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Liberator Bomber B24

The Consolidated Vultee Liberator was an American four-engine heavy bomber (known by the USAAF as the B-24) first supplied in small numbers to the RAF in 1940/41 and soon found to be unsuitable for bombing operations in Europe. Subsequently used mainly by RAF Coastal Command for long-range reconnaissance missions and as a transport aircraft (a Liberator was used by Winston Churchill as his personal transport).

The Liberator had a number of virtues which made it a highly sought-after bomber: it was fast (300 m.p.h. at 30,000 feet); capable of carrying a payload of 8,000 pounds; and had an operational range of approximately 2,290 miles.

The plane was powered by four Pratt and Whitney Twin Wasp 1,200 horsepower, 14 cylinder radial engines, The wing span was 110 feet; the length 67 feet, two inches; and the height was 18 feet. When empty, the Liberator’s weight was 37,000 pounds; when operational, the plane weighed 65,000 pounds. The plane had a maximum operational speed of 300 miles per hour at 30,000 feet.

The Liberator was not as stable as the B-17 and could not fly in tight formations. As a result, many planes were lost during the war. Though not as responsive as other planes, the B-24 was built to be faster, while carrying a heaver payload. The Liberator's superior range meant that the B-24 supplanted the Fortress in the maritime patrol role in both the European and Pacific theatres of war. It is arguable that the Liberator's greatest contribution to Allied victory was through its vital work against U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic.