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 INTRODUCTION 3

US Bombers of WW2
T
he role of the bomber has been pushed, pulled, extended and enough to stop a determined foe but it was these two characteristics
expanded over the years and, compared to those machines which would shape US bomber design for the period.
which served during the Second World War, present day The one main advantage that the US aircraft manufacturing industry
equivalents are required to perform in a wide variety of roles. had over all other countries was the ability to mass produce on a
However, the modern USAF has retained three examples of pure scale which had never been seen before. While aircraft manufacturing
strategic bombers in the shape of the B-52 Stratofortress, B-1 Lancer and in Britain expanded to a few shadow factories, in the US, colossal
the B-2 Spirit, while much smaller aircraft, such as the F-15E Strike Eagle buildings covering thousands of acres were established in short order
remain capable of delivering up to 23,000lb of bombs in a tactical role - and operated around the clock. Sub-contracts were issued across
that’s 3,000lb more than a B-29 Superfortress! the industry and anything up to four, sometimes five, other major
The US-built bomber did not come to fruition until after the First manufacture’s would also be producing the aircraft, the B-17, B-24
World War, due mainly to the persistent efforts of characters such and B-29 are good examples of aircraft that were produced in this
as Maj Gen ‘Billy’ Mitchell, a staunch advocate of aerial bombing. It way. The numbers involved were mind-blowing, between July 1940
would take time for sufficiently powerful engines to be developed and August 1945, 3,740 very heavy bombers, 31,685 heavy bombers,
in order to realise Mitchell’s vision and it was a shame that he never 21,461 medium bombers and 39,989 light bombers were built. Out of
got to see his idea of a strategic bomber enter USAAC service in the these numbers, Britain and the Soviet Union received 13,385 and 4,031
shape of the B-17 Flying Fortress in 1938. Even this iconic aircraft bombers respectively, both nations having taken full advantage of the
would take time to evolve into the successful bomber that we are Lend-Lease system.
familiar with today and it was the combat reports that were passed While some of the bombers featured in this issue performed better than
on to the US aircraft manufacturers by the British and French during others, their prime advantage over any other was that they were available in
the early stages of the Second World War, which helped to shape the numbers when and where it counted and in all theatres of war.
designs that the USAAF would take into combat. Reliance on good
performance combined with good defensive firepower was never
Martyn Chorlton,
Editor

Examples of the first mass produced

Liberator, the B-24D, of which 2,696
were built, 2,381 of them by
Consolidated, San Diego, 305 by
Consolidated at Fort Worth and ten
by Douglas at Tulsa. Via editor

Aviation Archive Series

US Bombers of WW2 Acknowledgments
Editor: Martyn Chorlton • Design: Paul Sander • Production Manager: Janet Watkins • Publisher and Managing Director: Adrian Cox • Executive Chairman: Richard Cox • Commercial Director: Ann Saundry
Picture Credits: All photographs from the Key Archive unless otherwise credited. • Distribution: Seymour Distribution Ltd: +44 (0)20 7429 4000 • Printing: Warners (Midlands)
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US Bombers of WW2

6 The US bomber of WW2

12 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
41
21 Lockheed Hudson
28 Martin Maryland
30 Lockheed Ventura
34 Douglas A-20 family
41 Consolidated B-24 Liberator

81 Wichita-built Boeing B-29-45-BW Superfortress awaiting delivery to their respective USAAF bomb groups on October 18, 1944.
Nearest to the camera is 42-24727 which was allocated to the 498th BG based at Isley Field, Saipan. On March 31, 1945 the
bomber was forced to ditch in the Pacific because of an engine failure; one crewman was drowned in the incident. Via editor
 

50 North American B-25 Mitchell

70 61 Martin B-26 Marauder
70 Martin Baltimore
74 Douglas A-26 Invader
81 Boeing B-29 Superfortress
92 Consolidated B-32 Dominator
96 Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.

B-24 Liberators of the 15th Air Force

operating out of Foggia, Italy en route to a
target in southern Germany. Via editor

The rapid rise and rise of

the American-built bomber
Within the space of three decades, the fledgling USAAS had evolved from a service
equipped with variety of foreign-designed machines into the formidable USAAF
which was capable of delivering an atomic weapon.
No home-grown bombers the Breguet 14, the Caproni Ca.3, the Handley French machines lacked range or any significant
When the United States of America declared war Page O/100 and later the preferred O/400 and load-carrying capability and were usually
on Germany in April 1917, the USAAS (United the Airco DH.4. It was only the DH.4 that entered operated in daylight against supply lines or
States Army Air Service) had no military aircraft to anything close to full scale production before the troop concentrations. The few USAAS personnel
its name and the American aircraft industry had end of the First World War; the light bomber was who flew with the Italian Air Force experienced
no capacity to design, let alone produce, them produced by Dayton-Wright and Fisher Body. ‘strategic’ bombing for the first time as the
in the required quantities. Instead, a short term USAAC aircrew managed to build up some Caproni bombers crossed the Alps at 12,000ft,
solution was sought where British, French and early combat experience operating the Breguet without oxygen, to bomb targets in Austria. A
Italian fighters and bombers were purchased to 14 and DH.4 over the Western Front, while further combination of basic navigational equipment
equip the USAAS, while a select few types would early ‘strategic’ bombing experience was gained and simple bombing aids made the task of
be manufactured under licence in America. With with the Italians and their high-flying Capronis. finding the target incredibly difficult, let alone
regard to bombers, the USAAS chose to operate With regard to the Western Front, British and actually hitting it. While the Italians overcame
 THE RAPID RISE AND RISE OF THE AMERICAN-BUILT BOMBER 7

The one and only Wittemann-Lewis NBL-1 ‘Barling Bomber’ designed by Walter Barling who had
also designed the Tarrant Tabor in Britain. The 42,569lb bomber was powered by six 420hp
Liberty 12A engines. Editor’s collection

these problems, strategic bombing for all parties
at the beginning of the Second World War was
still proving a challenge.
In pursuit of a strategic capability
One of the most influential ambassadors, with
regard to the future of air power, was Lt Col (later
Maj Gen) Billy Mitchell who, on America’s entry
into the war, established an Aviation Section in
Paris. He quickly latched onto the experience
that had already been gained by the British and
French and was heavily influenced in particular
by Maj Gen Hugh Trenchard. The future ‘Father of
the RAF’ was a strong advocate of the use of large
numbers of heavy bombers and, if the First World
War had continued, he would have been given
the opportunity to unleash his Independent Air
Force which was equipped with large numbers
of O/400s and DH.9s and would have received
the giant V/1500 in quantity as well. There is no
doubt that this force would have been able to
attack targets deep in Germany at will, decades

Initially assigned to the 390th BS, 42nd BG, B-18A Bolo 37-508 served on with the 33rd SRS, 24th SRG and was not written off until August 15, 1944 at
Waller Field, Trinidad, British West Indies. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
8

before the destruction that was caused during

the second great war.
The development of America’s first strategic
bomber began in 1917 when the Glenn L Martin
Aircraft Company was approached. The best that
the company could offer was the Martin MB-2
(NBS-1) which could only travel at 100mph and
had a range of 500 miles. Falling well short of
what Mitchell was hoping for, the bomber did
play a crucial role in a famous demonstration of
airpower in 1921. Already at loggerheads with
the US Navy, who were convinced that there was
no need for a strategic bomber force, Mitchell
arranged for a number of bombing trials against
a pair of redundant battleships; the German ship
Ostfreisland and the USS Alabama. While both
of the ships were sunk by aerial bombing, there
is still debate today as to the authenticity of the
actual trial and a great deal of friction was created
between the US Navy and the USAAC as result.
Mitchell also instigated the construction of the
costly Wittemann-Lewis NBL-1, nicknamed the
‘Barling Bomber’ after its designer, Walter Barling.
The 120ft-span triplane bomber was designed
to carry a single 6,000lb bomb; it achieved this
at the expense of a maximum speed of just Boeing’s first bomber, the Y1B-9A, powered by a pair of 600hp Pratt & Whitney R-1860-11 Hornet B
96mph and a range of only 170 miles. Only one engines. Only five were built, serving with the 20th and 39th BS, 2nd BG from September 1932
prototype was built at a cost of over half a million through to April 1935. Editor’s collection
 THE RAPID RISE AND RISE OF THE AMERICAN-BUILT BOMBER 9

dollars and Mitchell’s dream of a new generation

of ‘super bombers’, remained just that, an idea
that was way ahead of its time.

Significant steps
While the whole idea of an aerial bomber force
languished for most nations during the 1920s
while all parties licked their wounds, in America,
the concept was put back on track by Boeing and
it’s YB-9, a development of the Monomail. A twin-
engined, all-metal monoplane, only seven were
produced, although five of them did see limited
service with the 20th BS (Bomb Squadron) and 2nd
BG (Bomb Group) between 1932 and 1935. Martin
was quick to follow with their more successful B-10,
which became the first mass-produced bomber
to enter USAAC service and was faster than a
fighter.Described by Gen Henry H ‘Hap’ Arnold
as ‘the airpower wonder of its day’, the B-10 was
capable of more than 200mph, could reach 25,000ft
and carry a 1,000lb bomb load over 700 miles;
the Americans had finally got their first capable
strategic bomber. The bomber was a huge success
at home and abroad and 348 were built between
1933 and 1940, 182 of them were export variants
Designed by Peyton M Magruder (who later designed the B-26) and first flown on February for the Argentinian, the Chinese Nationalist, Royal
16, 1932, the Martin B-10 was an excellent bomber for its day. With excellent performance, Netherlands East Indies (121 ordered), Philippine,
the type was only marginally superseded by the Douglas B-18, which was actually inferior to Royal Thai Sir Force and the Turkish Air Forces.
the final B-10 variant. Via editor

With a wing span of 149ft and a maximum take-off weight of

70,706lb, the Boeing XB-15 was an intimidating looking bomber for
the mid-1930s which was let down by a serious lack of horsepower.
The sole aircraft, nicknamed ‘Grandpappy’, served with the 2nd BG
at Langley Field and later, after being re-designated as the XC-105
transport, with the 20th TCS (Troop Carrier Squadron). The giant
aircraft was retired on December 18, 1944. Editor’s collection
10
The XB-15 set a number of ‘payload to height and speed/weight over distance’ records including
the international 5,000km speed record with a 2,000kg payload. Editor’s collection
The idea of a ‘super bomber’ was fully revived in
April 1934 when Boeing was awarded a contract
for a heavy bomber with a range of 5,000 miles.
Capable of carrying up to 12,000lb in bombs, the
aircraft, designated the XB-15, was let down by its
Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines which could only
generate 850hp apiece. With a cruising speed of just
152 mph and a maximum speed, when empty, of
197 mph, the huge 149ft-span bomber remained
a single prototype and the project was cancelled.
For Boeing,the whole exercise had gained them a
large amount of experience in building large aircraft
which was later applied to the Model 314 flying-
boat and eventually the B-29 Superfortress, via the
Y1B-20 (Model 316), which never left the drawing
board but laid the foundation blocks for a new
generation of bombers.
Douglas B-18A Bolos over Floyd Bennett Field, New York, on August 8, 1940. Editor’s collection
B-10 replacements
Just a few weeks after Boeing signed the contract
for the XB-15, the company responded to a USAAC
specification for a multi-engined bomber capable
of carrying a ‘useful bomb load’ to replace the
Martin B-10. Other key points of the specification
stated that the aircraft should be capable of
reinforcing American forces based in Alaska,
Hawaii and Panama, be able to reach speed of
250mphs and have a range of 2,000 miles. The
result was the Model 299, more familiarly known
as the B-17 Flying Fortress which would evolve
into one of the USAAF’s most celebrated strategic
bombers which embodied the Mitchell’s post-First
World War bombing strategy.
Douglas also competed to the same specification
as the B-17 and it was only when the Boeing
prototype crashed that the DB-1 was brought
forward as an alternative. Based on the DC-2 airliner,
the medium bomber, designated the B-18 Bolo in
USAAC, plugged an important gap and remained in
operational service into the early war period.
The B-17 was an impressive bomber when it first
entered service but there was an overconfidence
that the aircraft could easily out-run and/or carry
sufficient defensive armament to deal with an
enemy fighter attack. However, the reality of war,
especially in the European Theatre, proved that the
long-range strategic bomber would still have to
rely on a fighter escort and even then, this could
not thwart a determined attack.
The B-17, in company with the B-24, formed the
backbone of the USAAF’s 8th Air Force, both types
operated during the daylight hours while the RAF’s
Bomber Command kept up the pressure at night.
Despite operating in various formations, each was
designed to provide the most effective defensive
firepower, losses were insufferably high. Of the B-17
alone, almost 5,000 of 12,731 built between 1936
and 1945 were lost in combat, while nearly 4,000
were lost in flying accidents. Generally operating
above 20,000ft, the 8th Air Force tactic was for both
 THE RAPID RISE AND RISE OF THE AMERICAN-BUILT BOMBER 11

A Boeing YB-17 Flying Fortress of the

1st BG based at Langley Field. First
flown on December 2, 1936, only 13
YB-17s were built. Via editor

the B-17 and B-24 formations to release their bombs
at the same time as the lead aircraft. Described
as a precision bombing method, the idea was to
achieve good accuracy and complete saturation
of the target. However, relentless Luftwaffe attacks
and the unpredictable, but generally poor, weather
conditions over Northern Europe, tended to reduce
the attacking bombers’ combat effectiveness and it
was not uncommon for the phrase, ‘area bombing
of a precision targets’ to be used by bomb group
commanders. Regardless of the troubles faced by
the USAAF and RAF Bomber Command, the effects
of the bombing did grind the German industrial
machine down but could never be a war winning
tactic on its own and, just like today, boots on the
ground were and still are the final winning solution.
The tactical machines
The US medium bomber proved to be a useful
‘battle-turning’ aircraft when used tactically. It
made making an immediate difference when
used to influence an individual battle. All of the
USAAF’s bombers were twin-engined aircraft
and all exuded good performance, a good bomb
load-carrying capability and the ability to defend
themselves and pack a punch in reply, usually
against ground targets. The big four in this role
were the North American B-25 Mitchell, Martin
B-26 Marauder, Douglas A-20 Havoc and the
Douglas A-26 Invader. Operated constantly at
medium and low-level, the latter in particular in
the Pacific Theatre, these bombers were allocated
a wide range of targets including bridges, railway
junctions, troop concentrations and supply
depots and facilities. The A-20 and B-25 were
incredibly effective against Japanese shipping
through the Pacific and could be credited with
the destruction of Japanese invasion fleet during
the Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
There was one significant operation in which
the USAAF used their medium bombers in a
strategic role. This was when Col James ‘Jimmy’
Doolittle famously led a small force of B-25s off
the USS Hornet to attack Tokyo in April 1942.
However ineffective on paper the raid appears,
the effect on morale in the USA following the
attack on Pearl Harbor was enormous, while the
shock in Japan following the realisation that
US bombers could attack at will was never fully
recovered from.
The dawning of the atomic age
When the Boeing B-29 began its first combat
operations in 1944, this impressive machine could
carry a bombload three times heavier than the
B-17, fly twice as far and cruise 10,000ft higher.
Because of its pressurised fuselage, the B-29 could
operate at over 30,000ft and, during the closing
stages of the Second World War, hundreds were
employed to attack Japan from their recently
captured Pacific Island bases. Raids designed
to raze Japan’s cities to the ground reached a
pinnacle when 300 B-29s dropped thousands of
incendiaries on Tokyo on the night of March 9,
1945, killing 84,000 people and making at least
one million homeless.
Much worse was to follow for the long-suffering
Japanese civilian population when, in August 1945,
the fire-bombing came to end thanks to the atomic
bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which
were delivered by the B-29s named ‘Enola Gay’ and
‘Bockscar’ respectively. It was the dawning of a new
age in which bombers would be produced as part
of a policy of deterrent. This would result in the
beginning of the long Cold War that hung over the
world until the latter part of the 20th Century.
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.

