Search results
At its inception, the B-24 was a modern design featuring a highly efficient shoulder-mounted, high aspect ratio Davis wing. The wing gave the Liberator a high cruise speed, long range and the ability to carry a heavy bomb load.
The B-24 was powered by a 1,200 hp (900 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 or -41 turbosupercharged radial engine. The turbo-supercharger was placed on the lower surface of the engine nacelle and the oil cooler and supercharger ducting were placed on either side of the engine.
- 18 ft 8 in (5.68 m)
- 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m)
- 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
B-24, long-range heavy bomber used during World War II by the U.S. and British air forces. It was designed by the Consolidated Aircraft Company (later Consolidated-Vultee) in response to a January 1939 U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) requirement for a four-engined heavy bomber.
Learn about the B-24 Liberator, a heavy bomber that flew in all theaters of World War II and was produced by four manufacturers. See the forward fuselage of Over Exposed, a B-24D with the markings and nose art of Jim Sowell's father.
- Specifications
- B-24 Liberator Production Recap by Model and Assembly Plant
- Willow Run Plant in Michigan
- B-24 Liberators Face The Scrap Yard After World War II
- B-24 Liberator Surviving Aircraft
Crew: 11 (pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier, radio operator, nose turret, top turret, 2 waist gunners, ball turret, tail gunner)Length: 67 ft 8 inWingspan: 110 ft 0 inHeight: 18 ft 0 inA total of 18,493 Liberators were built, more than any other aircraft in World War II. Several factories produced the Liberator: 1. Original Consolidated plant in San Diego 2. A second Consolidated plant in Fort Worth 3. Ford Motor Co. at Willow Run, Michigan 4. North American Aviation in Dallas 5. Douglas Aircraft Co. in Tulsa Included on this web...
The Willow Runmanufacturing plant, located between Ypsilanti and Belleville, Michigan, was constructed during World War II by the Ford Motor Company for the mass production of the B-24 Liberator. On October 1, 1942, the first plane was completed and christened "The Spirit of Ypsilanti." The Willow Run Airport, with six runways to test planes, was a...
After the end of World War II in August of 1945, the U.S. Army Air Corp found itself with thousands of surplus, and now obsolete, B-24 Liberators. Of the 18,493 Liberators that were built, most were sent to military aircraft boneyards for temporary storage, sale, or scrapping and smelting into aluminum ingots. While some were sold and continued usa...
Unfortunately, few B-24s survive today. Of the massive numbers of Liberators that were built, only thirteen are known to exist around the world, either on display (10), under restoration (1), or airworthy (2).
These concepts are all visible in the B-24. Consolidated repurposed the big boxy fuselage into a bomb bay, which could take a huge bomb load of up to 8,000 pounds. The bomb bay doors also opened up by rolling inside the aircraft, which reduced drag in flight.
Although its first operation consisted merely of seven bombers creating a diversion for an attack by Fortresses, the 44th Bomb Group was destined to take part in 343 missions up to April 1945. It flew more missions and dropped more bombs (18,980 tons) than any other B-24 group except the 93rd.
