Designation: B-24J

Consolidated B-24J

Consolidated B-24J Liberator

A picture of the Consolidated B-24J Liberator

Consolidated began design work on the B-24 in January 1939 in response to an Army Air Forces request for a heavy bomber with a longer range than the Boeing B-17.  The prototype first flew on December 29, 1939.  In all 18,482 Liberators were built during World War II making it the most produced American aircraft of the war.  They were used by every branch of the American military and by several Allied nations.  The “J” model was the most produced version of the B-24 with a total of 6,678 built.  Over 1,000 of these ended up in the hands of the Royal Air Force who used them as both traditional bombers and as maritime patrol aircraft.  The major allied powers retired the B-24 very quickly after the war, in fact, only one was left in American service by 1951.  The British abandoned many Liberators in India at the end of the war.  Upon gaining its independence the Republic of India put several of them back in service and used them very successfully until the late 1960s.

Wingspan 110 ft

Wingspan

Length 67 ft 2 in.

Length

Height 18 ft

Height

Weight 65,000 lbs (loaded)

Weight

Max. Speed 290 MPH

Maximum Speed

Service Ceiling 28,000 ft

Service Ceiling

Range 2,100 miles

Range

Engines Four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radials with 1,200 horsepower each

Engines

Crew 10

Crew


Manufacturer
Consolidated

Markings
Right side:  Indian Air Force, Number 6 Squadron, 1968.  Left side:  446th Bomb Group, Bungay, England, 1944

Designation
B-24J “Bungay Buckaroo”

Registration
N7866

Serial Number
44-44175, KH304, HE877

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