12

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Advanced ‘multi-engine’ bomber
It was in May 1934 that the USAAC issued a
specification for a new multi-engine bomber
which could carry a 2,000lb bomb load over
1,020 miles or, 2,200 miles at a speed of
between 200 and 250mph; the latter being a
particularly optimistic request for the period.
The USAAC’s interpretation of ‘multi’ meant
nothing ‘more than one engine’, while Boeing
saw the opportunity to produce a four-engined
design, having already gained experience
producing the huge XB-15 (Model 294). In mid-
June 1934, Boeing began to design the Model
269, later to be designated as the B-17.
Powered by four 750hp Pratt & Whitney Hornet
radials, the prototype XB-17, with civil registration
NX13372, made its maiden flight on July 28, 1935,
with Boeing chief test pilot, Leslie Tower, at the
controls. Just over three weeks later, the bomber
was flown non-stop from Seattle to Wright Field for
its USAAC evaluation; a flight of 2,100 miles, during
which an average speed of 252mph was achieved.
All was going well for the XB-17 and early trials were
promising but were threatened when the bomber
crashed on take-off on October 30, 1935, killing
Tower and USAAC test pilot Major Ployer Peter Hill.
The USAAC was impressed with the bomber
and 13 YB-17s were ordered for further evaluation;
the first of these, 36-147, flew on December 3,
1936. These aircraft had more powerful 930hp
Wright Cyclone engines, a crew of nine and all

were delivered between January and August 1937,
twelve of them were allocated to the 2nd BG at
Langley Field. The first major contract was for 39
B-17Bs (Model 299E (later 299M)) which were
installed with turbo-charged engines. The B-17B
was delivered to the USAAC between June 27, 1939
and March 1940 and was followed by the 1,200hp
R-1820-35-powered B-17C (Model 299H). 38 of this
variant were ordered and the first example flew on
July 21, 1940. The RAF showed an interest in the
B-17C and the first of 20 aircraft, named the Fortress
Mk I, was delivered to 90 Squadron in July 1941.
The strength of the B-17 was its ability to fly at high-
altitude but the RAF soon found that this was not a
good form of defence, especially in daylight, and a
considerably heavier defensive armament would be
needed if the type was to survive operations in the
European Theatre.
BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
The next major variant to enter production was
the B-17D which was updated after the combat
reports received that were from Europe and, as a
result, was fitted with self-sealing fuel tanks and
extra armour to protect the crew. The next three
models, the B-17E, F and G (Modell 299-O) all
featured re-designed and larger tail surfaces, the
bigger dorsal fin alone distinguished them from
the earlier aircraft. The B-17E and B-17F were the
first examples of the Flying Fortress to arrive in
Britain as part of the 8th Air Force. The USAAF were
keen to show off the potential of the B-17 but,
during two operations to Germany in August and
October 1943, 120 aircraft were lost. It was obvious
from the outset that even the most cleverly laid
out formations did not have sufficient fire power
to hold off a determined Luftwaffe fighter attack
and, it was not until the arrival of the long-range
13
escort fighter, that losses began to be checked.
The problem of defence was partly improved with
the arrival of the B-17G and, thanks to its chin
turret, the total defensive fire power of the Flying
Fortress rose to 13 0.5in machine guns.
While the B-17 was most prevalent in the
European and North African theatres, the bomber
could be found in all areas where US forces were
active. In the Pacific, the B-17 served in the role of
maritime patrol, reconnaissance, close-support
and in conventional bombing roles. A multitude of
sub-variants were produced, including the B-17H
(SB-17G) ASR aircraft, the TB-40 trainer and the
BQ-7 and QB-17 drone. 12,731 B-17s were built,
although only a few hundred remained in USAAF
service after the war. Today, 13 remain airworthy
and a large number are in varying stages of
restoration or on display across the world.
One of 13 YB-17s (later Y1B-17)
procured by the USAAC for flight
testing and evaluation.
Via editor
14

Right: The ‘Memphis Belle’, one of the first B-17s to

complete 25 combat missions over Europe between
November 7, 1942 (Brest) and May 19, 1943 (Kiel). A
B-17F-10-BO serialled 41-24485, the bomber was flown
back to the USA on June 8, 1943 to begin a 31 city war
bond tour before being retired in 1945. After many years
of being displayed outside and suffering as a result the
aircraft is today being restored at the National Museum
of the USAF at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

Main: The cheek-mounted 0.5in machine guns give

this machine away as a B-17F Flying Fortress belonging
to the 97th BG. The 97th BG was the first 8th Air Force
unit to carry out a mission from Britain, operating from
Polebrook and Grafton Underwood between May and
September 1942. The 97th BG was later transferred to
North Africa to serve the 12th and later 15th Air Forces.
Via editor
BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS 15
16
BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS 17
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Lockheed Hudson Mk l
Lockheed Hudson Mk l
18

BOEING B-17G FLYING THE BOEING B-17
FORTRESS MAIN VARIANTS
FIRST FLIGHT: (XB-17 (Model 299)) (XB-17 (Model 299)) Single prototype registered
July 28, 1935 NX13372 f/f July 28, 1935; (YB-17) 13 aircraft
ENGINE: Four 1,200hp Wright ordered by the USAAC for service testing, f/f
R-1820-97 Cyclone radials December 2, 1936; (YB-17A) Single aircraft for
ground testing, later re-designated as a B-17A,
SPAN: 103ft 9in f/f April 29, 1938; (B-17B) Improved variant
LENGTH: 74ft 4in with better performance at lower speeds, 39
MAX SPEED: 287mph built, the first flying on June 27, 1939; (B-17C)
Defensive machine gun positions changed
CLIMB RATE: 900ft/min to a pair of oval-shaped apertures in the rear
ARMAMENT: 13 0.5in M2 Browning fuselage and a ventral bath tub, 38 built, f/f July
machine-guns and up to 8,000lb 21, 1940 ; (B-17D) Incorporated several minor
of bombs improvements, inside and out, 42 built (last 18
B-17Cs built were modified to B-17D standard),
f/f Feb 3, 1971; (B-17E) Re-design which included
a new vertical stabilizer, rear gunner’s position,
dorsal turret and later production had a ventral,
ball turret installed. 512 built, f/f September 5,
1941; (B-17F) Upgraded B-17E with new Plexiglas
nose cone, cheek-mounted machine guns and
several other minor modifications. 3,405 built
(2,300 by Boeing (BO), 605 by Douglas (DL) and
500 by Lockheed Vega (VE)), f/f May 30, 1942;
(B-17G) The definitive variant which incorporated
all modifications introduced into the B-17F
production line including a Bendix chin turret
and revised tail gun position. 8,680 B-17Gs were
built, 4,035 by Boeing, 2,293 by Douglas and
2,250 by Lockheed Vega.

B-17Gs of the 523nd BS and the 535th BS, 381st BG based at Ridgewell, Essex. Nearest to the camera is B-17G-20-BP Flying Fortress, 42-31443, ‘VE-M’
named ‘Friday the 13th’ which was shot down by a German fighter near Munster on a mission to Oscherleben on February 22, 1944.

