The Vultee B-24 Liberator

Why turning olive green Jeep engines Quad Consolidated Vultee B-24 Liberator open, the morning sun, the sky a perfect blue, flashed from the pages of the aircraft 252 534 "Witchcraft" and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 231 909 "Nine -O-Nine at the beginning of September 2005 Day of Farmingdale Republic Airport on Long Island.

For example, on a flight aboard the B-24 bombers' s air, somehow I feel as if I entered a World War II, Time Warp.

The GroupVultee B-24 Liberator had its origin in 1938 U. S. Requirement Army Air Corps for a long haul, high capacity, the bombers capable of cruising at 300 kmh and 30,000 meters with a range of 3,000 miles. Although it was originally intended to have established that existing B-17 aircraft, was able to design a completely new long-range heavy bombers bombers almost the same moment when they had taken to convert their current production line San Diego The construction of athe first mock-up in January 1939, three months before the contract between Consolidated and the Army Air Corps, March 30 was signed. The prototype with the designation XB-24 flew for the first time at the end of the year, December 29 with full production planned for next autumn for the United States, UK and French governments.

The project, which is reflected in the aircraft livery dark green with a red and white diagonal stripes was before me, an aluminum alloy monocoque elementStructure of five main points and bulkheads built form of skin Alclad 67.2 meters long nose with a glass tower, a raised cockpit windshield, an upper turret, ventral bomb bay doors, the lower trunk run in, two rectangular slots life -gunner, and tail glass tower. Sporting two high-mounted, cantilevered wings, had its basic form, the Model 31 seaplane base, it uses a high aspect ratio Davis wing all-metal construction,formed the center and two outer sections with removable wing tips, and continuous regeneration of the points of its fuselage mating on their suggestions. Increasing the distance between the front and rear tracks provide additional fuel tanks, and then reach. The outboard motor, metal framed ailerons were covered with a cloth, while hydraulic, larger Fowler flaps rear area, he moved to the bottom of the wing meet basic shape of the cone, stretched between roots and wings and fuselagereplaced the split flaps less effective than comparable B-17. At 110 meters, has the wings of a total area of 1,048 square meters.

Four engines of 1,200 hp Pratt and Whitney PBY packages hosted a two-speed supercharged R-1830-1833 football with three blades, Hydromatic, full-feathering, Hamilton Standard propeller. The horizontal stabilizers full metal, Sport-Twin Vertical Tail with fabric, metal art rudder, which appears in the fabric covered elevators and offered aradically different from traditional single-tail Flying Fortress.

The tricycle landing gear, replacing the bike less stable arrangement of the B-17 featured a single nose wheel to roll backwards in the fuselage stored full, door closed and the two individual wheels to the outside retractable main wheels and side lower wing panels were uncovered between the outboard motors and seat. All were assembled, oleo struts and wereoperated by hydraulic presses. The aircraft, gross of £ 60,000, could reach a top speed of 297 mph at 25,000 feet and fly missions with a normal fuel 1,540 miles, and its cargo of bombs up to an average speed of 237-mph.

The first version B-24, are determined by-1830-1833 search engines and from an output of just 26, had built in San Diego and flew back to UK for the operation of the British government, but some Experience had shown that theyunsuitable for their intended forces from European combat, and therefore had to forcibly converted vehicles, without weapons, for use on Return Trans-Atlantic ferry service.

Liberator development, though originally long and ultimately, the B-24A, the four 20 m / m guns present in the coating in the forward fuselage, two.303 life-inch guns, tunnels one.303 inches had a weapon, guns and two .303-inch LED tail and entered service with the Royal Air Force CoastalCommand.

The LB-30, across specific UK was built, was driven by four two-speed supercharged R-1830 engines with Curtiss Electric propellers S3C4G full fringes. The XB-24B has raised turbocharged piston self-tanks and armor. fed the B-24C, the next version of R-1830-1841 engines fed with exhaust gas turbocharger present power-operated dorsal fin and tail had turrets, guns of every caliber with.50.

