And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
B-24 Liberator Bomber at Factory WW2 World War Two
What is the Navy version of the B-24? PB4Y-1 PB4Y-1. The PB4Y-1 was the US Navy's equivalent to the twin-tailed B-24D. Early on, many of these received from the AAF had their glass noses retrofitted with Erco bow turrets. Production PB4Y-1s were delivered with Consair nose turrets.
The Postmaster in the little town I grew up in flew 50 missions as a tail gunner in a B-24 out of Southern Italy. He said “I just did what they told me, and it always worked out. I found myself doing things I would never have thought of myself”.
He was the town's historian, and once said “I have seniority in this town. Not that that means anything".
“ In fact, the initial work was conducted in early 1942 when Consolidated did wind tunnel tests to look at a single-fin variant of the B-24 that would go onto to become the PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol aircraft for the US Navy. But it seems that another manufacturer of the B-24 were also thinking about the issue. Ford were one of the primary builders of the B-24 at their vast factory in Willow Run, Michigan and in 1943 they took a -D model aircraft and swapped the tail for that of a Douglas B-23 Dragon bomber, creating the B-24ST (for single-tail), which flew in March of that year. The results must have been encouraging enough that they decided to take the next step as the -ST was then retrofitted with the tail from a Douglas C-54 transport, creating the XB-24K.” https://tinyurl.com/mwr62kt6
At peak production, the Willow Run plant was rolling out one every hour.
ReplyDeleteThere must be something wrong with the pic. Where is the left vertical stabilizer?
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
good question.
Deletethe shadow on the apron shows none.
It's at a factory, perhaps it's not complete.
DeleteWhat is the Navy version of the B-24?
ReplyDeletePB4Y-1
PB4Y-1. The PB4Y-1 was the US Navy's equivalent to the twin-tailed B-24D. Early on, many of these received from the AAF had their glass noses retrofitted with Erco bow turrets. Production PB4Y-1s were delivered with Consair nose turrets.
The Postmaster in the little town I grew up in flew 50 missions as a tail gunner in a B-24 out of Southern Italy. He said “I just did what they told me, and it always worked out. I found myself doing things I would never have thought of myself”.
ReplyDeleteHe was the town's historian, and once said “I have seniority in this town. Not that that means anything".
He was a wonderful man.
The tug is a Ford BNO 40, based on the 9N tractor.
ReplyDeleteAs one would expect, if that photo was taken at Willow Run.
Delete“ In fact, the initial work was conducted in early 1942 when Consolidated did wind tunnel tests to look at a single-fin variant of the B-24 that would go onto to become the PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol aircraft for the US Navy. But it seems that another manufacturer of the B-24 were also thinking about the issue.
ReplyDeleteFord were one of the primary builders of the B-24 at their vast factory in Willow Run, Michigan and in 1943 they took a -D model aircraft and swapped the tail for that of a Douglas B-23 Dragon bomber, creating the B-24ST (for single-tail), which flew in March of that year. The results must have been encouraging enough that they decided to take the next step as the -ST was then retrofitted with the tail from a Douglas C-54 transport, creating the XB-24K.” https://tinyurl.com/mwr62kt6
The B24 was a substantial improvement in range and payload over the B17. Did them no good at Ploesti.
ReplyDeleteThe C87 was a dog, though. Ask Ernie Gann, although he has passed.
ReplyDelete