Lockheed Hudson
LOCKHEED HUDSON CUTAWAY KEY
1 Starboard navigation/
identification lights
2 Starboard wingtip
3 De-icing slots
4 Internal vanes
5 Aileron internal mass
balance
6 Starboard aileron
7 Aileron tab
8 Tab mechanism
9 Control cables
10 Wing main spar structure
11 De-icing tubes
12 Leading-edge de-icing
boot
13 Main wing rib stations
14 Wing skinning
15 Flap control cables
16 Flap tracks
17 Flap cables/pulleys
18 Track fairings
19 Port flap (extended)
20 Aerial mast
21 D/F loop fairing
22 Supported structure
23 Aerial lead-in
24 Cockpit cold air
25 Flight deck sun-blind
26 Windscreen wiper
motor
27 Jettisonable canopy
hatch
28 Console light
29 Windscreen wipers
30 Second-pilot’s jump seat
31 Adjustable quarterlight
32 Windscreen frame
support member
33 External gunsight
34 Second-pilot’s (back-
up) control column
(cantilevered)
An RAF Lockheed Hudson of the Middle East
Communication Squadron captured near
Cairo in mid-1942. Via editor
35 Central instrument
console
36 Starboard nose entry
tunnel
37 Bulkhead
38 Starboard engine oil tank
39 Fixed forward-firing
0.303in (7.7mm)
Browning machine-
guns (two)
40 Carburettor intake
41 Wright R-1820-G102A
radial engine
42 Starboard nacelle
43 Cowling nose ring
44 Three-blade propeller
45 Spinner
46 Nose compartment
cold air
47 Machine gun muzzles
48 Nose structure
49 Roof glazing
50 Window frames
51 Nose cone
52 Navigator’s side
windows
53 Compass
54 Navigator’s table
55 Navigator’s (sliding) seat
56 Bomb-aimer’s flat
panels
57 Bomb-aimer’s prone
58 Bomb selector/switch
59 Navigator’s instrument
panel
60 Forward flare chute
61 Bombsight support
62 Nose frames
63 Nose compartment
warm
64 Windscreen de-icing
tank
65 Machine gun
ammunition
66 Rudder pedal assembly
67 Pilot’s control column
68 Pilot’s seat
69 Pilot’s radio control
boxes
70 Forward (canted)
fuselage
71 Frame/wing pick-up
72 Hydraulics reservoir
73 Wireless-operator’s
table
74 Wireless-operator’s seat
75 Transmitter
76 Receiver
77 Main spar centre-
section carry-through
78 Spar/frame attachment
79 Wireless bay racks
80 Cabin cold air
81 Astrograph table/supply
82 Wing flaps actuating
cylinder
83 Smoke-float stowage
rack
84 Port cabin windows
85 Beam machine-
gun positions (field
modification)
86 Gun support frame
87 Starboard cabin windows
88 Astrodrome (Mk III
and retrofit)
89 Fuselage frames
90 Stringers
91 Flare stowage racks
92 Parachute stowage
93 Aft fuselage bulkhead
94 Aerials
95 Boulton Paul dorsal
turret
96 Turret support canted
97 Turret ring
98 Dorsal cut-out former
99 Bulkhead
100 Rear bulkhead/tailplane
101 Tail surface control
linkage
102 Starboard tailplane
103 Twin 0.303in (7.7mm)
machine-guns
104 Rudder control
quadrant
105 Cable linkage
106 De-icing tube
107 Starboard end plane
108 Tailfin de-icing boot
109 Tailfin skinning
110 Rudder tab actuator
111 Aerial attachment
112 Rudder upper balance
113 Rudder tab
114 Starboard rudder
115 Elevator tab
116 Starboard elevator
117 Tab actuating linkage
118 Elevator control
119 Fixed centre-section
120 Tail navigation light
121 Port elevator
122 Elevator tab
123 Port tailfin de-icing boot
124 Tailfin structure
125 Rudder upper balance
126 Rudder upper hinge
127 Rudder tab
128 Port rudder structure
129 Port end plane
130 Rudder lower balance
131 Fixed tailwheel
132 Port tailplane structure
133 Tailwheel shock-
absorber
LOCKHEED HUDSON
134 Tailplane support
bulkhead
135 Warm air conduit
136 Bulkhead cover plate
137 Control pulley quadrant
138 Turret mechanism/
support
139 Aft flare tube
140 Toilet location
141 Step
142 Entry door (jettisonable
dinghy housing)
143 Ammunition feed/
magazine
144 Dinghy release cylinder/
hand lever
145 Tunnel (ventral) gun
station (optional)
146 Cabin entry walkway
(port)
147 Ventral camera port
148 Ventral gun well
149 Bomb-doors operating
150 Bomb-bay rear well
151 Port flap section
152 Flap track fairings
153 Aileron tab
154 Port aileron
155 Aileron internal mass
156 Port wingtip structure
157 Port navigation/
identification lights
158 Internal vanes
159 Wing slots
160 Wing structure
161 Main spar
162 Nose ribs
163 Port wing leading-edge
de-icing boot
164 Rib assembly
165 Mainwheel recess
166 Port nacelle fairing
23
167 Rear spar wing join
168 Main spar wing join
169 Port wing aft fuel tank
170 Fuselage bomb-bay
171 Port wing forward
fuel tank
172 Control servos
173 Undercarriage retraction
174 Undercarriage support/
175 Port engine oil tank bay
176 Engine support frame
177 Carburettor anti-icing
tank
178 Engine bearer assembly
179 Bomb-bay forward wall
180 Carburettor intake
181 Battery
182 Smoke floats
183 Propeller anti-icing
tank (fuselage)
184 Engine bearer ring
185 Cowling nose ring
186 Spinner
187 Three-blade propeller
188 Starboard mainwheel
189 Pitot head
190 Oil cooler intake
191 Exhaust louvres
192 Landing gear fulcrum
193 Drag strut
194 Exhaust stub
195 Side strut
196 Mainwheel oleo leg
197 Torque links
198 Port mainwheel
199 Axle hub
200 Towing lug
201 Undercarriage door
202 Float marker
203 250lb (113.5kg)
A/S bomb
24

The RAF puts Lockheed on the aviation map

The Lockheed Hudson was the first American-
built aircraft to see operational service with the
RAF during the Second World War. The aircraft
originated from a British requirement for a
maritime patrol/navigation trainer in 1938 and,
to meet the urgent need quickly, Lockheed
proposed a militarized version of their own Model
14 Super Electra. The design was very similar to
the Lockheed Model 14-WF62 with the exception
of a modified fuselage that was installed with
nose guns and dorsal turret, a bomb bay and
a navigator’s station located to the rear of the
trailing edge of the wing. The latter feature was not
acceptable to the British Purchasing Commission
(BPC) who wanted a maritime machine rather than
a bomber and the navigator’s position was quickly
re-positioned much closer to the pilot. Within 24
hours, a new mock-up of the aircraft was presented
to the BPC and, following negotiations, an order for
200 Model B14Ls was placed in June 1938. This was
later raised to 250 aircraft as long as all of them
could be delivered before the end of December
1939. On December 10, 1938, the first Model B14L
made its maiden flight and the 250th production
aircraft was completed during the first week of
November 1939, well ahead of the deadline. When
production came to end in May 1943, 2,941 aircraft
had been built, made up of 1,338 purchased
directly from Lockheed, 1,302 under Lend Lease
and 300 training machines for the USAAF. Named
the ‘Hudson’ by the aircraft, this highly successful
machine quickly elevated Lockheed into one of the
US’s major manufacturers.
The Hudson entered RAF service with 224
Squadron at Leuchars in May 1939 and it was
with this unit that the type became the first
Allied aircraft, operating from the UK, to shoot
down an enemy machine when a Dornier Do
18 was downed on October 8, 1939. It was a
Hudson of 220 Squadron which discovered the
German prison ship Altmark in February 1940
and then successfully directed British naval forces
towards it. A Hudson of 269 Squadron attacked
the U-boat U-570 in the Atlantic on August 27,
1941 and then accepted the crippled vessel’s
surrender. A 280 Squadron Hudson was the first
of many to be fitted with an airborne lifeboat in
May 1943 and, at the same time, a 608 Squadron
Hudson became the first to sink a U-boat using
rockets alone. In USAAF service, it was an A-29
that recorded the first U-boat kill when, on July 7,
1942, U-701 was sent to the bottom. The US Navy
could also credit the Hudson for its first U-boat
successes when, on March 1 and March 15, 1942,
a PBO-1 sunk a pair of U-boats.
The Hudson saw widespread service with the
RAF, USAAF and USN but also served the RAAF,
RCAF, Brazilian Air Force, Irish Air Corps, Chinese Air
Force, Dutch Air Force, Portuguese Air Force and
SAAF and in small numbers in a civilian capacity for
BOAC (British Overseas Aircraft Corporation), East-
West Airlines, Adastra Air Surveys and British West
Indian Airways.

