The most massive heavy bomber
In the summer of 1938, the Joint Army Council and fleet The United States concluded that the country needed a new heavy four-engine bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with a flight range greater than that of the recently adopted Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress”. At the beginning of 1939, the Chief of Staff of the Aviation Command, General Ernold, proposed to the company Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (English abbreviation - САС) to develop a new aircraft.
Until the late thirties, Consolidated, headquartered in San Diego, was the main supplier of flying boats for aviation US Navy. The chief designer of the company, David Davis, was rightly considered a leading specialist in the field of designing heavy hydroplanes, and not only in America.
After analyzing the international situation, the management of the firm came to the conclusion that a big war in Europe was inevitable, and therefore large orders for heavy bombers could be expected. It was decided to accept the proposal of General Ernold. Having studied the experience of creating similar machines by Boeing, the designers began to design. 24 February 1939 of the year the project was submitted for consideration in Washington. March 30 Army Command signed a contract with the company to build a bomber and conduct its tests. The aircraft was assigned the index "XB-24" and the serial number 39-556.
27 February 1940, almost a month before the officially announced date, Major Umstead and Captain Harmon made their first flight on a new aircraft. The company's management was in a hurry to put the car on stream, since the US government decided to organize the production of a new bomber for further sale to France. Despite the difficulties encountered during the tests and design flaws (hydraulic failures of landing gear production, strong shaking during landing, etc.), the CAC received a contract for the construction of 175 bombers, which were assigned the LB-30 index in accordance with the designation method used products of the company.
While the “French” contract was being prepared, the tests of the aircraft continued. Changes were made to the design of the machine. Pitot tubes from the wings were moved to the nose of the fuselage, the tail span increased by two feet. Various engines of the Pratt-Whitney company, distinguished by their characteristics, were tried. At the request of the Air Force installed protected fuel tanks and armor protection of the crew.
After a number of improvements, the car received a new designation XB-24B. Tests of the second copy with the serial number "39-680" ended 13 August 1940 year.
By this time, France had already lost its independence. The question arose: what to do with the ordered aircraft? We decided to sell them to the UK. Meanwhile, the production of a new machine was developing very slowly. Only in December the first six LB-1940А were built on 30. They were equipped with Pratt-Whitney R-1830-33 engines (14-cylinder two-row "star" of air cooling with 1200 horsepower). All six cars were used for transportation purposes and transported passengers and cargo between Canada and England.
The next batch of aircraft was ready in March 1941. In the Royal Air Force they were given the name "Liberator" Mk.1 ("Liberator"), in total 20 units were built. In the USAF they wore the designation B-24A. The aircraft were armed with a twin machine gun caliber 7,62 mm in the tail. In addition, there were three machine guns for firing in the sides and down. True, in England rightly considered such a number of trunks for a heavy bomber is clearly insufficient. Already in the flight units, the weapons were reinforced, putting additional rifle points.
Initially, the US Air Force did not show much interest in the aircraft. Six YB-24 and twenty B-24Аs were ordered, and even then their delivery was planned in the second half of 1941. In reality, one YB-24 was produced in May on 1941 and in June-July nine B-24. They differed from their “English” brethren only in armament: they carried a machine-tail machine gun in caliber 12,7 mm. All aircraft were used for transport purposes. Harriman’s mission arrived in Moscow on two of them in September 1941.
In August, the 138 bombers for Britain, designated Liberator II, began production at the San Diego plant. The new aircraft had increased fuselage dimensions, enhanced tail mount, more powerful small arms and new R-1830-61 hp 1200 engines.
In the tail of the aircraft, a four-machine-gun E.Mk.II tower with servo (ammunition 2200 ammunition, angles of attack 65 ° in each direction, 60 ° upwards and 50 ° down), a four-tower turret A.Mk / IV in the central upper part of the fuselage (angles shelling 360 ° and 84 ° up). Machine guns were automatically blocked when they were directed to the tail, astrokolpak and propeller blades. The total weight of the aircraft - 20 983 kg, almost 4000 kg more than the XB-24.
