatic pilot to guide the aircraft to the precise release point. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. ". 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.