Lockheed Hudson Mk I, N7221, one of 200 delivered to the RAF

(although some were diverted to Canada) between April 1939 and
January 1940. This particular aircraft served with 224, 220 and 161
(Special Duties) Squadrons before it was written off in a crash on
March 28, 1944. 161 Squadron was generally tasked with support
operations for the SOE, delivering and collecting secret agents
throughout the Second World War. Key Archive
 LOCKHEED HUDSON 25

LOCKHEED HUDSON MK I
FIRST FLIGHT: (Model 14)
December 10, 1938
ENGINE: Two 1,100hp Wright GR-
1820-G-102A radials
SPAN: 65ft 6in
LENGTH: 44ft 4in
MAX SPEED: 246mph at 6,500ft
CLIMB RATE: 1,200ft/min
ARMAMENT: Two 0.303in forward-
firing machine-guns and two .303in
machine guns in a dorsal turret.
Up to 1,400lb of bombs or depths
carried internally

Left: A tantalizing glimpse of Lockheed A-29-LO

Hudson, 41-23403 in USAAF service. Via editor
26

Main: Resplendent in its all-white camouflage with grey upper surfaces,

the Hudson Mk VI was ideally suited to Coastal Command operations.
This machine, FK689 is pictured during RP and Armament trials with
the A&AEE (Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment) before
being transferred to 301 FTU and later 500 Squadron. Via editor

LOCKHEED MODEL 14 VARIANTS

(Hudson Mk I) Original RAF variant powered by a pair of 1,100hp Wright GR-1820-G102A engines, 351
built; (Hudson Mk II) As per Mk I but with a strengthened airframe and constant-speed propellers, 20
built; (Hudson Mk III) Mk II airframe combined with 1,200hp Wright GR-1820-G205A radial engines. As per
previous marks, this variant was acquired through direct-purchase for British/Commonwealth air forces
before Lend-Lease began, 428 built; (Hudson Mk IIIA) British and Commonwealth designation for all Lend-
Lease Mk IIIs powered by 1,200hp Wright R-1820-87 engines. Later procured by the USAAF as the A-29 and
the US Navy as the PBO-1. 800 Mk IIIAs built including 384 troop transport variants which were supplied
as A-29As; (Hudson Mk IV) RAAF designation for 50 Hudson Mk Is fitted with 1,050hp Pratt & Whitney Twin
Wasp S3C-G engines. This designation also applied to an improved version, originally purchased as the
Mk II; (Hudson Mk IVA) RAAF Lend-Lease designation for the USAAF A-28, 52 built; (Hudson Mk V) Direct
purchase variant, like the Mk III but powered by 1,200hp Twin Wasp S3C4-G engines, 409 built; (Hudson Mk
VI) Lend-Lease variant procured by the USAAF as the A-29A. Similar to the Mk III/V but powered by 1,200hp
Chevrolet-built Pratt & Whitney R-1830-67 engines, 450 built; (Hudson C Mk VI) A number of Hudson Mk
VIs were stripped of armament and converted to the transport role, re-designated C Mk VI; (A-29B) 24
USAAF A-29As were re-designated and converted to the photographic reconnaissance role; (AT-18) USAAF
gunnery trainer powered by 1,200hp Wright R-1820-87 engines and designated AT-18, 217 built; (AT-18A)
Unarmed navigation trainers for the USAAF, similar to the AT-18, 83 aircraft; (B14S) One aircraft used as an
instrument test aircraft for the Sperry Gyroscope Company.
 LOCKHEED HUDSON 27

Above: Laid down as an A-29-LO Hudson and

delivered to the RAF as Mk III, BW751, this aircraft
ended up in the hands of the RAAF as A16-211.
Named ‘Tojo Busters’, the aircraft served with 2
Squadron, operating out of Millingimbi in the
Northern Territory. The aircraft ground looped after
returning from an operation on May 7, 1943 and
was reduced to components.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
28
Martin Maryland
Rejected by the Americans, embraced by the
British and the French
Originally designated as the Martin XA-22 and
designed in response to a USAAC specification for an
attack bomber, this twin-engine low/mid cantilever
wing aircraft was rejected following official flight
testing. First flown on March 14, 1939, the XA-22 was
powered by a pair of Twin Wasp radials fitted with a
retractable undercarriage and had been designed for
a crew of three. It is not exactly known why the XA-22
was rejected as it was a good all round performer
for its day and this was not lost on the French, who
placed an order for 115 aircraft some time before the
prototype even left the ground.
Deliveries of the first aircraft, then designated
as the Model 167F were delayed until a US arms
embargo was lifted in October 1939. By that
time, the French had placed an order for a further
100 Model 167Fs but, by the time of the French
armistice in June 1940, only 140 of the total order
had been delivered. Re-designated by the French
to the Martin 167A-3, a number saw action during
the final few weeks of the German advance while
many more fell into Vichy hands to serve against
the Allies in West Africa and Middle East.
One of a batch of 50 delivered to the RAF
between July 1940 and January 1941, AR711
initially served with 22 Squadron then 431
Flight and finally 69 Squadron. The aircraft
suffered serious damage after a wheels-up
landing at Ta Kali on March 1, 1942 but,
before repairs could be started, the aircraft
was damaged but repair by Luftwaffe bombs
a few days later. Key Archive
The outstanding 75 aircraft did not go to waste
and were instead diverted to the RAF where they
were designated as the Maryland Mk I, powered
by a pair of 1,050hp R-1830-SC3G Twin Wasp
radial engines. The British were impressed with
the aircraft to such an extent that they placed an
order for a more powerful version, to be named
the Maryland Mk II. These aircraft were powered
by R-1830-S3C4G Twin Wasp radial engines which
were fitted with twin-stage superchargers. 150 Mk
IIs were delivered to the RAF to not only serve in
their intended light bomber role but also as target
tugs and as long-range reconnaissance aircraft the
Maryland was particularly suited to the latter role.
The first RAF unit to receive the Maryland was
431 Flight (re-designated as 69 Squadron) in Malta,
followed by 39 and 223 Squadrons both of which
saw extensive action over the Western Desert.
More than 70 Marylands were transferred to the
SAAF to serve with 12, 20, 21 and 23 Squadrons in
the Middle East and North Africa. A few Marylands
also saw service with the FAA and one aircraft
provided valuable reconnaissance prior to the
attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto in November
1940, while another spotted the Bismarck and
Prinz Eugen making their final breaks for the open
ocean in May 1941.
MARTIN MARYLAND MK I
FIRST FLIGHT: (Model 167)
March 14, 1939
ENGINE: Two 1,200hp Pratt &
Whitney R-1830-S3C4G Twin Wasp
radials
SPAN: 61ft 4in
LENGTH: 46ft 8in
MAX SPEED: 278mph at 11,800ft
CLIMB RATE: 2,400ft/min
ARMAMENT: Four 0.303in wing-
mounted Browning machine-guns
and one .303in Vickers K in dorsal and
ventral positions. Up to 2,000lb of
bombs or depths carried internally
 MARTIN MARYLAND 29

Right: The prototype Martin

Model 167 (with civilian
registration NX22076),
designated as the XA-22 by
the USAAC, which first flew on
March 14, 1939. Via editor

Below: On May 22, 1941,

thanks to the initiative of Lt
N E Goddard, the CO of 771
Squadron, one of the unit’s
unarmed Maryland target tugs
spotted the German battleship
Bismarck making for the North
Atlantic and, only days later, the
ship was sunk.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.