Under the contract, the CAC was supposed to deliver all the planes before 6 in January 1942, but the war broke this schedule. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor for the needs of the US Air Force requisitioned 75 "Liberators" from the English order. 43 of them under the designation LВ-30 was sent to about. Java They retained the camouflage color characteristic of the Royal Air Force bombers.
Nine aircraft from this series have been upgraded at the plant. They installed weapons of American type, as well as engines R-1830-41, equipped with a turbocharger. These machines are designated B-24C.
It should be noted that 23 of the previously confiscated aircraft Americans in the 1942 year put in the UK in the framework of the Lend-Lease. With the US entering the war, the release of B-24 began to grow rapidly. Since the spring of 1942, the release of the D series began, which became the base for all subsequent modifications.
The early B-24D rifle armament consisted of an 12,7 mm caliber nose machine gun, a top and tail turret with machine guns of the same caliber. Subsequently, they began to mount the lower turret with a remote control to protect the rear lower hemisphere. Later, it was replaced with a single hatch machine gun caliber 12,7 mm. On the last B-24D, a spherical turret with two large-caliber machine guns appeared.
The rear tower A-6, however, like all its subsequent modifications, had firing angles in azimuth 75 ° up 71 ° and down 45 °. The tower was booked: the end plate was made of steel 2,2 cm thick, the side panels were 1 cm, the glazing consisted of 5,4 cm bulletproof glass. In 1942, the A-15 tail tower with electric two-speed actuator and 75 ° firing angle along the horizon was installed, XNXX XXXXX up and 60 ° down. The upper tower provided a circular fire horizontally and 50 ° vertically. Soon, she was replaced by a Martin turret with shelling angles from 90 ° down to 6,5 ° up. The place of the arrow was covered with armor plates with a thickness of 85 cm (later - 1 cm).
In the late autumn of 1940, a year before Pearl Harbor, the US government decided to organize the production of aircraft in the automotive industry. However, despite the fact that the Second World War was in full swing, the owners of car companies were in no hurry to carry out this decision. Only Ford Motor Company was an exception. She built a new plant in the city of Will Run, where she collected the Liberator fuselages.
At the beginning of 1941, it was decided to consolidate the capitals of several firms in order to increase the output of B-24 and, on this basis, expand production. Consolidated has opened a second assembly plant in Fort Worth, and Douglas Eycraft has opened an assembly line in Tulsa. The fourth company that decided to join the release of "Liberators" was North American. For this purpose, she singled out the power of her plant in Dallas. All assembly plants received letter codes that were part of the official designation of the aircraft released.
For transportation of aircraft components (fuselage, wings, tail) from Will Rana to Fort Worth and in Tulsa, 86 special trailers with a payload of 14 tons were used. On average, 250 traveled each month for 1500 kilometers each.
The work done has borne fruit. The release of aircraft has increased rapidly. If the entire 1942 was built 1205 "Liberator", then already in 1943 - 5324. With the accumulation of combat experience, constructive changes were made. There were next modifications. Often it turned out that one factory still produced the old version, and the others - newer ones.
The B-24E bomber practically did not differ from the “D” model, but its components were manufactured at the Ford plant and assembled at other enterprises.
The first B-24H was assembled on June 30 of the year 1943. He differed from the "E" series in armament: in addition to the swiveling rifle towers, pivot machine guns appeared in the side windows of the fuselage (one on each side). Sash niche nasal wheels opened outward.
The B-24 model was produced from April 1943 th to May 1944 th only at the factory in Dallas. Until November 1943, the cars were built without a nose turret, but with three machine guns in the navigator's cabin. The aircraft of this series had a more reliable aileron control scheme, a new anti-icing system.
The most massive was the modification of B-24J. A-6 or A-15 nose-turret, A-3 upper turret, hydraulically-operated A-13 lower sliding spherical machine-gun, mobile machine guns in the windows and a tail turret stood on it. The equipment has changed a little. An autopilot and a more advanced bomb-sight appeared.
Further development of the aircraft were modifications "L" and "M". They improved the view from the navigator's cabin. Simplified passage for the crew through the bomb bay. Increased the area of the aileron, and on the left set the trimmer. Due to the low efficiency, the lower tower was removed.
