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Consolidated B-24J 'Liberator'

Description
  Manufacturer:Consolidated
  Base model:B-24
  Designation:B-24
  Version:J
  Nickname:Liberator
  Designation System:U.S. Air Force
  Designation Period:1924-Present
  Basic role:Bomber

Specifications
  Length: 67' 2" 20.4 m
  Height:18' 0" 5.4 m
  Wingspan: 110' 33.5 m
  Wingarea: 1,048.0 sq ft 97.3 sq m
  Empty Weight: 36,500 lb 16,553 kg
  Max Weight: 65,000 lb 29,478 kg

Propulsion
  No. of Engines: 4
  Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65

Performance
  Range: 2,300 miles 3,703 km
  Cruise Speed: 215 mph 346 km/h 187 kt
  Max Speed: 303 mph 487 km/h 263 kt
  Ceiling: 30,000 ft 9,143 m

Known serial numbers
42-50452 / 42-50508, 42-50509 / 42-50759, 42-50760 / 42-51076, 42-51226 / 42-51292, 42-51293 / 42-51395 , 42-51396 / 42-51430 , 42-51431 / 42-51610 , 42-51611 / 42-51825 , 42-51826 / 42-52075 , 42-52076 , 42-64047 / 42-64141 , 42-64142 / 42-64236 , 42-64237 / 42-64328 , 42-64329 , 42-64330 / 42-64346 , 42-64347 / 42-64394 , 42-72964 / 42-73014 , 42-73015 / 42-73064 , 42-73065 / 42-73114 , 42-73115 / 42-73164 , 42-73165 / 42-73214 , 42-73215 / 42-73264 , 42-73265 / 42-73314 , 42-73315 / 42-73364 , 42-73365 / 42-73414 , 42-73415 / 42-73464 , 42-73465 / 42-73514 , 42-78475 , 42-78476 / 42-78794 , 42-95504 / 42-95628 , 42-99736 / 42-99805 , 42-99806 / 42-99871 , 42-99872 / 42-99935 , 42-99936 / 42-99985 , 42-99986 / 42-100035 , 42-100036 / 42-100085 , 42-100086 / 42-100135 , 42-100136 / 42-100185 , 42-100186 / 42-100235 , 42-100236 / 42-100285 , 42-100286 / 42-100335 , 42-100336 / 42-100385 , 42-100386 / 42-100435 , 42-109789 / 42-109838 , 42-109839 / 42-109888 , 42-109889 / 42-109938 , 42-109939 / 42-109988 , 42-109989 / 42-110038 , 42-110039 / 42-110088 , 42-110089 / 42-110138 , 42-110139 / 42-110188 , 44-10253 / 44-10302 , 44-10303 / 44-10352 , 44-10353 / 44-10374 , 44-10375 / 44-10402 , 44-10403 / 44-10452 , 44-10453 / 44-10502 , 44-10503 / 44-10552 , 44-10553 / 44-10602 , 44-10603 / 44-10652 , 44-10653 / 44-10702 , 44-10703 / 44-10752 , 44-28061 / 44-28276 , 44-40049 / 44-40148 , 44-40149 / 44-40248 , 44-40249 / 44-40348 , 44-40349 / 44-40448 , 44-40449 / 44-40548 , 44-40549 / 44-40648 , 44-40649 / 44-40748 , 44-40749 / 44-40848 , 44-40849 / 44-40948 , 44-40949 / 44-41048 , 44-41049 / 44-41148 , 44-41149 / 44-41248 , 44-41249 / 44-41348 , 44-41349 / 44-41389 , 44-44049 / 44-44148 , 44-44149 / 44-44248 , 44-44249 / 44-44348 , 44-44349 / 44-44448 , 44-44449 / 44-44501 , 44-48754 / 44-49001

Examples of this type may be found at
MuseumCityState
Eighth Air Force MuseumBarksdale AFBLouisiana
Pima Air & Space MuseumTucsonArizona

B-24J on display

Eighth Air Force Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum
   


 

Recent comments by our visitors
 John D. Bybee
 Vermont, IL
My previous blurb/photo about 36th RCM Squadron B-24-DT "I Walk Alone", 42-51226 was incorrect. After emails with Mr. Willis S. Cole Jr. "Sam", I stand corrected--42-51226 was indeed shot down by the P-61. The replacement B-24
42-51546 for security concerns was repainted with the lost B-24's serial number of 42-51226. I have advised Kevin Gray of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum of same.
06/11/2008 @ 05:47 [ref: 21328]
 John D. Bybee
 Vermont, IL
Kevin Gray of Tulsa,OK has sent me photos of Douglas-Tulsa built B-24J 42-51226 which was the subject of Willis S. Cole Jr.'s article relative to this B-24J (36th RCM SQ)being shot down by accident on 10 Nov 1944 by a 425FS P-61 over France. Any further details on any B-24 ECM/RCM?ELINT missions would be greatly appreciated.
06/09/2008 @ 10:16 [ref: 21213]
 Tara Correa
 Fort Hood, TX
Hello! My name is Tara. My uncle, (SGT Peter Correa) was apart of the B24-J's. I have tried to locate any information on him or his crew/plane. All I know is this: 8th AAF, 2ND AD, 458th BG, 753rd BS. His crew were apart of the "Buck Rogers Boys". Im hoping any info that anyone might have could help me. Thank you.

