eBay: Consolidated B-24 Liberator
- Thread starter Snautzer01
- Start date
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Nice shots!
The ditching procedure was nice in theory; unfortunately, often the impact of the water on the bomb bay doors would crush the doors, sending a piston of water into the rear half of the aircraft, snapping the fuselage in two at the rear edge of the bomb bay. The two pieces would fill with water and sink almost immediately. I heard that from my dad, who was a mechanic, 15th AF, 449 BG(H). One of the few stories I ever got out of him.
Niceoldguy58
Airman
- 94
- Mar 2, 2010
johnbr,
Please contact me. I'd like to talk with you about your beautiful color "How to Ditch the B-24" posting.
AlanG
Please contact me. I'd like to talk with you about your beautiful color "How to Ditch the B-24" posting.
AlanG
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Last edited:
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Good shots!
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Oil Painting. B-24H flown by Lt. Ray Williams,
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Artwork
Fire Over Ploesti by Roy Grinnell Air Force Art
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
I moved it.
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johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
Data on the b-24.
johnbr
2nd Lieutenant
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 Corps's B-17 Flying Fortress. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. 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.
By 1941, B-24s were being shipped to Great Britain, where they were given the name Liberator and adapted for a variety of purposes, including coastal patrol, protecting critical Atlantic cargo ship convoy crossings. The Liberators' range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. They also bombed German oil refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Allies' Mediterranean campaign.
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. 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.
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. No other American combat aircraft in history was produced on a larger scale.
By 1941, B-24s were being shipped to Great Britain, where they were given the name Liberator and adapted for a variety of purposes, including coastal patrol, protecting critical Atlantic cargo ship convoy crossings. The Liberators' range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. They also bombed German oil refineries and attacked critical targets in Italy, changing the tide of the Allies' Mediterranean campaign.
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. 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.
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. No other American combat aircraft in history was produced on a larger scale.