The subsequent derivation, theBot B-24D, the possibility of final update, with ten.50 caliber guns were installed two of which were more in the nose and another was installed in the tunnel. Powered by R-Engines 1830-1843, more capable version contained an auxiliary self-sealing fuel cells the external tank behind the scenes, bringing the total fuel capacity and aircraft range with additional fuel storage capacity of installation of bomb bays. The B-24D can carry two 4,000-pound bombs eachUnder wing racks.

Several other derivatives, which followed the provision of arms can anit-icing and agriculture. Although Liberatore had in many theaters during the outbreak of World War II, fought including England, the Middle East and the Aleutian Islands in 1943, had completely replaced the Flying Fortress in the Pacific.

I try to correct many of the artifacts associated with the design with its dual-tail configuration, produced a Consolidated VulteeExperiments, single-fin version designated the XB-24K, whose tail was stub system components, the dorsal fin, horizontal stabilizers and its surface lift, the same rudder, trim tabs and rudder fairing tail turret. had the largest, high tail section improves the lateral stability of the aircraft has demonstrated its greatest and most efficient in terms of rudder dual engine out on a single page. Bug-B-24N, wereR-1830-1875 target derivative works presented a simplified model 128 Emerson spherical nose revolver, the marked increase Bombardier and Navigator aims to improve the visibility and shooting accuracy. The tower is low resistance profile, combined with the singular, although much larger vertical tail, increased the range of aircraft with a payload of 5,000 pounds of power values of 300 km. A canopy magazine, which has reduced the number of RIB-spaced slices also improvedCockpit view. Although the project had offered a greater ability of the whole, his appearance was delayed at the end of the war, in a short period of production has led some examples.

The B-24M was the 6,725 th and last of the basic configuration of the Consolidated Vultee were manufactured in San Diego. However, the base B-24 Liberator proved more: when the last cell in the production of 31 May 1945, all aircraft had rolled 18 479Versions of Consolidated Vultee had, Douglas, Ford, and North America, and had the Army Air Corps, the Navy and 15 allied nations in every theater of war had been built, with new missions and served more bombs dropped every other single World War II design.

The plane for the flight today, a B-24J was intended in August 1944 produced by Consolidated Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas, and had the RAF was delivered two months later, in October, which washave operated in the Pacific in a variety of roles, including bombs, anti-ship and the resistance operations re-production until the war was over.

After hearing the pre-departure safety instructions on the ramp that morning in September, seven passengers on the powerful Quad-engine bombers accessed through its doors under the fuselage bomb bay extended, balancing on one leg on the track climbing down the aft cabin, where three of the alleged AFT glanceSafety belts bulging with bank seats and the other three positions on the lower floor. The seventh was the catwalk followed us into the station radio operator.

Currently, belching black smoke as its four Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines fired piston deep guttural, Hamilton Standard propeller revolutions of 0900, the Liberator dark green livery, withdrawn its port bomb bay door and the ventral and tests flight surfaces, released the brakes and their advanced reactors, pulseAmerican Airpower Museum on the ramp on the track after the liquidation of Ground Republic of 121.6. Parallel to the active runway, 32, and the increase in speed over the ground, the mass of aluminum was confirmed by wind-generated wind entering his cab through the open stations gunner life, the rudder deflected continuously during the slow roll as the pulley incessant traveling shows in the fuselage. Roles, according to today's co-pilot, had been difficult, although the projectB-17 tricycle landing gear configuration improved because the transmission is relatively close, intervaled geometry, and the nose wheel caused a trend castering full swing, eliminating the need for brake-dependence and differential power applications.

After a break for a full launch and deformation of the surface to fly the bomber mammoths, now driven by his counterpart Flying Fortress, get clearance Republic Tower on 125.2, and made the right turn of 180 degreesThreshold of the runway 6,827 feet, filled ready for the initial step of grounding, a dead weight, metal tractor with rubber tires in the air, majestic upholstered bent-wing bird by air. Farmingdale, I thought that the use of the second world war is not over yet! Advancing its four reactors and robbed wrapped in a cocoon Twin Wasp deafening noise of the engines, fuel swallows like a thirsty desert, the energy is converted into movement of the propeller sends fierce added Shadow of the Windlife and gunner stations on horizontal and vertical tail. The man announced to the cabin scrouched left side, "We roll!" a term I had heard countless times during the roll acceleration to the ground, but somehow found the tireless, the meaning inspiring excitement when coupled with the actual freedom of action in the aircraft.