Tara
04/11/2008 @ 19:50 [ref: 20480]
 Robert E. Thomas
 Wake Forest, NC
Hey Andrew Rosen! Please contact me at retandkt@earthlink.net My uncle Billy S. Thomas was the tailguuner on the same crew as your uncle Warren Sutt. You would be the 4th crew member family we have located. We are trying to find all 10 families of the men who dies on that B-24. I have the MACR, letters, telegrams, a crew photo, and pictures of some crew members and would love to share.

Sincerely,

Robert Thomas
Wake Forest, NC
03/16/2008 @ 09:33 [ref: 20040]
 Earl G. Johnson
 Thornton, CO
My father was 2nd Lt. Earl G. Smith, bombardier of the Charles Foulkes crew (B-24-J 42-100286)which was lost on February 5, 1944 on a flight from Marrakech, French Morocco to St. Mawgan, England. I would like share information with other crew member families.

03/14/2008 @ 13:06 [ref: 20017]
 Willis S. Cole, Jr. \"Sam\"
 , WA
B-24J-2-DT - Crashed 02:30 10 November 1944. 36th Bombardment Squadron (RCM- Radar Counter Measures), attached to 100th Group RAF.

Crashed after behing show down by an American P-61 Night Fighter of the 425th FS. Controlled by the 566th SAW (Signals Aircraft Warning) Battalion, Etain Air Base, and the 563rd SAW BN (Hattonville)under the control of the Ninth US Air Force, Etain Air Base.

The B-24 was on a Top-Secret night mission, electronically spoofing (confusing) the German Radars to a point where the Germans belived a RAF night attack was in process when it was not.

The P-61 was vectored to the B-24 at 02:00 am on 10 November 1944 and shot out its right engines before realizing it could not be a German target.

One half hour later the B-24 crashed 1,000 yards nort of Tincourt-Boucly, Department of the Somme, France.

The possible loss of the secrets of the Top-Secret equipment on board led to its crash being concealed by the US military by moving the official crash site of a B-17 that had crashed the day before to the B-24 crash site.

Three men died in the crash of the Top-Secret B-24 and four died in the crash of the 'Lady Jeannette,' which became the 2nd dual award of the Congressional Medal Of Honor B-17 of WWII.

The story of this situation and its possible tie-in to the death of General Patton is the subject of a soon to be released book, "The Best Kept Secret Of World War Two!"

Over 16 years research and over 40 trips to France are involved in the research foundation of the book.

A memorial to the crash of the Top-Secret B-24 was redediated on the 63rd Anniversay of its crash, 10 November 2007. Information on both crashes may be found at www.ww1.org
01/16/2008 @ 11:14 [ref: 19320]
 Carl Anglin
 , AZ
I am curious about the aircraft in the CFA that tours the states. I got fairly good shots of three - B-17, B-24, & B-25 - all the same day. Were the names "Witchcraft" and "Tondelay" actual names of those aircraft during the war? I did not get the name of the B-17G, if someone could tell me what it is. The shots I got were clear of spectators because my brother had his RV6 parked near them, and these shots were taken fairly early in the morning. Thanks for any help...
12/01/2007 @ 23:52 [ref: 18757]
 Andrew Rosen
 , WA
My Uncle Warren Sutt was also a member of the Charles Foulkes crew.
They were in fact in a belly landing in Marrakech on Jan 31 1944 in B-24J 42-109797 and the passenger on the later accident was in fact the crew's regular radio operator who had requested a ground assignment as a result of the belly landing. A replacement radio operator was onboard for the flight to England

The 42-100286 accident is sketchy beyond radio contact at 6:55am followed by indications of an explosion just after 7 am.

Only an oil slick and partial inflated dingy was ever seen
11/26/2007 @ 11:18 [ref: 18676]
 Robert P. Smith
 Atlanta, GA
My father was Lt. Roland C. Parnell, who piloted B-24s with the 15th Air Force, 450th Bombardment Group, 721st Bombardment Squadron during World War II. On February 7, 1945, his B-24J(#42-51733) was badly damaged by flak during a combat mission over Moosbierbaum Oil Refinery, outside Vienna, Austria.

Lt. Parnell managed to land the damaged airplane in Hungary; he and his entire crew (George E. Holman, Edward Menendez, Edward Sinski, James H. Birtles, Alfred H. Kaesser, Clifton E. Athon, Harold R. Wesley, John K. Soehner, and Arthur H. Grady)were uninjured; and they all were returned to Allied Forces a few weeks after the incident, following a brief sojourn in the custody of the Soviet Army.

My father stayed in the Air Force after WWII, but died on March 28, 1952 when the B-45 he was piloting crashed during a night training flight approximately 11 miles NNE of Langley AFB, Virginia.


11/08/2007 @ 11:43 [ref: 18459]
 Marjorie Adams
 Juneau, AK
I am another family member of the Foulkes crew mentioned by
Bob Thomas. My Uncle was Paul L. Fox. Would like to
share information with other crew families on the flight
which went down Feb. 05, 1944 over the English Channel.
Aircraft 42-100286.
10/13/2007 @ 19:51 [ref: 18178]

 

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