30

Lockheed 37 Ventura & Harpoon

Hudson replacement
The Hudson proved to be a huge success in
RAF service and this prompted Lockheed into
designing a larger military version of excellent 18
Lodestar. Once again, it was the British who were
interested in the aircraft which was developed into
the Lockheed 37 and named Ventura by the RAF.
675 aircraft were ordered in 1940, all of which were
produced in Lockheed’s Vega factory.
The Ventura had great potential when it
was first ordered because the aircraft was able
to carry a larger bomb load than the Hudson,
greater defensive armament and more powerful
Double Wasp engines. The RAF’s first aircraft, Mk
I AE658, made its maiden flight on July 31, 1941
but, consequently the planned delivery date of
March 1941 was missed by some margin and, the
first Venturas did not arrive in Britain until the
summer of 1942. The type entered service with
21 Squadron on May 31, 1942 with operations, in
daylight, not beginning until November 3. It was
quickly found that the Ventura, nicknamed ‘The
Pig’, was not suited to daylight operations and the
aircraft was withdrawn from Bomber Command
service in early September 1943. The surviving
aircraft were transferred to Coastal Command and,
along with those serving in the maritime role in
the Middle East, served on until mid-1944.
In USAAF service, the type served as the B-34
Lexington and with the US Navy as the PV-1
Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon. The latter was a
long-range version of the PV-1 and served the US
Navy from June 1943 until the end of the war. The
Ventura also served with the RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF
and SAAF while post various PV-types served
in Brazil, France, Japan, the Netherlands and
Portugal, the latter of which served until 1975.

675 Venturas were delivered to the RAF,

including this Mk I, AE748, pictured during trials
with the A&AEE on June 2, 1942. The aircraft
never entered operational service and was
transferred to the ECFS (Empire Central Flying
School) until it was SOC (Struck Off Charge) on
August 9, 1945.
 MARTIN MARYLAND 31

Right: The first PV-1s were

delivered in December 1942 and
were in service from February
1943.The first operational
sorties were carried out by VP-
135 from the Aleutian Islands in
April 1943.

Below: Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

34991 of VPB-150 which operated
the type from November 1943
until March 1945.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
32
LOCKHEED PV-1 VENTURA
FIRST FLIGHT: July 31, 1941
ENGINE: Two 2,000hp Pratt & Whitney
R-2800-31 radials
SPAN: 65ft 6in
LENGTH: 46ft 8in
MAX SPEED: 322mph at 13,800ft
CLIMB RATE: 2,000ft/min
ARMAMENT: Two 0.5in forward-
firing machine guns, two 0.5in in
dorsal turret and a pair of 0.3in
machine guns in the ventral position.
Up to 3,000lb of bombs or six 325lb
depth charges or a single torpedo
LOCKHEED MODEL 37
VENTURA/HARPOON
VARIANTS
(Ventura Mk I) First production contract to British
specification powered by two 1,850hp Pratt &
Whitney Double Wasp S1A4-G engines. A number
of Mk Is were modified for use by Coastal Command
and re-designated GR Mk 1s; (Ventura Mk II) Similar
to Mk I but powered by two 2,000hp Pratt & Whitney
R-2800-31 radials and was fitted with a large bomb
bay; (Ventura Mk II) Revised armament; (Ventura GR
Mk V) RAF Coastal Command designated for the US
Navy PV-1, several were converted into transports
Ventura C Mk V; (B-34 (later RB-34)) Similar to Ventura
Mk IIA, 20 examples were impressed by the USAAF
from the Lend Lease production line, a few were
later installed with ASV radar; (B-34A Lexington (later
RB-34A)) 101aircraft which were impressed by the
USAAF as trainers; (B-34B Lexington (later RB-34B))
13 aircraft used by the USAAF as navigation trainers;
(B-37) Powered by a pair of 1,700hp Wright R-2600-
13 engines and revised armament for service with
the USAAF, 550 aircraft were ordered but only 18
were actually built; (PV-1) The first US Navy variant
which was similar to the Ventura Mk II but with
lower defensive armament, a modified bomb bay
designed to carry depth charges or a torpedo and
a search radar. Later production PV-1s could carry
HVAR rockets and a handful were modified to night-
fighters for the USMC; (PV-1P) A few PV-1s were
modified to the photographic-reconnaissance role;
(PV-2 Harpoon) An improved US Navy variant with
longer span outer wing panels (75ft span and a wing
area of 686 sq/ft), increased fuel capacity, revised tail
surfaces and armament. Problems with fuel tanks
and skin wrinkling saw a new wing applied to the
31st production aircraft, 500 built; (PV-2C) 30 PV-2 re-
designated as trainers, outer wing fuel tanks sealed
off; (PV-2D) A PV-2 with revised armament, only 35
delivered by VJ Day; (PV-2T) A few PV-2s converted
as unarmed trainers; (PV-3) US Navy designation for
27 Ventura Mk IIs taken from British contract.
MARTIN MARYLAND 33

The US Navy version of the Lockheed B-34

Lexington was the PV-1 Ventura. 1,600 of the
version were built, 388 of them went on to
serve the RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and SAAF as the
Ventura GR Mk V. Lockheed-Martin
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
34
Douglas A-20/DB-7/Boston and Havoc
A ‘hot’ combat aircraft
Designed by Ed Heinemann and Jack Northrop, the
DB-7 family of aircraft was one of the greatest of
the Second World War. Designed to meet a USAAC
attack specification dating back to 1938, the aircraft
was quickly modified with a pair of powerful Twin
Wasp engines and, for the first time in any military
aircraft, a nosewheel undercarriage. The French
were the first to place an order in February 1939
for 100 (later increased to 270) aircraft, which
were modified still further with a deeper, narrower
fuselage. Named the DB-7, this variant, armed with
six 7.5mm MAC (Military Armament Corporation)
machine guns and capable of carrying a 1,764lb
bomb load, went into production at El Segundo and
Santa Monica. The first DB-7s were delivered to the
Armée de l’Air via Casablanca in early 1940 and the
first operations began on May 31.
The DB-7 was described by its pilots as a ‘hot’
aircraft, its performance belying the fact that it
was a bomber. It was also more complex than its
European contemporaries and, at first, operating
it from small unpaved airfields with few facilities
caused maintenance issues. The aircraft had
many unusual features for the day, including an
An early USAAC Douglas A-20 which was
powered by a pair of two-stage supercharged
Wright R-2600-11 radial engines specifically for
improved high-altitude operations. Via editor
emergency control column in the rear gunner’s Tactical Air Force and the Desert Air Force. 7,385
compartment which enabled him to fly the aircraft DB family aircraft were built, 3,125 of which were
should the pilot become incapacitated. supplied direct to the Soviet Air Force.
A number of DB-7s and DB-7As were diverted
to Britain from the French order and at least
100 were converted into Havoc night fighters DOUGLAS A-20G
at Burtonwood. A few Havocs were converted
FIRST FLIGHT: (Model 7B) October
to Turbinlite standard with a 2,700-million
26, 1938
candlepower searchlight in the nose which was
designed to illuminate enemy raiders. The RAF ENGINE: Two 1,600hp Wright
took to the aircraft and, from February 1942, R-2600-23 Cyclone 14 radials
were flying low-level daylight operations with the SPAN: 61ft 4in
more powerful Boston Mk III. Across the pond,
the USAAF placed orders for the A-20, the most
LENGTH: 48ft
significant of which was the A-20G which could MAX SPEED: 317mph at 10,000ft
carry up to 4,000lb in bombs and pack a serious CLIMB RATE: 2,000ft/min
punch thanks to its nose armament.
The USAAF made full use of the P-70 night
ARMAMENT: Six 0.5in Browning
fighter and the glazed-nosed A-20J and A-20K
machine guns or Four 20mm Hispano
which, among other things, were employed as
Cannon in nose and two 0.5in M2
lead ships by the 9th and 15th Air Forces over in
Browning machine guns in a power
the European and Mediterranean theatres. The
operated turret and one 0.5in
RAF’s equivalent of the A-20J and K were the
machine gun firing through a ventral
Boston Mk IV and Mk V which served the 2nd
tunnel, plus up 4,000lb of bombs

