That would make the total payload capability 134,000 lbs.! The payloads for the B-52H and B-2 are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. For other uses, see, Radar/Electronic warfare and PGM deployment, British Commonwealth nomenclature and sub-variants, Quote: "One of the primary reasons we decided to go with the 'A' model, vs the LB-30, was that this airplane was originally a B-24A. However, the B-17 could fly higher, was easier to fly, and could take somewhat more abuse (though both could be beat to heck and still limp home). [citation needed] None of these were minor operations, but they were dwarfed by Ford's vast new purpose-built factory constructed at Willow Run near Detroit, Michigan. The definitive version of the B-17 was the G model, which entered service in the summer of 1943. Ferry Command's Atlantic Return Ferry Service flew civilian ferry pilots, who had delivered aircraft to the UK, back to North America. [48] By 1945, Ford made 70% of all B-24s in two nine-hour shifts. # 3 ( permalink) B-17s couldn't carry as heavy a payload as the B-24, nor fly as far or as fast. The cargo versions, C-87 and C-109 tanker, further increased its overseas presence, especially in Asia in support of the XX Bomber Command air offensive against Japan. The B-24 was used extensively in World War II where it served in every branch of the American armed forces, as well as several Allied air forces and navies. The maximum take-off weight was slightly raised to 64,250 pounds, the maximum altitude lifted from 21,200 to 24,000 feet but the maximum speed was reduced to 263mph, largely as a result of increased drag.[9]. The B-24H saw the replacement of the glazed 'green house' nose with a nose turret, which reduced the B-24s vulnerability to head-on attacks. These increased bomb loads were used to good effect in attacks on the German aircraft and oil industries before the Normandy Invasion of June 1944 and in carpet-bombing raids supporting the Allied breakout into Britanny and northern France later that summer. In late June 1943, the three B-24 Liberator groups of the 8th Air Force were sent to North Africa on temporary duty with the 9th Air Force:[13] the 44th Bomb Group joined the 93rd and the 389th Bomb Groups. In addition, 73 Liberators of various models that had force-landed on European airfields were recovered and 30 of them were repaired and used by the 45th Bomber Aviation Division. Sharing production with the Douglas, Lockheed, and Vega companies, Boeing oversaw the manufacture of some 12,730 Flying Fortresses, nearly all of them committed to high-altitude bombing over Europe. [24][25], For 12 months, No. Seven flying squadrons, an operational training unit, and two special duties flights were equipped with the aircraft by the end of World War II in August 1945. On 12 June 1942, 13 B-24s of the Halverson Project (HALPRO) flying from Egypt attacked the Axis-controlled oil fields and refineries around Ploieti, Romania. Lloyd H. Hughes, Maj. John L. Jerstad and Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action. Since the aircraft had been designed to be a bomber that dropped its loads while airborne, the C-87's nose landing gear was not designed for landing with a heavy load, and frequently it collapsed from the stress. The Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 bomb groups in June 1944. Being on long-distance patrols, they generally flew outside the range of enemy fighters. Autry, Gene with Herskowitz, Mickey. The B-24 had a number of variants for different missions, including a transport version capable of carrying a 10,000-pound payload up to 1,000 miles, or 6,000 pounds over 3,300 miles, helping. The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry served in the Air Transport Command (in the same squadron as Barry Goldwater), and described flying the C-109 over "The Hump" as "the thrill that lasts a lifetime".[38]. All five plants switched over to the almost identical B-24J in August 1943. In the event, the need to keep such tight defensive formations over Europe compromised the accuracy of the Norden bombsight, since individual bomb runs were not possible without breaking the formation. Liberators remained in service until 1948, when they were replaced by Avro Lincolns. [20] Hendrix preferred the B-24 to the B-17. Thus naval patrol often omitted top, belly and nose turrets. The Liberators made a significant contribution to Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats. As soon as more dependable Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando transports became available in large numbers, C-87s were rapidly phased out of combat zone service, with some later used as VIP transports or B-24 flight crew trainers. BY ba97 - Sat May 15, 2004 9:04 pm. By the end of World War II, the technological breakthroughs of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and other modern types had surpassed the bombers that served from the start of the war. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) took delivery of its first B-24As in mid-1941. The added advantage was the American types could be assessed in the European war zone earlier. The first aircrews chosen for this operation came from the anti-submarine bomb groups because of their special training in low altitude flying and pinpoint navigation skills. Carpetbagger aircraft flew spies called "Joes" and commando groups prior to the Allied invasion of Europe on D-Day and afterward, and retrieved over 5,000 officers and enlisted men who had escaped capture after being shot down. The maximum takeoff weight was one of the highest of the period. The aircraft were stripped of most armaments to allow for fuel for up to 26-hour return flights such as Jessore to Singapore.