WW2 B-24 Liberator Bomber   Models, B-24 Models, Airplane Kits.

See the Willow Run B-24 Production Exhibit

See the Jessie Pettey B-24 Combat Exhibit

See the John Bybee B-24 History Research Exhibit.

4-16-2009
Dear Jerry,
Thank you for you letter and the "Lightweight Tower Calling" bulletin.
I'm glad that you feel fine now.
I'd like to inform you about the event we are organizing in September this year. On 9/11 the park in Blechhammer will be given the name of 15th U.S.A.A.F. Airmen. We have invited the American air attach?in Poland, colonel Mary E. Peterson. We already have the plates with the name of the park (I'm sending you a photo). Me and my friends from the "Blechhammer - 44" group have applied for this to the local authorities.  We are also trying to raise money for a memorial plate with the names of 14 airmen killed in battle who are still buried in the Polish soil somewhere around Heydebreck, Odertal and Blechhammer. 10 of them were from 485 BG. We are not sure how this project will be financed and I think that we will ask the attach?for help. I will send you the list of
names of those airmen. Perhaps you could spread the word to their families? I noticed in your bulletin how much you care for keeping in touch with people and preserving the memory about history. Perhaps somebody would like to come and participate in the September celebration? I'm also sending some photos of a B24 model. It is the plane of Lt.  Arthur Lindell and it will be displayed in our museum; it was made by my friend Andrzej Cholewa. I wish you a blessed and joyful Easter and a spring full of new opportunities and warm days! I hope you will spend a great time with your family and friends.
  Waldemar

I thought your C-130 buddy who is going to Poland might be interested in this upcoming event in Poland.  I'm putting Waldemar's email below.  He was my tour guide when I was there, at no charge, and spent 2 days with me showing me 15th AF crash sites, the museum, the refineries, etc.  I'm sure he'd do the same for any good American.  The uniform in the attached photo is one I donated to their museum.  In his email he references Lt. Lindell's crew.  They went down on 12/26/44.

Information Thanks to John Bybee, B-24 Master Researcher.

Above the Ardennes on December 31, 1944, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann - Staffelkapitan of 12./JG 54, the Green Hearts - leads a formation of 30 Fw 190D fighters in an attack on 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators.  

The Little Gramper, the first forming plane used by the 491st Bomb Group  

The Squaw, a Liberator of the 98th Bomb Group piloted by Royden L. Lebrect on the Ploesti Raids.  

Known as The Dragon and His Tail, this B-24 - which flew 85 missions with the 43rd Bomb Group at le Shima, a small island just west of Okinawa  

Spotted Ape - a brightly colored B-24 Liberator assembly ship which was used as a reference point to set up huge bomber formations - of the 458th Bomb Group based at RAF Horsham St. Faith  

The B-24 Liberator was built in greater quantities than any other U.S. bomber of World War 2. The prototype model was produced by the Consolidated Aircraft Corp. with the first XB-24 taking to the air on Dec. 29, 1939. It featured the revolutionary Davis wing design that enabled the B-24 to carry the same payload as its rival the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress but at a much greater speed and range. Over 18,000 Liberators were built during the war. Of all the European operations in which B-24s were involved, the initial raid on the Ploesti oil refinery in southern Rumania on Aug. 1, 1943 was by far the most dramatic because it was heavily defended by anti-aircraft guns as well as squadrons of German Luftwaffe and Royal Rumanian Air Force Fighters. Of the 164 B-24s engaged, 53 were shot down or lost enroute, 23 were forced down and only 88 returned to base. “Jerk’s Natural”, the subject of this kit, was a Ploesti bomb group survivor.

Queen Mae, a B-24J Liberator that operated with the 90th Bomb Group - the Jolly Rogers - in the Pacific Theater during World War II  

Known as The Dragon and His Tail, this B-24 - which flew 85 missions with the 43rd Bomb Group at le Shima in the Pacific - is widely recognized for its colorful crew insignia.  

The only flyable B-24 Liberator aircraft in the world, serial number 44-44052, is the aircraft owned and operated by the Collings Foundation, and named after The Dragon and His Tail, this lavishly decorated B-24 that flew in the Pacific during WWII. Restored in 1985, this Liberator required over 420,000 new rivets and more than 80% of the aircraft's parts were rebuilt or replaced.  

