Existing comment:
Model 32, the name given for the prototype XB-24, took its first flight on December 29, 1939 over the skies of San Diego one day short of the time limit specified in the USAAC contract. Four Pratt & Whitney 1100 hp engines provided the power for the XB-24. The ultra-modern Davis wing performed well, creating a range 200 miles greater than the B-17. The B-24's maximum speed, however, was only 273 mph, still slower than a turbosupercharged B-17C. In March 1939, the US Army ordered 7 YB-24, service test bombers with turbo-surperchargers for high altitude flight. Nine B-24Cs came next, but none of these aircraft ever saw combat. The subsequent variant, the B-24D, would be used throughout the world theater. On June 30, 1943, the turret-equipped B-24H appeared on the scene, followed by the B-24J, L, and M, all of which included a full suite of anti-fighter armament -- machine guns in the nose-, top-, and ball-turrets; at the waist; and at the tail of the aircraft. When flown in the "box formation," Liberators presented formidable firepower to enemy attackers.
In light of the massive commitment the United States made to the B-24, it is ironic to note that France, and not the USAAC, placed the first production order for 139 Liberators, which they called the LB-30. France surrendered long before any could be delivered, so the Royal Air Force (RAF) took over the French order. Twenty were taken by Coastal Command as the Liberator I. These were very early B-24s with armor, extra machine guns, and self-sealing fuel tanks added. The RAF then ordered 140 Liberator IIs, with fuselage lengthened to equal that of the B-24D, but with Hamilton Standard propellers. These were the last of the contract Liberators for the RAF, as all subsequent RAF Liberators went to the British through the Lend-Lease program. Subsequent British models included the Liberator III and IIIA, based on the B-24D; the Liberator IV, derived from the B-24E; and the Liberator V, a conversion of the B-24G. The Liberator VI came from the B-24H and B-24J. The Liberator VII was a transport based on the C-87 cargo variant of the Liberator. The Liberator VIII was an improved Liberator VI, while the Liberator IX was another cargo variant based on the US Navy's R3Y. |