DOUGLAS A20 VARIANTS
(Boston Mk I & Mk II) Aircraft that were transferred
from the French order to the RAF were
designated Boston Mk I or Mk II, the Mk I was
powered by a pair of 1,200hp Pratt & Whitney
Twin Wasp S3C-G engines; (Havoc Mk I) DB-7
conversion as night intruder with 2,400lb of
bombs of a night fighter fitted with an AI Mk
IV radar; (Havoc-Pandora) 93 Squadron were
tasked with operating this variant which trailed
a Long Aerial Mine on a lengthy cable into the
path of oncoming enemy bombers; (Havoc Mk
I Turbinlite (aka Helmore)) 31 Havoc Mk Is and
39 Mk IIs were converted with a searchlight
in the nose; (DB-7A/Havoc Mk II) Powered by
two 1,600hp Wright R-2600-A5B Twin Cyclone
engines, 200 were ordered by France but none
were delivered before the country fell. All were
diverted to the RAF and converted into night
fighters with a dozen .303in machine guns and
additional fuel tanks. (DB-7B/Boston Mk III) The
first variant to be ordered by the RAF direct in
February 1940, 300 built; (DB-73) Variant with
French instruments and secondary equipment,
480 ordered, 240 of them built by Boeing and
Seattle. None delivered to France, all converted
DOUGLAS A-20/DB-7/BOSTON AND HAVOC
to Boston Mk III standard and ordered by the
RAF. Actual delivery saw 151 DB-73s sent to the
USSR and post-December 1941, 356 DB-73s
were ordered by the USAAF; (DB-7C) Intended
for service with the Dutch East Indies Air Force,
but only 31 aircraft reached Australia before
the Japanese invasion; (A-20) High-altitude
bomber for the USAAC, similar to the DB-7B
but fitted with two-stage supercharged Wright
R-2600-11 engines; (A-20A) Low to medium-
altitude bomber for the USAAF with R-2600-3
and R-2600-11 (last 20 built) engines. Entered
service April 1941, 123 aircraft built; (A-20B)
Similar to DB-7A, with stepped glazed nose and
twin 0.5in nose machine guns. 999 aircraft built,
665 sent to the Soviets; (A-20C) First attempt to
standardise the type with slanting glazed nose,
RF-2600-23 engines, self-sealing fuel tanks and
extra armour. 948 aircraft were built for the RAF
(Boston Mk III) and the Soviet Union but large
numbers were diverted to the USAAF post-
December 1941; (A-20E) A-20As with minor
internal modifications, 17 built; (XA-20F) Single
A-20A modified with a pair of twin 0.5in General
Electric turrets and, later, a 37mm cannon in
the nose; (A-20G) 2,850 aircraft built by Douglas
35
at Santa Monica with a solid nose containing
various armament configurations. A number had
a wider fuselage to accommodate a power-driven
turret; (A-20H) Similar to A-20G but powered by
a pair of 1,700hp R-2600-20 engines, 412 built;
(ZB-20H) The last A-20H in USAF service after
re-designation; (A-20J/Boston Mk IV) Variant with
extended glazed nose for an extra bombardier,
450 built, 169 of them delivered to the RAF from
June 1944 onwards as the Boston Mk IV; (A-20K/
Boston Mk V) Last major production variant
with R-2600-29 engines, 90 were delivered to
the RAF from mid-1944 onwards as the Boston
Mk V; (P-70 family) 39 A-20C conversions with
six 0.5in machine guns designated P-70A-1. 65
A-20G conversions without rear guns designated
P-70A-2. One experimental A-20G converted
to P-70B-1 standard with SCR-720 radar and six
0.5 machine guns in blisters either side of the
forward fuselage. 105 A-30G and J conversions
to P-70B-2 with SCR-720 or SCR-729 radar and
provision for six or eight 0.5in machine guns in
nose; (F-3A) 46 A-20Js and Ks converted to night-
time photographic-reconnaissance role; (BD-1)
Single A-20A evaluated by the USMC; (BD-2) Eight
A-20Bs for the US Navy as target tugs.
Below: The first 9th Air Force
Douglas A-20G Havoc to complete
100 operations was 43-9224 ‘5H-E’
named ‘La France Libre’ (originally
named ‘Miss Laid’).
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
36
DOUGLAS A-20/DB-7/BOSTON AND HAVOC 37

Boeing-built A-20C-BO Havoc, 41-

19635, being serviced at Langley
Field, Virginia in July 1942.
USAF/Life
Douglas Boston Mklll
Douglas Boston Mklll
Consolidated B-24J Liberator
Consolidated B-24J Liberator
38
DOUGLAS BOSTON MK III CUTAWAY KEY
1 Starboard fabric covered
elevator
2 Starboard tailplane
3 Elevator tab
4 Tail navigation and
signal lights
5 Tailcone
6 Rudder tab
7 Fabric covered rudder
construction
8 Rudder hinges
9 Pitot tube
10 Fin tip fairing
11 Aerial cable
12 Port elevator
13 Port tailplane
14 Fin leading edge
15 Tailfin construction
16 Elevator hinge control
17 Rudder hinge control
18 Fin attachment joints
19 Tailplane stub
attachment
20 Tailplane root fillet
21 Tail bumper
22 Tailcone construction
23 Rear fuselage/tailcone
joint frame
24 Fin root fillet
25 Flare launcher tube
26 Reconnaissance flares
27 Ventral hatch cover,
open
28 Rear gunner’s side
window
29 Reconnaissance camera
Early production A-20A Havocs await
delivery; nearest to the camera is 40-082
which remained in USAAF service until
October 1944. Via editor
30 Vickers 0.303in (7.7mm)
ventral machine-gun
31 Spare ammunition
containers
32 Map case
33 Upper identification light
34 Dorsal gun stowage
doors
35 Dorsal gun
mounting ring
36 Twin Browning 0.303in
(7.7mm) machine-guns
37 Armour plated screen
38 Rear gunner’s cockpit
enclosure
39 Gunner’s seat
40 Rear emergency control
column
41 Trailing aerial reel
42 Wing root trailing edge
fillet
43 Starboard inboard flap
44 Rear spar attachment
joint
45 Radio racks
46 Rear gunner’s canopy
cover, open position
47 Radio receiver
48 Cabin heater pack
49 Propeller de-icing fluid
tank
50 D/F loop aerial
51 Aerial mast
52 Radio transmitters
53 Main spar attachment
joint
54 Inboard wing panel
construction
55 Main, undercarriage
wheel well housing
56 Hydraulic flap jack
57 Nacelle tail fairing
58 Outer flap construction
59 Main spar
60 Outer wing panel
attachment joint
61 Wing ribs
62 Aileron tab
63 Fabric covered aileron
construction
64 Formation light
65 Starboard navigation
light
66 Leading edge nose ribs
67 Wing stringer
construction
68 Mainwheel doors
69 Starboard mainwheel
70 Undercarriage leg strut
71 Mainwheel pivot
mounting struts
72 Hydraulic retraction jack
73 Engine exhaust
74 Sloping fireproof
bulkhead
75 Engine bearer struts
76 Cooling air exit flaps
77 Exhaust collector ring
78 Detachable engine
cowlings
79 Hamilton Standard
three-bladed, constant
speed propeller. 11ft 3in
(3.43m) diameter
80 Propeller hub pitch
change mechanism
81 Propeller reduction
gearbox
82 Wright GR-2600-A5B
Cyclone, two-row radial
engine
83 Upper cooling air duct
84 Carburettor air intake
85 Starboard oil tank, 19
Imp gal (86 ltr) capacity
86 Fuel filler cap
87 Inboard main fuel tank,
110 Imp gal (500 ltr)
capacity
88 Bomb door central
hydraulic jack
89 Wing root fillet
90 Cockpit heater duct
91 Bomb doors
92 Forward pair of 500lb
(227kg) bombs,
maximum bomb load
2,000lb (907kg)
93 Lower fuselage box
beam construction
94 Bomb carrier
95 Bomb hoist winches
96 Bomb bay top decking
97 Cockpit entry hatch aft
extension
98 Port inboard main fuel
tank, 110 Imp gal (500
ltr) capacity
99 Engine nacelle fairing
100 Port oil tank. 19 Imp gal
(86 ltr) capacity
101 Port outer flap
102 Outer wing panel joint
103 Aileron trim tab
104 Port aileron
105 Formation light
106 Port navigation light
107 Trim tab screw jack
108 Aileron hinge control
109 Port outer auxiliary fuel
tank, 51 lmp gal (232 ltr)
capacity
110 Carburettor intake
tropical air filter housing
111 Port propeller
112 Port engine nacelle
113 Cockpit roof entry hatch
114 Emergency equipment
packs
115 Crash axe
116 Pilot’s folding head
armour
117 Hydraulic reservoir
118 Batteries
119 Signal flare chute
120 Nose undercarriage
wheel bay
121 Trim tab control hand
wheels
122 Cockpit sloping
bulkhead
123 Pilot’s seat
124 Engine throttle and
propeller controls
125 Armoured windscreen
126 Control column hand
wheel
127 Instrument panel
128 Rudder pedals
129 Gun gas exhaust vent
130 Fixed forward gun
blister fairing
131 Nosewheel doors
132 Nose undercarriage leg
strut
133 Nosewheel
134 Torque scissor links
135 Twin fixed Browning
0.303in (7.7mm)
machine-guns
136 Ammunition boxes
137 First aid and emergency
ration packs
138 Nose compartment
joint frame
139 Observer’s seat
140 Vacuum flask
141 Pilot’s fixed gunsight
142 Observer’s ditching
hatch
143 Nose compartment
glazing
144 Map case
145 Bomb electrical
switches and release
control
146 Fixed gun muzzles
147 Observer’s entry hatch
148 Bomb aiming window
149 Drift sight
150 Observer’s instrument
panel