The Squaw, a B-24D Liberator heavy bomber piloted by Capt. Royden Lebrect of the 98th Bomb Group - the "Pyramiders" - on the August 1, 1943, Ploesti low-level raid (Operation Tidal Wave)   "Strawberry Bitch," 376th Bomb Group

  PB4Y-1 Liberator Flown on anti-submarine patrol missions, the U.S. Navy's version of the B-24 bomber   Easy Maid  the PB4Y-1 patrol bomber, which was a Naval adaptation of the famous Consolidated B-24J Liberator  

B-24H the 459th Bomb Group, which flew with the 15th Air Force out of Italy in 1944   "Jerk's Natural," a Ploesti survivor  

B-24D Liberator, a heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II   Consolidated B-24J Liberator of the 376th Bombardment Group based in North Africa during World War II   the B-24J Liberator "Silver Chief", with markings of the 753rd BS/458th BG   Above the Ardennes on December 31, 1944, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann - Staffelkapitan of 12./JG 54, the Green Hearts - leads a formation of 30 Fw 190D fighters in an attack on 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators   B-24s from the 23rd Bomb Group, escorted by P-51s from the 356th Fighter Group (led by Jersey Jerk, fly among the columns of Thor (the Norse god of thunder and war) as they return from their targets in Germany   Protecting B-24 Liberators returning from a bomb run, an F4U Corsair from VF-17, the "Jolly Rogers," races past a Japanese Zero - whose pilot is bailing out - it just shot out of the sky over the South Pacific   B-24Ds of the American pioneer 93rd Bomb Group climb through 21,000 feet into the light of the early morning sun. On this day, March 18, 1943, the B-24Ds, joined by B-17s and other bombers, crossed the East Coast of England en route to their target, the submarine base at Vegesack, Germany. This first mission to Germany for the 93rd Bomb Group proved that daylight bombing could be carried out successfully in the face of German defenses.   a photograph taken during the August 1, 1943, low-level raid on Germany's oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania, is signed by Col. Walter Stewart who, as deputy lead of the 93rd Bomb Group on this mission and pilot of the only first-wave B-24 to survive the attack, received the Distinguished Service Cross.   The Vulgar Virgin, a B-24 Liberator of the 344th Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group (H), makes its fatal run over target "White IV," Ploesti, before being lost to flak and enemy fighters.   Safely back at their base in Salbani, India, the crew of this 355 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Liberator tells of their just-completed harrowing mission.   On August 1, 1943, 178 Liberators made a famous low-level bombing raid on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Rumania. This scene shows John R. "Killer" Kane's B-24 named Hail Columbia and another Pyramidier B-24, The Squaw, making their attack through the thick smoke over the target   B-24J from the 389th Bomb Group, which was based at Hethel, England during World War II, can now be enjoyed by all at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City, Florida   The magnificent Liberator flies with the Collings Foundation. Beautifully photographed by Patrick Bunce,   B-24D Liberators of the 93rd Bomb Group, this print showcases Joisey Bounce, a Liberator that flew with the 330th Bomb Squadron and survived the low-level raids on Ploesti, Romania. Accompanying her are Thundermug and Boomerang, both of the 328th.   1st Lt. Carl H. Fritsche brings his B-24 Liberator, The Crusader, into a valley in the Himalayas. Unable to fly above this high mountain range with the limited service ceiling of a fully loaded B-24, Fritsche relied on his navigator's skill to successfully guide his aircraft on 48 missions carrying fuel "over the Hump" into China from India in 1944.   Barely clearing the smokestacks of the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, this B-24 Liberator, "Sandman," was one of more than 100 that participated in Operation Tidal Wave - the low-level raid of August 1, 1943.   A PB4Y-2 Privateer - a reconfigured B-24 Liberator with a lengthened fuselage, greater defensive armament, modified engine cowlings and a distinctive, single vertical tail - of VPB-106 flies over the Pacific Fleet near its island base in the Philippines in the spring of 1945   B-24s of the 44th and 98th Bomb Groups exit the target at extreme low level after turning the oil refineries at Ploesti into a fiery maelstrom.   On November 2, 1944, B-24s of the 489th BG were sent to destroy the railroad marshalling yards at Bielefeld, Germany. The bomber formation was surprised to encounter the new German jet fighters, the Messerschmitt Me-262, in one of the earliest jet attacks against U.S. heavy bombers. The jets were chased off by P-47s that were escorting the bombers and there were no losses.   The exhausted crew of the B-24 Utah Man has returned to base near Benghazi, Libya on August 1, 1943 after bombing the great oil refineries at Ploesti. Base personnel welcome back the crew as pilot 1st Lt. Walter T. Stewart describes the mission to operations officer Maj. Ramsay D. Potts.   Closing at high speed with all cannons blazing, the distinctive Fw 190A-8 "Black 8" flown by Unteroffizier Willi Maximowitz dives in to attack a formation of USAAF B-24s from the 93rd Bomb Group over Germany.   Badly damaged by flak, Hell's Wench - a B-24 Liberator flown by Lt. Col. Addison Baker, commander of the 93rd Bomb Group - continues toward its target during the daring low-level attack on the Ploesti oil refineries on August 1, 1943. Hell's Wench crashed shortly after releasing its bomb load, killing all of its crew.   Above the Ardennes on December 31, 1944, Oblt. Hans Dortenmann - Staffelkapitan of 12./JG 54, the Green Hearts - leads a formation of 30 Fw 190D fighters in an attack on 2nd Air Division B-24 Liberators.   The jet-powered Me 262 fighter was fast and could easily outrun Allied fighters. Unfortunately from the German perspective, it arrived on the scene too late and in too few numbers to impact the outcome of the war. Here we see it attacking a late-model B-24 in 1945.      