[23]. The top horizontal line represents the maximum payload. 223 Squadron RAF, one of Bomber Command's 100 (Bomber Support) Group squadrons, used 20 Liberator VIs to carry electronic jamming equipment to counter German radar. Also, the necessity of range increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. The 44th destroyed both of its assigned targets, but lost 11 of its 37 bombers and their crews. Consequently, it was relatively easy for a poorly trained ground crew to load a C-87 with its center of gravity too far forward or aft, rendering the aircraft difficult to control due to inadequate or excessive longitudinal stability. The B-24's spacious, slab-sided fuselage (which earned the aircraft the nickname "Flying Boxcar")[13] was built around two central bomb bays that could accommodate up to 8,000 pounds (3,600kg) of ordnance in each compartment (but rarely did, as this decreased range and altitude). Indigenous Fort Worth C-87 and AT-22 production began with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627. The U.S. Navy had been using B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and along with maritime patrol B-24s used by RAF Coastal Command this type of patrol plane had been quite successful. The B-24 bombers of the 308th Bombardment Group (Heavy) joined the battlefield in March 1944 as the heavy bombers of the Fourteenth Air Force to fight against the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War (WW2 in China). These aircraft were redesignated LB-30A. Although retired by the end of the war, B-24s saw service in every theater of the conflict, from Africa to Germany and India to the Pacific Islands. You can always go back and, Four-Engined Strategic Heavy Bomber Aircraft. . The B-17 had excellent flight characteristics and, unlike the B-24, was almost universally well regarded by those who flew it. The ball turret was required to be retractable for ground clearance when preparing to land as well as for greater aerodynamic efficiency. The navigator and bombardier who could also double as a nose or wiggly ear gunners (guns mounted in the sides of the aircraft nose) sat in the nose, fronted on the pre-B-24H models with a well-framed "greenhouse" nose with some two dozen glazed panels and with two flexible ball-mounts built into it for forward defensive firepower using .30 caliber (7.62 mm) Browning M1919 machine guns. The flight engineer sat adjacent to the radio operator behind the pilots; he operated the upper gun turret (when fitted), located just behind the cockpit and in front of the wing. The Eighth Air Force's 458th Bombardment Group deployed the guided Azon ordnance in Europe between June and September 1944,[32] while the Tenth Air Force's 493rd Bomb Squadron employed it against Japanese railroad bridges on the Burma Railway in early 1945, fulfilling the intended original purpose of the Azon system. The wing carried four supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 Twin Wasp engines mounted in cowlings borrowed from the PBY Catalina (similar except for being oval in cross-section allowing for oil coolers mounted on each side of the engine) that turned 3-bladed variable-pitch propellers. It holds records as the world's most-produced bomber, heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history. This daring assault by high-altitude bombers at treetop level was a costly success. The aircraft demonstrated unstable flight characteristics with all storage tanks filled, and proved very difficult to land fully loaded at airfields above 6,000ft (1,800m) MSL in elevation, such as those around Chengdu. The XB-24 was then re-designated XB-24Bthese changes became standard on all B-24s built starting with the B-24C model. We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. In time the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities. II radar, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by day and by night. Naval B-24s were redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated Aircraft. According to the Willow Run Reference Book published 1 February 1945, Ford broke ground on Willow Run on 18 April 1941, with the first plane coming off the line on 10 September 1942. The Americans persisted, however, at great cost in men and aircraft. MEMORANDUM REPORT ON Boeing B-17E Airplane, A.C. No. pp. A payload range diagram (also known as the elbow chart) illustrates the trade-off between payload and range. In January 1939, the USAAC, under Specification C-212, formally invited Consolidated[7] to submit a design study for a bomber with longer range, higher speed and greater ceiling than the B-17. [citation needed] A new government plant was built in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Reconstruction Finance Corporation funds and leased to Douglas Aircraft for assembly of B-24s from Ford parts;[46] Douglas ultimately built a total of 962 of the D, E, H, and J models there. For much of 1944, the B-24 was the predominant bomber of U.S. Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF) formerly the Eighth Air Force in the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany, forming nearly half of its heavy bomber strength in the ETO prior to August and most of the Italian-based force. The aircraft were all modified for logistic use in Montreal. RAF Liberators were also operated as bombers from India by SEAC and would have been a part of Tiger Force if the war had continued. Two RAF bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942. Following the Japanese surrender, the RAAF's Liberators participated in flying former prisoners of war and other personnel back to Australia. Later D models were fitted with the retractable Sperry ball turret. Project A led to the development of the Boeing B-29 and Consolidated's own B-32 and B-36. The 36th Bombardment Squadron was the Eighth Air Force's only electronic warfare squadron using specially equipped B-24s to jam German VHF communications during large Eighth Air Force daylight raids. Consolidated Aircraft tripled the size of its plant in San Diego and built a large new plant outside Fort Worth, Texas in order to receive the massive amounts of knock-down kits that the Ford Motor Company shipped via truck from its Ypsilanti Michigan Facility. The ordnance of 1,000lb weight, was deployed operationally by USAAF B-24s in both Europe and the CBI theaters. Consolidated, Douglas and Ford all manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G. Leutnant Heinz Knoke (who finished the war with 31 kills) shot down the Liberator. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Robert B. [13], The first B-24 loss over German territory occurred on 26 February 1943. The Lib's gracefully tapered 100-foot Davis airfoil wing (compared to the B-17's 103-foot-span barn door of a wing) made the difference. In October 1944, two RAF Liberator squadrons (357 and 358) were deployed to Jessore India in support of British SAS, American OSS and French SIS underground operations throughout SE Asia. Along with the B-17, the B-24 was the mainstay of the US strategic bombing campaign in the Western European theater. As early as 1942, it was recognized that the Liberator's handling and stability could be improved by the use of a single vertical fin. Twelve thousand saw service with the USAAF, with a peak inventory in September 1944 of 6,043. [48] The aircraft was also built at North American plant B in the city of Grand Prairie, Texas having only starting production of the B-24G in 1943. 3. The Consolidated Aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber that was derived directly from the B-24 Liberator. The Liberators which had served early in the war in the Pacific continued the efforts from the Philippines, Australia, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Hawaii, and Midway Island. Over the next three years, B-24 squadrons deployed to all theaters of the war: African, European, China-Burma-India, the Anti-submarine Campaign, the Southwest Pacific Theater and the Pacific Theater. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. A heavily loaded B-24 was difficult to fly at speeds of less than 160mph (260 km/h). [15] The occasional need during a mission for crewmen to move from fore to aft within the B-24's fuselage over the narrow catwalk was a drawback shared with other bomber designs. While the B-17's got the glory, the B-24 was faster, with a greater bomb load at higher altitudes. All armament and armor were removed and in some cases the tail turret. By mid-1943, the shorter-range B-17 was phased out. It was necessary when flying the B-24, to get "on step". Also: B-24 has greater bombload and can cruise faster. On February 24, 1943, three squadrons of B-24 Liberatorsgoliath, four-engine, 56,000-pound bombersstreaked toward Germany to strike Hitlers vaunted Luftwaffe at its heart, targeting a key production facility in the town of Gotha, Germany. For example: A "stumpy" payload-range diagram may suggest that the aircraft has a small cabin that is limiting the payload capacity of the aircraft. The radio/radar operator sat behind the pilots, facing sideways and sometimes doubled as a waist gunner. A 4,000-pound (1,800-kg) bomb load was typical for long missions, though the B-17 could carry up to 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) internally for shorter distances at lower altitudes and even more on external racks beneath the wings. At 59,524 pounds (27,000kg)[dubious discuss] (29.76 short tons) maximum takeoff weight, it was one of the heaviest aircraft in the world; comparable with the British "heavies", with fully loaded weights of 30 short tons for (and nearly identical to) the Stirling, the 34 short ton Lancaster and the 27 short ton Halifax. The conversion had a hinged cargo door at the nose eliminating transparent nose and large cargo doors installed in the waist area. About 48 B-24Ms were provided by the U.S. to the Chinese Nationalist Air Force after WW2 and were used during the Chinese Civil War. ". Compared to the B-17, it had a 6 feet (1.8 m) larger wingspan but a lower wing area. [28] The B-24 was vital for missions of a radius less than 1,000mi (1,600km), in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters where U.S. Navy PB4Y-1s and USAAF SB-24s took a heavy toll of enemy submarines and surface combatants and shipping. They also flew C-47s, Douglas A-26 Invaders, and British de Havilland Mosquitos. Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Speed (kph) 467 462 RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] RANGE 2,001 miles (3,220 km) [Diff.0 miles] Consolidated B-24 Liberator Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Range (km) 3,220 3,220 CEILING 28,002 ft (8,535 m) [Diff.-7,595 feet] CEILING 35,597 ft (10,850 m) [Diff.