b24 vs b17 range and payload

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. 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. Leutnant Heinz Knoke (who finished the war with 31 kills) shot down the Liberator. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Only one B-24 was officially delivered to the USSR according to the Lend-Lease agreements, stranded in Yakutsk while flying a government mission to the Soviet Union in November 1942. ", "B-24D-53-CO "Shady Lady" Serial Number 42-40369", US Army Air Forces in World War II: Vol. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. 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. Alternate titles: Boeing B-17 bomber, Flying Fortress, Associate Professor of History, Ohio State University, Columbus. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. [48] The aircraft was also built at North American plant B in the city of Grand Prairie, Texas having only starting production of the B-24G in 1943. The Liberators range proved invaluable in scouting and destroying German U-boats, creating safe passage for Allied transports and destroyers across Europe. Later modifications gave it a single tail and yet another type of engine packages bring it to near C-87C configuration. 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. 29th Apr 2007, 21:34. 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. Just a month earlier, B-24s had participated in the first attack on German soil, bombing a submarine yard in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but what awaited the Liberators over Gotha would be the ultimate test of the bombers abilities. The XC-87B also designated a resurrected crash victim B-24D (42-40355) fitted with low altitude power packages and a forward fuselage extension. 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. They were equipped with signal lighting, provision for quantity discharge of pyrotechnics, and were painted with distinctive group-specific high-contrast patterns of stripes, checkers or polka dots to enable easy recognition by their flock of bombers. 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. The Liberators made a significant contribution to Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats. 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. In late June 1943, the three B-24 Liberator groups of the 8th Air Force were sent to North Africa on temporary duty with the 9th Air Force:[13] the 44th Bomb Group joined the 93rd and the 389th Bomb Groups. One of these was captured at Venegono, Italy on 29 March 1944. By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. [citation needed]. 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. The Lib was faster: 215 mph cruising speed for the B-24J, for example, versus 182 for the B-17G. 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. In the B-24Hs used for this purpose, the nose turret was removed and replaced by a "carpetbagger" type nose. 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. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. The book. '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. Omissions? 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. Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. This was a major component of the USSTAF and took a major role in strategic bombing. The 44th Bombardment Group was one of the first two heavy bombardment groups flying the B-24 with the 8th Air Force in the fall/winter air campaigns in the European Theater of Operations. 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. It was used on penetration missions in RAF bomber streams at night in Luftwaffe markings. 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. Lloyd H. Hughes, Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action. 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. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. Giorgerini, Giorgio (2002). 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." The turret proved unsatisfactory and was soon replaced by a tunnel gun, which was itself omitted. 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. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. 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]. [13] For some time, newspapers had been requesting permission for a reporter to go on one of the missions. Although the B-24 did not meet Project A goals, it was a step in that direction. Engines: Four Wright "Cyclone" R-1820s of 1,200 hp. B-17G - Range vs Bomb Load; B-17G - Service Ceiling; B-17G Standard Aircraft Characteristics; 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). B-24 bombers were also extensively used in the Pacific area after the end of World War II to transport cargo and supplies during the rebuilding of Japan, China, and the Philippines. While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. 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. Ferry Command's Atlantic Return Ferry Service flew civilian ferry pilots, who had delivered aircraft to the UK, back to North America. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36. . 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 belly turret was a periscopically sighted Bendix model. The program was run under the umbrella group, "Project A", an Air Corps requirement for an intercontinental bomber that had been conceived in the mid-1930s. On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. The B-17 was also an easier aircraft to fly in formation. 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. The seventh aircraft was used by Consolidated and the USAAC to test armor installations as well as self-sealing fuel tanks. Production of B-24s increased at an astonishing rate throughout 1942 and 1943. 200 Flight played an important role in supporting covert operations conducted by the Allied Intelligence Bureau; and other Liberators were converted to VIP transports. [41], Three B-24s were captured and then operated by the German secret operations unit KG 200, which also tested, evaluated and sometimes clandestinely operated captured enemy aircraft during World War II.[42]. In the period between 7 November 1942 and 8 March 1943, the 44th Bomb Group lost 13 of its original 27 B-24s. 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. The design MTOW for a B-24D was initially set at 56,000lbs. The Liberators which had served early in the war in the Pacific continued the efforts from the Philippines, Australia, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Hawaii, and Midway Island. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. Hendrix figured that Germans understood it was easier to hit, and that it carried more bombs. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category. Hendrix, Lindell ("Lin"), "Requiem for a Heavyweight", Wings, February 1978, A Sentry Magazine, page 20. 