 9-5-2009
The lift-gap phenomena has been explained in terms I can understand.  It makes sense.  If the Russians had no manuals or flight training, a B-24 could be a very wild ride. 

    However, one generous B-17 pilot, and a B-24 pilot both said the B-24 was a handful.  It was an entirely different aircraft yet it had a special set of unusual problems.  Too many short-cuts in design and construction and unfortunately the short-cuts were so basic that they could not be changed short of scrapping the whole concept of the B-24.  Ever notice that B-17's flew long after WWII in great variety of service?  Ever see a B-24 after the war flying the same missions?

9-6-2009
Hi, John,
    I received your emails re the phenomenon of "Liftgap".  I have not heard of the term and it is intriguing.  I interpret it as, possibly, "a slight interruption of lift on lift-off".
    I can speculate that it may be caused by the rather unique landing gear configuration of the B-24 by which the attach point of the gear strut is hinged to the a/c with the hinge axis oriented fore and aft.  When the gear is raised, the wheel is not elevated directly upward as on the B-17 or C-47, but rather it is swung through an arc (think of a bird flapping its wings) toward the wing tips.  Or, think of it this way: when the gear is down, the plane of the wheel is vertical to the ground; when the gear is stowed in the wing, the plane of the wheel is horizontal.
   At this point, it may appear that I am digressing, but please bear with me.  Do you know the first action the pilot takes after lift-off of a B-24?  Answer - - - he puts on the brakes.  Why?
  When the -24 leaves the ground both of the heavy wheels/tires, which are designed to support the -24's 30-ton gross weight, are rotating at high speed.  In effect, they act as gyroscopes and behave in the same manner as when a force is applied to a spinning gyroscope.  When the gear is raised, the plane of the wheel is forced through an arc which subjects it to the phenomenon known as "precession".  
Suggestion- - - Google:   hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/gyr.html    - - - ( I am a Business major, so please don't ask me to discuss this site).
   As I remember, the landing gear is attached to each of the -24's two wing spars.  My theory:  as the heavy rotating wheels are moved through an arc to their stowed position in the wing, there is a great torsional force on the landing gear strut that may cause the spars, and therefore the front portion of the wing, to slightly bend the flexible Davis wing downward.  The result would be a slight loss of lift (Liftgap?) until the landing gear is stowed in the wing.  We remedied this condition by touching the brakes immediately after take-off.  Some pilots, apparently intent on establishing climb airspeed, ignored the rotating wheels that eventually retracted into the wing where the tires contacted heavy "snubbers" that stopped the rotation.  Note:  Several fighter aircraft have landing gears similar to the -24, but I know little about their attachment to the wing structure.  Although their gear swings through an arc toward the fuselage rather than toward the wing tips, precession is still evident.
    A second thought:  "Liftgap" might have been experienced by the loss of "Ground Effect".  When an aircraft is close to the ground, air between the ground and the undersurface of the wing is slight compressed.  On lift-off the ground effect is lost as the aircraft gains altitude.  Think of geese in V-formation with each bird utilizing the air pushed downward by the bird in front.  Or, sea birds who glide for long periods very close to the water.  In both cases, the birds are conserving energy by utilizing ground effect which "buoys" them (no pun).
    Because the B-24 was such a "ground-hugger" when grossed out, our pilots did not attempt an immediate climb-out after lift-off.  They typically gained 25-50' of altitude and leveled off so that their air speed could build up to climb speed because they wanted to quickly gain effective directional (rudder) control in the event of engine(s) failure.  The Russian "Liftgap" may have been experienced if they initiated a climb immediately after lift-off and they felt that loss of ground effect on lift-off.
    All of the above speculation is based on my -24 experience (as I remember it !) and should be reviewed/evaluated by more competent technical and maintenance personnel as well as historians and others..
    Because I don't know your background and knowledge of aviation, John, I may have addressed this subject in too much, or too little, detail.  Sorry, in either case, but I hope it helps a bit.  Jim. 

B-24 Exhibits on this Site

One More Mission

A Journey from Childhood to War
A tremendous story about Jesse Pettey a B-24 Liberator Pilot in World War 2 which takes you from his childhood to becoming an Army Air Force Captain in World War 2. 

By Jesse Pettey.