37 to Bremen, Germany. These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. [43] The regiment concerned appears to have been the 890th Bomber Aviation Regiment at Baranovichi until 1944, and then Kazan. Early versions were fitted with a single .50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning machine gun in their tails, and a XC-87B version proposed two .50 caliber (12.7mm) fixed machine guns for the nose, operable by the pilot, though these were eventually removed. 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. With it's great range, it performed anti-sub work in the Atlantic and heavy bomber support in the Pacific. 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. [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. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000lb (3600kg) of bombs. The B-24D was the first mass-produced series. 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). In addition, the small number of Liberators operated by No. It was necessary when flying the B-24, to get "on step". 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. This gave the B-24 a 35-percent higher wing loading. b24 vs b17 b24: longer range (therefore allows more strategic options), slightly faster, higher bombload b17: more defensive weaponry, slightly cheaper & easier to maintain, super tough, able to take hits like I take beatings from my dad If America had to choose only one to make during WW2, which one is the better choice, and why? 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. 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] It proved to be quite vulnerable to icing conditions, and was prone to fall into a spin with even small amounts of ice accumulated onto its Davis wing. Indigenous Fort Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627. The planes service ceiling of 25,000 to 35,000 feet (7,500 to 10,500 metres), depending on the bomb load, put it above the worst of the German antiaircraft artillery, but, firepower notwithstanding, formations of B-17s proved unable to fight their way unescorted to targets deep inside Germany in the face of determined fighter opposition without incurring excessive losses. Changes included the removal of all armament, provision for passenger seating, a revised cabin oxygen and heating system. Kane and Johnson survived the mission but three other recipients of the Medal of Honor for their actions in the missionLt. RAF Liberators were also operated as bombers from India by SEAC and would have been a part of Tiger Force if the war had continued. and 40,000 lbs., respectively. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. 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. Additionally, the Liberator equipped a number of independent squadrons in a variety of special combat roles. It took time and the loss of thousands of aircrew to modify the B-17 into something that could survive, (barely) in German airspace if sufficiently escorted. [40], Two squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF) also flew B-24s: 31 and 34 Squadrons under No 2 Wing SAAF based at Foggia, Italy. 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. The Liberators made a significant contribution to Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats. A heavily loaded B-24 was difficult to fly at speeds of less than 160mph (260 km/h). Three more 0.50 caliber (12.7mm) machine guns brought the defensive armament up to 10 machine guns. In the hands of a skilled bombardier, the Norden was a remarkably accurate sight. Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. This role was dangerous, especially after many U-boats were armed with extra anti-aircraft guns, some adopting the policy of staying on the surface to fight, rather than submerging and risking being sunk by aerial weapons such as rockets, gunfire, torpedoes and depth charges from the bombers. Consequently, it was relatively easy for a poorly trained ground crew to load a C-87 with its center of gravity too far forward or aft, rendering the aircraft difficult to control due to inadequate or excessive longitudinal stability. 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. This was the B-24's most costly mission. On a ferry flight from Hildesheim to Bavaria on 6 April 1945 it was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. 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. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. [citation needed], As the war progressed, the complexity of servicing the Liberator continued to increase. In the China Burma India Theater (CBI), the C-87 was used to airlift cargo and fuel over the Hump (the Himalayas) from India to China. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. No other American combat aircraft in history was produced on a larger scale. He flew in B-24 41-23777 ("Maisey") on Mission No. The inboard propeller windmilled to a stop. Online by mid-1943, the new plant produced hundreds of B-24 Liberator bombers. The navigator and bombardier who could also double as a nose or wiggly ear gunners (guns mounted in the sides of the aircraft nose) sat in the nose, fronted on the pre-B-24H models with a well-framed "greenhouse" nose with some two dozen glazed panels and with two flexible ball-mounts built into it for forward defensive firepower using .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine guns. American Liberators flew from Nova Scotia, Greenland, the Azores, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, Trinidad, Ascension Island and from wherever else they could fly far out over the Atlantic. [9] The C-87 also shared the Liberator's dangerous sensitivity to icing, particularly prevalent over Himalayan routes. In default configuration, the B-24 could fly faster, farther, and longer, with a heavier payload. 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. The 859 BS was converted from day bombardment to these operations and then transferred to the 15th Air Force. The B-17 and the B-24 inevitably invited comparison. This wing was highly efficient allowing a relatively high airspeed and long range. The wing gave the Liberator a high cruise speed, long range and the ability to carry a heavy bomb load. It's crewmen claimed 2,600 enemy aircraft shot down. All five plants switched over to the almost identical B-24J in August 1943. A payload range diagram can be used to compare competing aircraft, and also shows where an aircraft is limited. All but the last turret were power-operated, and each mounted a pair of 0.50-calibre (12.7-mm) machine guns. Colonel Leon W. Johnson, the 44th's commander, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership, as was Col. John Riley "Killer" Kane, commander of the 98th Bomb Group. [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]. # 3 ( permalink) 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." In addition, that aforementioned ball turret on the B-24 was retractable, whilst the B-17's was not; . The attack became disorganized after a navigational error which alerted the defenders and protracted the bomb run from the initial point. 4 x Wright Cyclone R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller units. That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! 29th Apr 2007, 21:34. It had been sent to the Central Pacific for a very long-range reconnaissance mission that was preempted by the Japanese attack. The new design would be the first American heavy bomber in production to use tricycle landing gear the North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber's predecessor, the NA-40 introduced this feature in January 1939 with the Consolidated Model 32 having long, thin wings with the efficient "Davis" high aspect ratio design (also used on the projected Model 31 twin-engined commercial flying boat)[17] promising to provide maximum fuel efficiency. It used differential braking and differential thrust for ground steering, which made taxiing difficult.[16]. Designed to help the U.S. and allies leverage emerging technologies to create a resilient multi-domain network. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Robert B. Omissions? The success of the Mosquito as a pathfinder or tactical bomber is without challenge. Bomb load R-1820-97 radial piston engines developing 1,200 horsepower each driving three-bladed propeller.... 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