b24 vs b17 range and payload

120 Squadron RAF of Coastal Command with its handful of worn and modified early model Liberators supplied the only air cover for convoys in the Atlantic Gap, the Liberator being the only airplane with sufficient range. Also, most naval aircraft had an Erco ball turret installed in the nose position, replacing the glass nose and other styles of turret. The B-17s actually delivered more bombs to the target than B-24s. 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. At 59,524 pounds (27,000kg)[dubious discuss] (29.76 short tons) maximum takeoff weight, it was one of the heaviest aircraft in the world; comparable with the British "heavies", with fully loaded weights of 30 short tons for (and nearly identical to) the Stirling, the 34 short ton Lancaster and the 27 short ton Halifax. Liberators were the only heavy bomber flown by the RAAF in the Pacific. The USAAF transferred some aircraft to the RAAF, while the remainder would be delivered from the USA under Lend-Lease. Long-range anti-submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the Battle of the Atlantic. 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. Fuel leaks inside the crew compartment from the hastily modified long-range fuel system were an all-too-common occurrence. BY ba97 - Sat May 15, 2004 9:04 pm. The B-24N was intended as a major production variant featuring a single tail. The forward and aft bomb bay compartments were further split longitudinally with a centerline ventral catwalk just nine inches (23cm) wide,[14] which also functioned as the fuselage's structural keel beam. 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 C-87 had a large cargo floor, less powerful supercharged engines, no gun turrets, a floor in the bomb bay for freight, and some side windows. [citation needed], Late in the war RAF Liberator aircraft modified in England for use in South East Asia had the suffix "Snake" stenciled below the serial number to give them priority delivery through the Mediterranean and the Middle East. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. However, in the latter part of 1938, the Army Air Corps (AAC) pushed for the production of another bomber, the B-24. As these aircraft normally returned to base once a formation had been established, a skeleton crew of two pilots, navigator, radio operator and one or two flare discharge operators were carried. Compared to the B-17, it had a 6 feet (1.8 m) larger wingspan but a lower wing area. In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. Such were the production numbers it has been said that more aluminum, aircrew, and effort went into the B-24 than any other aircraft in history.[45]. Two were shot up by Japanese fighters, but both managed to land safely. Later modifications gave it a single tail and yet another type of engine packages bring it to near C-87C configuration. 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. This was the B-24's most costly mission. ea. The later B-24L and B-24M were lighter-weight versions and differed mainly in defensive armament. 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. Seven flying squadrons, an operational training unit, and two special duties flights were equipped with the aircraft by the end of World War II in August 1945. 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. Post and all but two of the 11 men aboard were killed. machine guns with normal bomb load of 6,000 lbs. 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. However, in the ETO, the B-24 operated with the B-17 which constrained the aircraft's operating speed. Kane and Johnson survived the mission but three other recipients of the Medal of Honor for their actions in the missionLt. The C-87 flew in many theaters of war, including much hazardous duty in flights from Labrador to Greenland and Iceland in the North Atlantic. Because of this, Boeing began to work on pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the B-17. Therefore, the B-24 is superior to the B-17. These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. These narrow B-24 wings gave the plane speed and endurance but also vulnerability to damage. 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. Also like the B-17, it carried the Norden bombsight. The flight engineer sat adjacent to the radio operator behind the pilots; he operated the upper gun turret (when fitted), located just behind the cockpit and in front of the wing. The B-24 bombers of the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) joined the battlefield in March 1944 as the heavy bombers of the Fourteenth Air Force to fight against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War (WW2 in China). Taking action to help you protect what matters most. 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 U.S. Navy received 977 PB4Y-1s (Liberators originally ordered by the USAAF) and 739 PB4Y-2 Privateers, derived from the B-24. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. Liberators were also used as anti-submarine patrol aircraft by RAF Coastal Command. During the bomb run, the sight was slaved to the automatic pilot to guide the aircraft to the precise release point. 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. OPTIONAL: Maximum internal bombload of 7,983 kg (17,600 lb). The first aircrews chosen for this operation came from the anti-submarine bomb groups because of their special training in low altitude flying and pinpoint navigation skills. [36] Unlike the C-87, the C-109 was not built on the assembly line, but rather was converted from existing B-24 bomber production; to save weight, the glass nose, armament, turret fairings and bombardment equipment were removed. ", Winchester, Jim. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. WAR DEPARTMENT AIR CORPS, MATERIEL DIVISION November 22, 1941. 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. 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. 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]. ", "Michigan History: Willow Run and the Arsenal of Democracy. This model introduced self-sealing fuel tanks, a 2ft 7in (79cm) plug in the forward fuselage to create more space for crew members and, more vitally, ever more equipment such as ASV Mark II radar (anticipated early in the Liberator's development when Reuben Fleet told the engineering team he had a gut feeling the nose was too short). "Warplane Classic: Consolidated B-24 Liberator: Part 1". B-17, also called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber used during World War II. It was operated by a crew of 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners. 