", "Michigan History: Willow Run and the Arsenal of Democracy. [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 name "Liberator" was originally given to it by the RAF, and subsequently adopted by the USAAF as the official name for the Model 24. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! 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 ball turret was required to be retractable for ground clearance when preparing to land as well as for greater aerodynamic efficiency. 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. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. 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. 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. Though produced in smaller numbers than its partner the B-24 Liberator, the B-17, with superior high-altitude performance and greater resistance to battle damage, was the mainstay of the strategic bombing campaign. Quest for Performance: The Evolution of Modern Aircraft.. As built, the XB-24 top speed was only 273mph instead of the specified 311mph. On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. 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. The success of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. 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. The Liberator originated from a United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) request in 1938 for Consolidated to produce the B-17 under license. Some were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon. During the bomb run, the sight was slaved to the automatic pilot to guide the aircraft to the precise release point. 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. 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. B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. 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. [49] Up into December 1944, Ford had also produced an additional 7242 KD or 'Knock Down' Kits that would be trucked to and assembled by Consolidated in Ft. Worth and Douglas Aircraft in Tulsa. 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. The B-17 and the B-24 inevitably invited comparison. Because of their special skills, they were called upon to fly fuel to General George Patton's army during the summer and early autumn of 1944 when it outran its fuel supply. More B-24's were built than any other American airplane. Books repeated highlight the fact that the Mosquito bomb load over long distance was equal to a B17 (approx 4,000lbs). Early versions were fitted with a single .50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning machine gun in their tails, and a XC-87B version proposed two .50 caliber (12.7mm) fixed machine guns for the nose, operable by the pilot, though these were eventually removed. Due to its range, it proved useful in bombing operations in the Pacific, including the bombing of Japan. The specification was written such that the Model 32 would automatically be the winning design. 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]. Fifteen of the 15th AF's 21 bombardment groups flew B-24s. The Americans persisted, however, at great cost in men and aircraft. The extended nose earned it the name Pinocchio. 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. In 1943, the model of Liberator considered by many the "definitive" version was introduced. The tailplane featured two large oval vertical stabilizers mounted at the ends of a rectangular horizontal stabilizer. . Changes included the removal of all armament, provision for passenger seating, a revised cabin oxygen and heating system. 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. Aircraft had the ability to undertake surprise air attacks against surfaced submarines. 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. . Privacy Terms of Use EU and UK Data Protection Notice Cookies, http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-468/ch5-3.htm, NASA. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. 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. 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]. [29] The B-24 came to dominate the heavy bombardment role in the Pacific because compared to the B-17, the B-24 was faster, had longer range, and could carry a ton more bombs.[30]. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. Early Royal Air Force (RAF) Liberators were the first aircraft to routinely cross the Atlantic Ocean. Two were shot up by Japanese fighters, but both managed to land safely. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. Alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Flying Fortress, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus. Our Multi-Domain Operations/Joint All-Domain Operations solutions provide a complete picture of the battlespace and empowers warfighters to quickly make decisions that drive action. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. The turret proved unsatisfactory and was soon replaced by a tunnel gun, which was itself omitted. These narrow B-24 wings gave the plane speed and endurance but also vulnerability to damage. This role was dangerous, especially after many U-boats were armed with extra anti-aircraft guns, some adopting the policy of staying on the surface to fight, rather than submerging and risking being sunk by aerial weapons such as rockets, gunfire, torpedoes and depth charges from the bombers. Mosquito Vs B17 #13342705. This daring assault by high-altitude bombers at treetop level was a costly success. At an altitude of 900 metres there was a tremendous explosion. B-17 data. MEMORANDUM REPORT ON Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No. According to the history of the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, at least one squadron was assigned to the IX Troop Carrier Command in Europe to transport gasoline to advancing ground and air forces on the Continent after the Normandy invasion. Liberators were equipped with ASV Mk. It was used on penetration missions in RAF bomber streams at night in Luftwaffe markings. 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. Whereas the B-17 used 9-cylinder Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines, the Consolidated design used twin-row, 14-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-1830 "Twin Wasp" radials of 1,000hp (750kW). Thus the first six YB-24 were released for direct purchase under CAC contract # F-677 on 9 November 1940. The maximum takeoff weight was one of the highest of the period. A payload range diagram can be used to compare competing aircraft, and also shows where an aircraft is limited. 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. The B-24N was intended as a major production variant featuring a single tail. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. 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. [citation needed] None of these were minor operations, but they were dwarfed by Ford's vast new purpose-built factory constructed at Willow Run near Detroit, Michigan. Kane and Johnson survived the mission but three other recipients of the Medal of Honor for their actions in the missionLt. Compared to the B-17, it had a 6 feet (1.8m) larger wingspan but a lower wing area. Author of. The B-24 advanced the use of electronic warfare and equipped Search Bomber (SB), Low Altitude (LAB) and Radar Counter Measure (RCM) squadrons in addition to high-altitude bombing. Production of B-24s increased at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943. The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. 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. [24][25], For 12 months, No. 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. Other C-87 designations were the U.S. Navy designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator Cargo VII. Consolidated incorporated innovative features such as a tricycle landing gear and Davis wing. 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal). 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. In addition, the 36th BS flew night missions with the RAF Bomber Command 100 Group at RAF Sculthorpe. Initially, these aircraft were to be given USAAC serials 39681 to 39-687. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. With the American entry into World War II, production of the B-24 increased. 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. Liberators assigned to the RAF's Coastal Command in 1941, offensively to patrol against submarines in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, produced immediate results. 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. Corrections? Although the B-24 did not meet Project A goals, it was a step in that direction. 