The large range of the B-24 attracted the attention of the naval air force command. Back at the beginning of 1942, the 17 machines installed “ASV” Mk.II Canadian-made radars and sent them to the Panama Canal zone. After the German submarines began to operate actively off the coast of America, there was an urgent need for anti-submarine aircraft with a long range. In the fall of 1942, several B-24D were adapted for this task. The first flights confirmed the suitability of the machine to combat submarines.
During 1942, for the needs of the PLO, 167 B-24D was assigned, which in naval aviation was given the designation PBBNNXXY-4. The following year, the Navy received another 1 aircraft. Some of them have been upgraded. An Egso spherical machine-gun turret was installed with shelling angles 264 ° to the sides, 85 ° upwards and 82 ° downwards. In total, until January 83, the 1945 RV 977Y-4 was built.
In the middle of the 1943 of the year, flight tests of the new modification, which received the designation HRW4-2, began. She had a single fin tail, an onboard search radar. On the plane installed engines Pratt-Whitney R-1830-94 power 1350 hp The stock of fuel was increased by hanging four tanks in the bomb bay (15549l in total). The span of the stabilizer has increased by almost 3. The defensive armament of the aircraft: two upper, tail and bow shooting towers. The radomes of the search radar antennas were mounted on the lower right side of the nose of the fuselage. To improve visibility in flight, the windows in the rear fuselage were closed with large blisters.
After testing the aircraft was put into service and received the designation RV 4Y-2. Total built 740 pieces. They were armed with naval aviation before the 1966 year. 23 aircraft received UK. There they were labeled "Liberator CIH".
B-24 bombers were shipped to England during the Second World War (2070 units), to Australia (287), to Canada (88). In addition to the bombers, the company SAS produced the transport version of the aircraft, which was designated C-87. It was completely absent weapons and navigational cabin. Transport planes were built in several series, distinguished by the cabin interior and equipment. A double-wing door, 1,83 in size on the 1,83 meter, erupted in the left side. In the cabin, twin passenger seats were installed. Transport aircraft were somewhat heavier and had lower speed. Total released 286 C-87. They have long been used by various US and UK airlines.
The combat fate of the B-24 was quite successful. It was used in all theaters of war. Only in Europe and in the Mediterranean region did the 34 bombers of the United States Air Force fight on the Liberators. The first in Europe they began to use 44-I and 93-I groups. The greatest success was achieved by 44. During the war years, its crews participated in 343 operations, including such as raids on Berlin and Ploiesti, dropping 18 980 t bombs on the enemy. The group lost the 192 aircraft in the battles and shot down the enemy's 330 fighters (according to American data). As part of the Royal Air Force 301 Division of the United Kingdom fought on the "Liberators" 1586-I Polish squadron. Her crews often performed special delivery tasks. weapons and ammunition groups of anti-fascist resistance in Poland, Czechoslovakia and the Balkans. In total, in the battles over Europe, only the US Air Force lost almost the Liberators 1500.
The B-24 was in service with the US Air Force until the end of the forties. Later, a significant part of the "demobilized" cars were transferred to transport aircraft. Many of them bought private airlines.
Bombers family "Liberator" went a small path of development. Meanwhile, high manufacturability caused the large-scale production of B-24. Total 19 256 aircraft of various modifications were constructed (In-24D - 2728 pieces, in-24E -801, B-24S - 430, in-24N - 3100, in-24J - 6678, in-24L - 1667, in-24M - 2593 stuff). Thus, the Liberator became the most massive heavy bomber in stories Aviation - a record that most likely will not be able to beat anyone.
Sources:
Kotelnikov V. B-24 “Liberator” // Aviation and Cosmonautics. 2003. No.10. C. 34-39.
Kotelnikov V. B-24 “Liberator” // Aviation and Cosmonautics. 2004. No.1. C. 28-29.
Ivanov S. B-24 "Liberator" // War in the air. No.110. C. 2-3, 6-12, 14-19.
Kolesnikov S. 19000 "Liberators" // Wings of the Motherland. 1994. No.1. C. 20-21.
Obukhovich V., Kulbaka S., Sidoyenko S. Planes of the Second World War. Minsk: Potpourri, 2003. C. 442-443.
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