Air Power Series>1:144 die-cast display model>B-24>HA9101

General Background

The B-24 was the most produced American bomber in WWII. The demand was so great that Consolidated was unable to keep up so contracts were awarded to Douglas, Ford and North American. The D variant became the most numerous with 2,698. The design of the B-24 allowed it to carry the same payload as the Boeing B-17 and do it faster and further. Compared to the sleek look of the B-17 the B-24 looked awkward and B-17 crews referred to it as "the crate the B-17 was shipped in"

The Aircraft

B-24D Liberator 41-24301 arrived in Libya on March 25, 1943 assigned to the 514th BS, 376th BG. Number 64 was painted on both sides of the nose along with the name "Lady Be Good" on the starboard side. On April 4, 1943 the "LBG" was the last of 25 B-24s to depart to bomb Naples harbor. On the way home they lost their ADF and never returned. In 1958 it was located 440 miles inland on the desert. In 1960 8 of the 9 crew members remains were found.

Specifications :

Number Produced:	2,698
Crew:	7 / 10
Dimensions:
Length:	66 ft 4 ins
Wingspan:	110 ft
Height:	17 ft 11 ins
Wing Area:	1048 sq. ft
Weight:
Empty:	32,605 lbs
Gross Weight:	60,000 lbs
Performance:
Engines:	4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 supercharged radials of 1,200 hp each (takeoff power)
Maximum Speed:	303 mph
Cruising Speed:	200 mph
Service Ceiling:	32,000 ft.
Range:	2,850 miles
Armament:	10 × .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns
Bombs:	Short Range (400 mi) - 8,000 lb
	Long Range (800 mi) - 5,000 lb
	Very Long Range (1,200 mi) - 2,700 lb