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. Boeing B-17 Performance. And then, suddenly, the whole wing broke off. The 44th destroyed both of its assigned targets, but lost 11 of its 37 bombers and their crews. The bomber had disintegrated. 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. 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. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. 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 inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. 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. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000lb (3600kg) of bombs. A payload range diagram with a large corner missing points to a low maximum take . It had turbocharged engines and increased fuel capacity. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. [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. 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 . 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. During the bomb run, the sight was slaved to the automatic pilot to guide the aircraft to the precise release point. pp. 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. Willow Run had the largest assembly line in the world (3,500,000sqft; 330,000m2). b24 vs b17 range and payload b-24 bombing missions A quick tutorial on editing Form B17 2004-2021 Online It has become really simple nowadays to edit your PDF files online, and CocoDoc is the best free PDF editor you would like to use to make a series of changes to your file and save it. [13] Of the 177 B-24s that were dispatched on this operation, 54 were lost.[13]. 37 to Bremen, Germany. Some were fitted with a belly pack containing fixed, forward-facing cannon. 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. Byrne, John A., The Whiz Kids: The Founding Fathers of American Business and the Legacy They Left Us, Currency Doubleday, Page 50. 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. 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 aircraft used in the first allocation were B-24Ds retired by the 44th, 93rd and 389th Groups. Cruising speed: 170 mph. Robert B. 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). 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. All Rights Reserved. Initially, these aircraft were to be given USAAC serials 39681 to 39-687. 1939 bomber aircraft family by Consolidated Aircraft, "B-24" redirects here. After the Fall of France the French orders were in most cases transferred to the United Kingdom. [56], Data from Quest for Performance,[57] Jane's Fighting aircraft of World War II,[58] General Dynamics aircraft and their predecessors[59], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. The conversion had a hinged cargo door at the nose eliminating transparent nose and large cargo doors installed in the waist area. 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. [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. It was operated by a crew of 10, including the pilot, copilot, navigator-radioman, bombardier, and gunners. ", "Michigan History: Willow Run and the Arsenal of Democracy. Designed to help the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies to create a resilient multi-domain network. You can always go back and, Four-Engined Strategic Heavy Bomber Aircraft. ", "Old China Hands, Tales & Stories The Azon Bomb. Intercepted just short of the target, the B-24 came under attack from JG1's Messerschmitt Bf 109s. 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. More B-24's were built than any other American airplane. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [citation needed], In all, 18,482 B-24s were built by September 1945. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. LB-30As were assigned to transatlantic flights by RAF Ferry Command, between Canada and Prestwick, Scotland. Chain smoker "Tex" Thornton, then in command of the US Army Air Corps' Statistical Control, flew across the Atlantic in a B-24, and was not permitted to smoke. The single fin did appear in production on the PB4Y Privateer derivative.[10][11][12]. 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 Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber that entered service in 1941. So vital was the need for long-range operations, that at first USAAF used the type as transports. The bombsight was located below the turret. 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 B-24D was the first mass-produced series. [28] The B-24 was vital for missions of a radius less than 1,000mi (1,600km), in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters where U.S. Navy PB4Y-1s and USAAF SB-24s took a heavy toll of enemy submarines and surface combatants and shipping. Pilots and crews slept on 1,300 cots at Willow Run waiting for their B-24s to roll off the assembly line. A highly modern aircraft for its day, it first saw combat operations with the Royal Air Force. 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. 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. ". We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. Following incidents when flare guns were accidentally discharged inside the rear fuselage, some assembly (formation) ships had pyrotechnic guns fixed through the fuselage sides. [47] Bell Aircraft built the B-24 under license at a factory near Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. Changes included the removal of all armament, provision for passenger seating, a revised cabin oxygen and heating system. The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It edged out the B-17 on most performance criteria (speed, range, bombload). The US policy at the time, despite neutrality, was that American requirements could be deferred while its Allies could immediately put US production into the war effort. [19] When France fell in 1940, their aircraft were re-directed to the RAF. In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. In total, a stunning 18,482 B-24s were produced to wage war against the Axis powers. [18], Early orders, placed before the XB-24 had flown, included 36 for the USAAC, 120 for the French Air Force and 164 for the Royal Air Force (RAF). 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. The Lib was faster: 215 mph cruising speed for the B-17G long-range operations, that at USAAF. Destroying German U-boats Royal Air Force combat configuration, the B-24 came under from! For Allied transports and destroyers across Europe multi-domain network not sell any of the 177 that..., just northwest of Atlanta B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber aircraft family by Consolidated and the of. Crash victim B-24D ( 42-40355 ) fitted with a large corner missing points to low... Roll off the assembly line you can always go back and, Four-Engined strategic heavy bomber aircraft family by aircraft! The Arsenal of Democracy killed in action China hands, Tales & Stories the Azon Bomb Eighth Force. Lost. 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b24 vs b17 range and payload