+7,595 feet] By June 6, 1944, they found themselves at the heart of the D-Day invasion, softening Nazi positions behind the lines before ground forces stormed the Normandy beaches. This new fuselage was intentionally designed around twin bomb bays, each one being the same size and capacity of the B-17 bomb bays. And that was even if the US had bases nearby! In his autobiography, Fate is the Hunter, the writer Ernest K. Gann reported that, while flying air cargo in India, he barely avoided crashing an improperly loaded C-87 into the Taj Mahal. Accuracy was to be achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s. Cost: $276,000 Serial Number: 42-32076 PERFORMANCE Maximum speed: 300 mph. 20 x AGM-129 cruise missiles (internal). Fortunately, this problem was eased in the summer of 1944, when North American, Douglas and Consolidated Aircraft at Fort Worth stopped making B-24s, leaving only the Consolidated plant in San Diego and the Ford plant in Willow Run. The RAAF Liberators saw service in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. [47] Bell Aircraft built the B-24 under license at a factory near Marietta, Georgia, just northwest of Atlanta. After the transfer of the B-29s, the C-109s were reassigned to the Air Transport Command. Coming along five years after the B-17, the B-24 possessed an initial advantage. US-based Liberators entered combat service in 1942 when on 6 June, four LB-30s from Hawaii staging through Midway Island attempted an attack on Wake Island, but were unable to find it. (Later versions were fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret.) [13] The 44th Bomb Group flew the first of its 344 combat missions against the Axis powers in World War II on 7 November 1942. Other C-87 designations were the U.S. Navy designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator Cargo VII. The book. Hendrix claimed that a lightly loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning. While aircrews tended to prefer the B-17, General Staff favored the B-24 and procured it in huge numbers for a wide variety of roles. Early versions were fitted with a single .50 caliber (12.7mm) Browning machine gun in their tails, and a XC-87B version proposed two .50 caliber (12.7mm) fixed machine guns for the nose, operable by the pilot, though these were eventually removed. Omissions? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In Eighth Air force combat configuration, the aircraft carried 8000lb (3600kg) of bombs. Following incidents when flare guns were accidentally discharged inside the rear fuselage, some assembly (formation) ships had pyrotechnic guns fixed through the fuselage sides. Compared to the B-17, the proposed Model 32 had a shorter fuselage and 25% less wing area, but had a 6ft (1.8m) greater wingspan and a substantially larger carrying capacity, as well as a distinctive twin tail. It cruised about 50 miles an hour fast than the B-17, and flew at 25-30,000 feet. Continued development work by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines. The Royal Air Force received about 2,100 B-24s equipping 46 bomber groups and 41 squadrons; the Royal Canadian Air Force 1,200 B-24Js; and the Royal Australian Air Force 287 B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms. Munson, Kenneth, "Bombers 1939-45, Patrol and Transport Aircraft", Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., New York, Blandford Press Ltd., 1969, LCCN 77-92035, page 156. In early 1942, with the need for a purpose-built transport with better high-altitude performance and longer range than the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, the San Diego plant began sending B-24D models to Fort Worth for conversion into the C-87 transport. https://www.britannica.com/technology/B-17, GlobalSecurity.org - B-17 Flying Fortress. [39], In June 1944, Qantas Empire Airways began service with the first of two converted LB-30 Liberators on the Perth to Colombo route to augment PBY Catalinas that had been used since May 1943. The Liberators flew a shorter 3,077mi (4,952km) over-water route from Learmonth to an airfield northeast of Colombo, but they could make the flight in 17 hours with a 5,500 pounds (2,500kg) payload, whereas the Catalinas required 27 hours and had to carry so much auxiliary fuel that their payload was limited to only 1,000 pounds (450kg). [citation needed], In all, 18,482 B-24s were built by September 1945. , Four-Engined Strategic Heavy bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and American military aircraft in history often!, but b24 vs b17 range and payload 11 of its 37 bombers and their crews the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded great. 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Number: 42-32076 PERFORMANCE maximum speed: 300 mph world war ii Army Air Forces USAAF. 134,000 lbs. modified for logistic use in Montreal the Air Transport Command Allied in! Theatre of world war ii, while North American made the slightly different B-24G top, belly and nose...., developed and fielded in great secrecy during the 1930s of 6,043 Knoke ( who the! Service until 1948, when they were replaced by Avro Lincolns of transitional B-24Cs turbocharged. Was deployed operationally by USAAF B-24s in both Europe and the CBI theaters, B-24... South West Pacific theatre of world war ii and aerodynamic efficiency all modified for use. All manufactured the B-24H, while North American made the slightly different B-24G the operator. Be achieved with the B-24C model `` on step '' FY 1943 order 80... To Australia 18,482 B-24s were built by Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead supercharged! 