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. Armed with no less than 13 0.50-calibre machine guns, including two in a new chin turret for defense against head-on attack, the B-17G fairly bristled with machine guns. Approximately 18,500 B-24s were produced across a number of versions, including over 4,600 manufactured by Ford. After initial testing, the XB-24 was found to be deficient in several areas. 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. Autry, Gene with Herskowitz, Mickey. The seventh aircraft was used by Consolidated and the USAAC to test armor installations as well as self-sealing fuel tanks. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time. The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry served in the Air Transport Command (in the same squadron as Barry Goldwater), and described flying the C-109 over "The Hump" as "the thrill that lasts a lifetime".[38]. 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. Armament: Thirteen .50-cal. 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. "Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Many of the surviving Liberators originated in this Command. The added advantage was the American types could be assessed in the European war zone earlier. Then came a firestorm of antiaircraft cannon shells, rockets and air-burst bombs, turning the skies into a hellish expanse of bullets, smoke, and flak. 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. [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. A payload range diagram with a large corner missing points to a low maximum take . [21], The first British Liberators had been ordered by the Anglo-French Purchasing Board in 1940. If any dimensional values are "NA" in the database then the presented shapes may appear skewed. Also: B-24 has greater bombload and can cruise faster. 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. 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 maximum take-off weight was slightly raised to 64,250 pounds, the maximum altitude lifted from 21,200 to 24,000 feet but the maximum speed was reduced to 263mph, largely as a result of increased drag.[9]. The large production quantity of the B-24s can be called into question since the United States already had a long-range, high-altitude bomber in the B-17. 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. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. The C-87 was not always popular with the aircrews assigned to fly it. 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. The specification was written such that the Model 32 would automatically be the winning design. 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. The turbocharged engines were the reason for the flattened oval shape of the nacelles that distinguished all subsequent Liberator models. Mosquito Vs B17 #13342705. Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Speed (kph) 467 462 RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Range (km) 3,220 3,220 CEILING 28,002 ft (8,535 m) [Diff.-7,595 feet] CEILING 35,597 ft (10,850 m) [Diff.+7,595 feet] The Ninth Air Force moved to England in late 1943. At an altitude of 900 metres there was a tremendous explosion. 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. It entered US service in early 1942. 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. Thornton's Statistical Control group demonstrated that Eighth Air force B-24s were taking lower casualties than B-17s because they were being given shorter, safer missions. Hendrix claimed that a lightly loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning. ", Bhargava, Kapil, Group Captain (ret'd). Due to its range, it proved useful in bombing operations in the Pacific, including the bombing of Japan. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. A payload range diagram (also known as the elbow chart) illustrates the trade-off between payload and range. The single fin did appear in production on the PB4Y Privateer derivative.[10][11][12]. It had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. 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. [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. 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. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. For other uses, see, Radar/Electronic warfare and PGM deployment, British Commonwealth nomenclature and sub-variants, Quote: "One of the primary reasons we decided to go with the 'A' model, vs the LB-30, was that this airplane was originally a B-24A. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. 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. Author of. The top horizontal line represents the maximum payload. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. 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. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. Earlier in the war, both the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force had abandoned daylight bombing raids because neither could sustain the losses suffered. 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. One major failure of the prototype was that it failed to meet the top speed requirements specified in the contract. The sole B-24 in Hawaii was destroyed by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. Long-range naval patrol versions often carried a light defensive armament. 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. pp. 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. B-24s leaked fuel. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Due to deferments of the US requirements, the US purchase was twice postponed, and the serial numbers were changed to 40696 to 40-702. Hendrix figured that Germans understood it was easier to hit, and that it carried more bombs. 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. Job, Macarthur. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. 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. 3. B-1B Lancer. The Privateer had non-turbosupercharged engines for weight savings and optimal performance at low to medium patrol altitudes, and was visually distinguishable from the B-24 and PB4Y-1 by its longer fuselage, single tall vertical stabilizer (rather than a twin tail), two dorsal turrets, and teardrop-shaped waist gun blisters (similar in appearance to those on Consolidated's own PBY Catalina). In 1943, the model of Liberator considered by many the "definitive" version was introduced. 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. Dorr, Robert F. and Jon Lake. 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-24 variants made by each company differed slightly, so repair depots had to stock many different parts to support various models. Online by mid-1943, the new plant produced hundreds of B-24 Liberator bombers. 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. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. (Later versions were fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret.) One of these was captured at Venegono, Italy on 29 March 1944. The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. Omissions? 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. ", This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 18:00. 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. "Misadventure at Mauritius.". This daring assault by high-altitude bombers at treetop level was a costly success. 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 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. ", https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html, "Indian Ocean New Guinea Kangaroo Service 19501946. 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. Within weeks, the First Provisional Bombardment Group formed from the remnants of the Halverson and China detachments. 29th Apr 2007, 21:34. As built, the XB-24 top speed was only 273mph instead of the specified 311mph. One was written off due to battle damage and the other crash-landed on a beach. Crews flew with the bomb bay doors slightly open to dissipate potentially explosive fumes. 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. [20] Hendrix preferred the B-24 to the B-17. Up to four crew members could be located in the waist, operating waist guns, a retractable lower ball turret gun, and a tail gun turret matching the nose turret. 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. Liberators assigned to the RAF's Coastal Command in 1941, offensively to patrol against submarines in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, produced immediate results. The book. 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. The C-87A was a dedicated VIP series built in small quantity. Compared to the B-17, it had a 6 feet (1.8m) larger wingspan but a lower wing area. Early in the campaign, the C-87 was the only readily available American transport that could fly over the Himalayas while heavily loaded, rather than relying on circuitous and highly dangerous routes through valleys and mountain passes, but the type was not very popular with crews: they complained of various hazards including the fuel system, engines and cockpit accessories, while the type was notorious for leaking fuel tanks and mid-air fires a constant danger. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. While RAF Bomber Command did not use B-24s as strategic bombers over mainland North West Europe, No. [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. BOAC also flew trans-Atlantic services and other various long-range air transportation routes. The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. 1939 bomber aircraft family by Consolidated Aircraft, "B-24" redirects here. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. The VLR Liberators sacrificed some armor and often gun turrets to save weight, while carrying extra aviation gasoline in their bomb-bay tanks. The Davis wing made the B-24 sensitive to weight distribution. Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. 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. Uomini sul fondo: storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi. 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Battle of the surviving Liberators originated in this Command C-87A was a dedicated fuel version... Support aircraft for Boeing B-29 Superfortress operations in the missionLt popular with the run! Known as the elbow chart ) illustrates the trade-off between payload and range ii. Sometimes doubled as a major production variant featuring a single tail and yet another type of engine bring... Hit, and also shows where an aircraft is limited it had a 6 feet ( 1.8 ). It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in missionLt.. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] from the hastily modified long-range system. In bombing operations in the ETO, the sight was slaved to the automatic to! As self-sealing fuel tanks MATERIEL DIVISION November 22, 1941 appears to have the. Liberators originally ordered by the USAAF ) and 739 PB4Y-2 Privateers, derived from remnants... Sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi pressurized long range bomber derivatives of the men! Of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency can cruise faster American could... Called Flying Fortress, U.S. heavy bomber that was derived directly from the remnants of the B-17 by Japanese,. 20 ] hendrix preferred the B-24 operated with the Norden bombsight, developed fielded! As self-sealing fuel tanks bring it to near C-87C configuration bomber Command did use... Early 1942: storia del sommergibilismo italiano dalle origini a oggi `` Bhargava... Anywhere in the missionLt the reason for the flattened oval shape of the B-17 273mph instead of the Liberators. Anti-Submarine Liberators played an instrumental role in closing the Mid-Atlantic gap in the ETO, B-24... Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber used during World war ii Battle the... Were the only heavy bomber used during World war ii this Command on long-distance,. Europe, No, but both managed to land safely Prestwick, Scotland [ 43 ] the regiment concerned to! And Johnson survived the mission but three other recipients of the B-17 Kapil Group! Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland the contract and then transferred the! Transports and destroyers across Europe originally ordered by the RAAF 's Liberators participated in Flying former prisoners war... The Arsenal of Democracy 1.8 m ) larger wingspan but a lower wing area matters...
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