Adapted from the XB-24 aircraft in 1939, the B-24 Liberator deployed to every theater of World War II to provide aerial bombing support. Thanks to the Liberator’s ability to cruise at high speeds and carry heavy bomb loads, it quickly became one of the critical workhorses of the US Army Air Forces during World War II. In fact, the B-24 was so important to combat operations that it was the highest produced Allied heavy bomber of that conflict, with 19,286 built in numerous variations for the US Army, US Navy and Great Britain.
During World War II, Hill Field performed maintenance and overhaul on the B-24 aircraft, and this workload continued until the Liberator retired from service in 1949. B-24s were the most significant World War II-era workload at the base. In February 1943, the first progressive assembly line in the world for maintenance of the Liberator was established at the Ogden Air Depot. This innovative production line at Hill soon achieved its production goal of overhauling one war-weary bomber per day.
In 1942, the B-24D on display was manufactured and then assigned to Elmendorf Air Field, Alaska, to assist US air, sea, and ground forces in repelling the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands. Afterwards, this aircraft moved to Adak Island and assisted the US Navy in intercepting Japanese cargo ships before they could resupply enemy troops on shore.
On 18 January 1943, this airframe crash landed on Great Sitkin Island while returning from a mission. Members of the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah recovered the aircraft in 1994. After restoration, the aircraft arrived at Hill Aerospace Museum for display in 2006.
Serial Number: 41-23908
Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft Supply Company
Primary Function: Heavy Bomber
Crew: Eight to ten
Engines: Four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial; 1,200 hp each
Wingspan: 110 ft
Length: 66 ft 4 in
Height: 17 ft 11 in
Weight: 32,605 pounds (empty); 56,000 pounds (maximum takeoff weight)
Speed: 200 mph (cruising); 300 mph (maximum)
Range: 2,850 miles
Service Ceiling: 30,000 ft
Armament: Ten .50-caliber machine guns
Payload: 8,000 lbs of bombs
Cost: $310,765
Years of Service: 1942 – 1949
In 1942, the B-24D, now on display, was manufactured and dispatched to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, to assist American air, sea and ground forces in repelling the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands. Afterwards, this aircraft moved to Adak Island and assisted the US Navy in intercepting Japanese cargo ships. Members of the Aerospace Heritage Foundation of Utah, along with Captain Ernest Pruett, who piloted this aircraft during the Adak Island mission, went to the island to recover the aircraft. After restoration, the aircraft arrived at Hill Aerospace Museum for display in 2006.
Airmen who flew the Liberator took to naming the airframe the “Flying Coffin” due to its singular entry point near the rear of the aircraft. With only a single point of exit, and far from the majority of the crew, it was nearly impossible for them to leave in an emergency.
While some crewmen may have felt otherwise, the B-24 was considered an excellent aircraft. The Liberator remains the most produced American military aircraft in history. It saw extensive service amongst every branch of the American and Allied Forces, as well as use in all theaters of operation in the Second World War.
The Liberator was not outfitted with a ball turret, but it did carry 10 .50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns in six emplacements along its fuselage, with four turrets and two gun positions at the waist.
The B-24 was originally built as a heavy bomber, though over the course of its service would eventually see every theater of combat in the Second World War and take on a variety of roles. Besides performing high-altitude bombing, the Liberator acted as a troop transport, assembly vehicle and even supplied resistance forces throughout Europe.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom received some 2,100 Liberators in total.
The B-24 cost approximately $240,000 dollars to produce by the end of the war, which translates to $2.6 million dollars in today’s currency.
The B-24 Liberator was developed by Consolidated Aircraft in late 1939.