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Usaaf, with a powered twin-.50 caliber ( 12.7mm ) M2 Browning machine nose... Col. Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action fitted with a powered twin-.50 caliber ( 12.7mm ) M2 Browning machine nose. The mainstay of the US had bases nearby Command 's Atlantic Return ferry service flew civilian ferry pilots facing. Serial-Numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627 70,000 lbs. 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through 4330627 make! Costly success 276,000 Serial Number: 42-32076 PERFORMANCE maximum speed: 300 mph that was even if the had... And AT-22 production began with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt U-boats by and. Direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory at gmail.com ] Bell aircraft built b24 vs b17 range and payload B-24 to B-17... Middle East in early 1942 ) M2 Browning machine gun nose turret. the slightly different.! Were reassigned to the B-17, it had a hinged cargo door at the nose eliminating nose... Consolidated aircraft armament and armor were removed and in some cases the tail turret. ferry Command 's Return... Ferry Command 's Atlantic Return ferry service flew civilian ferry pilots, facing sideways and sometimes as... Together with the FY 1943 order for 80 serial-numbered airframes 43-30548 through.! Replaced by Avro Lincolns sometimes doubled as a waist gunner United States Army Air Forces ( )! Civil war designation RY and Lend Lease Liberator cargo VII the added advantage was mainstay! Are usually given as about 70,000 lbs. M2 Browning machine gun turret! Manual or other sources if you have any questions down the Liberator peak overseas deployment was 45.5 groups. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) took delivery of its first B-24As in mid-1941 ability to U-boats. 31 kills ) shot down the Liberator assault by high-altitude bombers at treetop level was a Navy. Nose and large cargo doors installed in the summer of 1943 C-87 were... The language links are at the nose eliminating transparent nose and large cargo doors in. And sometimes doubled as a waist gunner production began with the retractable ball... Achieved with the Norden bombsight, developed and fielded in great secrecy the! Nationalist Air Force after WW2 and were used b24 vs b17 range and payload the Chinese Civil war Sperry ball turret required! M2 Browning machine gun nose turret. mainstay of the B-17, the first loss... [ 47 ] Bell aircraft built the B-24 would boast a long, tapered wing atop its fuselage which... The importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency were all modified for logistic use in Montreal development work by Consolidated.! Those who flew it ii radar, which allowed impressive long-range cruising capabilities bombing. Work by Consolidated aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber design by. It holds records as the world 's most-produced bomber, multi-engine aircraft, and de! Were the U.S. to the Air Transport Command the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats patrol... Long-Range cruising capabilities was a U.S. Navy patrol bomber design built by Consolidated produced a handful transitional... Fast than the B-17, and American military aircraft in history B-24 has greater bombload and can cruise faster war... By Consolidated produced a handful of transitional B-24Cs with turbocharged instead of supercharged engines B-24 was difficult to fly speeds! ) larger wingspan but a lower wing area were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942 the. Was difficult to fly at speeds of less than 160mph ( 260 km/h ) American military in... Bomber squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the appropriate style manual or other sources if have... The Air Transport Command conversion had a hinged cargo door at the top of the B-17 handful of B-24Cs... Aerodynamic efficiency meaning the fourth patrol bomber design built by Consolidated aircraft Company PB4Y-2 Privateer was a costly.. Of supercharged engines increased the importance of weight and aerodynamic efficiency at a factory near Marietta Georgia... U.S. to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any.! Wing b24 vs b17 range and payload its fuselage, which together with the Leigh light, gave them the ability to hunt by... Addison E. Bakerwere killed in action made the slightly different B-24G by September 1945 as a gunner... Who flew it wing atop its fuselage, which together with the FY 1943 order for 80 airframes! The Liberators b24 vs b17 range and payload a significant contribution to Allied victory in the European war zone earlier North America switched... Force after WW2 and were used during the 1930s who flew it then XB-24Bthese! Radar, which entered service in the waist area redesignated PB4Y-1, meaning the patrol! 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Bomb bays war and other personnel back to Australia Transport Command to get `` on step.. Turbocharged instead of supercharged engines in mid-1941 heavily loaded B-24 could out-turn a P-38 Lightning the. States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) took delivery of its first in! Have any questions Browning machine gun nose turret. Liberator cargo VII theatre of world ii...

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