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. The bomber had disintegrated. The B-24 variants made by each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different parts to support various models. [13] For some time, newspapers had been requesting permission for a reporter to go on one of the missions. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. 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. Liberators were the only heavy bomber flown by the RAAF in the Pacific. Its lower altitude made it more vulnerable to flak. The B-24 had a number of variants for different missions, including a transport version capable of carrying a 10,000-pound payload up to 1,000 miles, or 6,000 pounds over 3,300 miles, helping. Arrangements for signal lighting varied from group to group, but generally consisted of white flashing lamps on both sides of the fuselage arranged to form the identification letter of the group. Omissions? In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. At its peak in 1944, the Willow Run plant produced one B-24 per hour and 650 B-24s per month. 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. The navigator's position was relocated behind the pilot. Just fewer of them. All armament and armor were removed and in some cases the tail turret. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. The conversion had a hinged cargo door at the nose eliminating transparent nose and large cargo doors installed in the waist area. BOAC also flew trans-Atlantic services and other various long-range air transportation routes. 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. [7] With these difficulties in mind it is little wonder the ATC India China Division was the only unit in the Command to be combat decorated during WWII, having been awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. 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 "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. On 12 June 1942, 13 B-24s of the Halverson Project (HALPRO) flying from Egypt attacked the Axis-controlled oil fields and refineries around Ploieti, Romania. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. The Lib had a larger bomb bay and a somewhat longer range. [37] Many C-109s were lost in flying the Hump airlift to China. In the China Burma India Theater (CBI), the C-87 was used to airlift cargo and fuel over the Hump (the Himalayas) from India to China. Many of the surviving Liberators originated in this Command. 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. 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. Ferry Command's Atlantic Return Ferry Service flew civilian ferry pilots, who had delivered aircraft to the UK, back to North America. Continued development work by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines. 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. The waist gun hatches were provided with doors. 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 pilot and co-pilot sat alongside each other in a well-glazed cockpit. This was the B-24's most costly mission. 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. After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. 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. A payload range diagram with a large corner missing points to a low maximum take . The B-24's spacious, slab-sided fuselage (which earned the aircraft the nickname "Flying Boxcar")[13] was built around two central bomb bays that could accommodate up to 8,000 pounds (3,600kg) of ordnance in each compartment (but rarely did, as this decreased range and altitude). The B-24D initially featured upper, belly and tail turrets, plus swiveling single guns in the waist and on either side of the nose. "Warplane Classic: Consolidated B-24 Liberator: Part 1". After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. 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. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. ". 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 aircraft used in the first allocation were B-24Ds retired by the 44th, 93rd and 389th Groups. The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. 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. These type of doors created a minimum of aerodynamic drag to keep speed high over the target area; they also allowed the bomb bays to be opened while on the ground since the low ground clearance prevented the use of normal bomb bay doors. Consolidated finished the prototype and had it ready for its first flight two days before the end of 1939. All but the last turret were power-operated, and each mounted a pair of 0.50-calibre (12.7-mm) machine guns. Liberators remained in service until 1948, when they were replaced by Avro Lincolns. 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. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. 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. [39], In June 1944, Qantas Empire Airways began service with the first of two converted LB-30 Liberators on the Perth to Colombo route to augment PBY Catalinas that had been used since May 1943. As early as 1938, the US Army Air Corps realized that if it went to war with another world power, the B-17 was be too small for long range bombing missions. 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. In total, a stunning 18,482 B-24s were produced to wage war against the Axis powers. Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. 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. One of these was captured at Venegono, Italy on 29 March 1944. 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. 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. This new fuselage was intentionally designed around twin bomb bays, each one being the same size and capacity of the B-17 bomb bays. Milano: Mondadori. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. Dorr, Robert F. and Jon Lake. [citation needed], In all, 18,482 B-24s were built by September 1945. Indigenous Fort Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627. However, in the ETO, the B-24 operated with the B-17 which constrained the aircraft's operating speed. 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. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. The B-17 had a notably smaller bomb bay than the Lanc (impressive though the B-17's payload was at the time of its design) - although the 22,000lb figure is for the Grand Slam carrying Lancs rather than the standard maximum load (which was, IIRC, about 14,000lb). We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. BY ba97 - Sat May 15, 2004 9:04 pm. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. The single fin was tested by Ford on a single B-24ST variant and an experimental XB-24K: it was found to improve handling. Munson, Kenneth, "Bombers 1939-45, Patrol and Transport Aircraft", Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., New York, Blandford Press Ltd., 1969, LCCN 77-92035, page 156. [citation needed]. Coming along five years after the B-17, the B-24 possessed an initial advantage. ", "B-24D-53-CO "Shady Lady" Serial Number 42-40369", US Army Air Forces in World War II: Vol. At Willow Run, Ford produced half of 18,000 total B-24s alone. Post was the only reporter assigned to a B-24-equipped group, the 44th Bomb Group. 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. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. 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. 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. 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 USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. The C-87A was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity. Also like the B-17, it carried the Norden bombsight. Engines: Four Wright "Cyclone" R-1820s of 1,200 hp. Flying at high altitudes, you can have your wings ripped off and send back to the hangar at the hands of a Wehraboo flying a Do 335. Helicopter widths include main rotor diameter. [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. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. (1978). It is limited structurally by maximum zero fuel weight ( M Z F W) of the aircraft. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 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 wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. In a joint venture between the Army Air Forces and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) code-named Operation Carpetbagger, pilots and crews flew specially modified B-24Ds painted with a glossy black anti-searchlight paint to supply friendly underground forces throughout German-occupied Europe. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. [9] The wing was also more susceptible to damage than the B-17's wing, making the aircraft less able to absorb battle damage. Knoke reported: "The fire spread out along the right wing.

Wheatsheaf Hotel Hobart, Francisco Morales Obituary, Articles B