Wait until 2700 rpm and 41 inches of manifold pressure settings on their engines, giant moved at 90 mph, pullingback to the elevator control yoke and diverting, winning a fight Metal Machine-to-power of the earth, the sky was found in triumph, with its straight, upright, suddenly appearing graceful wings. Withdraw its ability to induce resistance still spinning gear on Route 110, Airport witchcraft nose abatement procedures are followed, gently on the right bank at 010, almost due north. Min limitation back to a 2300 rpm and 31-inch manifold pressure adjustment, the B-24J, certainlythe envy of the Republic of the large number of daily departures and a giant compared to its almost seems toy single general aviation, has long dominated the green carpet Iceland. Through the window the gunner life straight monolithic skyscrapers of Manhattan, although in the current miniaturized distance could be seen.

After a quick air velocity of 175 km / h, the bomber, then strangled in a speed of 2,000 rpm and 30 inches from the recruitment drive has reached its cruising altitude of 1,500Standing on a blue velvet Long Sound of Iceland and its North Shore. Cells red and white striped four Northport under the cockpit window on the right past in miniature. The plane, a section over 095 degrees East, the maintenance of the setting 2,000 rpm motor and the VFR transponder frequency of 1200.

The cruise mode induced a strong internal inspection. Glass, plexiglass nose turret, projecting far in front of the cockpit windows and the position ofBombardier had provided visibility to the front and powered weapons. Wave crawl under the floor of the operator's radio station that a single, floor-facing seat position Belted and a side panel with two small rectangular windows, just below the turret and a step below the two bids subject to LED covered well. A walking access across the bridge two bombs Bay, which offers twice the capacity of comparable B-17. In addition, the aft cabin was with themventral ball turret expandable, two side rear gunner ammunition storage racks, which included two side-facing Waist Gunners' stations, and through the bulkhead, trunk tapering tail tower, just around the corner, at 180 degrees view eye level distractions of constant horizontal stabilizers wake bombed. A team of ten had to be made by default, the B-24.

The wingtips, from the standpoint of interior was not visible. Skirting Long IcelandNorth Shore, the mammoth, metallic bomber to Port Jefferson, took its large passenger and vehicular ferry approaches the port on right wing after another long journey from Iceland Sound Bridgeport, Connecticut. 637 GPH of fuel burning in settings PTO and a current 200 GPH during the cruise hopeful that through the mirror blue surface of the water, has fueled engines because of the foam insulation integral wing fuel tanks with Kevlar total capacity has been reducedThe production version of 2300 liters to 1400 liters. Share could be maintained on any two engines.

The transition to B-24 after co-pilot, had been difficult, especially from the B-17, for his flight. Pitch-sensitive, had a heavier feel the elevator floor, although the wings provided a feeling banking standards. Because of the fuselage, he led the side during slipping model and its vertical fin and doubleRowing are very effective. Domestic Banking, witchcraft, and over the north shore. A reflection of the massive bomber tracks the ground like a shadow. In fact, the same aircraft is the shadow of many brothers, had once been. Unfortunately, it was the only remaining operational.

Maintaining a southerly direction, the radio tower of the Republic on their "entry for landing Liberator goal, beyond the right side of the airport and the expansion of national growth Fowler flaps. Melting timeon the right bank, a position of 320 degrees, is massive, Oleo strut-mounted tires in the wake of the back and cut in an approach of 120 km / h speed. Sinking against the fence and crossing the threshold, in a still air, reduces the pull force flare, tore his most important roles of cement with a shout, as spool up to speed aircraft ground. Roles of the American Airpower Museum ramp and turned left, absorbsbecause of its wing spar as fuel hungry propeller vibration slowed, the B-17 reels in the correct position of the South Shore after his sortie. Fittingly, as in World War II, the B-24 Liberator had started second, but was the first place.

Back up through the bomb bay doors on the ramp, I stayed out and surprised the now silent, still, though once mighty bombers. Of engineers that developed for pilots who flew the B-24 VulteeLiberator is the art of drawing published in the triumph of his enemies. I was proud to have seen it.