Consolidated B-24 Liberator
B-24J LIBERATOR CUTAWAY KEY
1 Rudder trim tab
2 Fabric-covered rudder
3 Rudder hinges (metal
leading edge)
4 Starboard tailfin
5 Leading-edge de-icing
boot
6 Starboard rudder horn
7 Rudder push-pull tube
8 Rear navigation light
9 Tailplane stringers
10 Consolidated (or Motor
Products) two-gun
electrically-operated tail
turret (0.5 in/12.7 mm)
11 Elevator torque tube
12 Elevator trim tab
13 Elevator frame
(fabric-covered)
14 Rudder trim tab
15 Tab control linkage
16 Rudder post
17 Light alloy rudder frame
18 HF aerial
19 Tailfin construction
20 Metal-covered fixed
surfaces
21 Tailplane front spar
22 Port elevator push/pull
tube
23 Elevator drive quadrant
24 Elevator servo unit
25 Rudder servo unit
26 Ammunition feed track
(tail turret)
27 Fuselage aft main frame
28 Walkway
29 Signal cartridges
30 Longitudinal ‘Z’ section
stringers
31 Control cables
32 Fuselage intermediate
secondary frames
Liberators of the 93rd BG which carried
out the first B-24 combat mission from
England on October 9, 1942. Nearest to
the camera is B-24D-25-CO, 41-24226
‘Joisey Bounce’. USAF via editor
33 Ammunition box
34 Aft fuselage camera
installation
35 Lower windows
36 Waist gun support
mounting
37 Starboard manually
operated waist gun
(0.5in/12.7mm)
38 Waist position (open)
39 Wind deflector plate
40 Waist position hinged
cover
41 Port manually-
operated waist gun
(0.5in/12.7mm)
42 Dorsal aerial
43 Ball-turret stanchion
support beam
44 Ammunition box
45 Ball-turret stanchion
46 Midships window
47 Turret well
48 Cabin floor
49 Tail-bumper operating
jack
50 Tailbumper fairing
51 Briggs-Sperry
two-gun electrically-
operated ball-turret
(0.5in/12.7mm)
52 Turret actuation
mechanism
53 Bomb-door actuation
sprocket (hydraulically-
operated)
54 Bomb-door corrugated
inner skin
55 Bomb-bay catwalk
(box keel)
56 Bomb-bay catwalk vertical
channel support members
(bomb release solenoids)
57 Bomb-door actuation
track and rollers
58 Wing rear spar
59 Bomb-bay access tunnel
60 Fuselage main frame/
bulkhead
61 D/F loop housing
62 Whip antenna
63 Oxygen cylinders
64 Aileron cable drum
65 Starboard flap extension
cable
66 Wing rib cut-outs
67 Wing centre section
carry-through
68 Two 5-man inflatable
dinghies
69 Flap hydraulic jack
70 Flap/cable attachments
71 Hydraulically-operated
Fowler flap
72 Wing rear spar
73 Port mainwheel well
and rear fairing
74 Engine supercharger
waste gate
75 Three auxiliary self-
sealing fuel cells (port
and starboard)
76 Wing outer section
77 Aileron gear boxes
78 Flush riveted smooth
metal wing skinning
79 Port statically-balanced
aileron (fabric-covered)
80 Port wingtip
81 Port navigation light
82 Wing leading-edge de-
icing boot
83 Hopper-type self-
sealing oil tank (32.9 US
gal/125 litres)
84 Engine nacelle
CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR
85 1,200hp (895-kW) Pratt
& Whitney Twin Wasp
R-1830-65 14-cylinder
two-row radial engine
86 Hamilton Standard
Hydromatic constant-
speed airscrew (11ft
7in/3.53m diameter)
87 Landing/taxiing light
88 Nacelle structure
89 Supercharger ducting
90 12 self-sealing inter-rib
fuel cells (wing centre
section)
91 Martin two-gun
electrically-operated
dorsal turret (0.5
in/12.7mm)
92 Turret mechanism
93 Fuselage main frame/
bulkhead
94 Radio compartment
starboard window
95 Bomb-bay catwalk
access trap
96 Radio-operator’s
position
97 Sound-insulation wall
padding
98 Emergency escape
hatch
99 Pilot’s seat
100 Co-pilot’s seat
101 Co-pilot’s rudder pedals
102 Instrument panel
103 Windscreen panels
104 Compass housing
105 Control wheel
106 Control wheel mounting
107 Control linkage chain
108 Fuselage forward main
frame bulkhead
109 Pitot heads
110 Navigator’s chart table
111 Navigator’s
compartment starboard
window
112 Chart table lighting
113 Astro-dome
114 Consolidated (or
Emerson) two-gun
electrically-operated nose
turret (0.5in/ 12.7 mm)
115 Turret seating
116 Optically-flat bomb-
aiming panel
117 Nose side-glazing
118 Bombardier’s prone
couch
119 Ammunition boxes
120 Navigator’s swivel seat
121 Navigator’s compartment
entry hatch (via
nosewheel well)
122 Nosewheel well
123 Nosewheel door
124 Forward-retracting free-
swivelling nosewheel
(self-aligning)
125 Mudguard
126 Torque links
127 Nosewheel oleo strut
128 Angled bulkhead
129 Cockpit floor support
structure
130 Nosewheel retraction
jack
131 Smooth-stressed Alclad
fuselage skinning
132 Underfloor electrics bay
133 Roll top desk-type
bomb-bay doors (four)
134 Supercharger nacelle
cheek intakes
43
135 Ventral aerial (beneath
bomb-bay catwalk)
136 Nacelle/wing
attachment cut-out
137 Wing front spar nacelle
support
138 Undercarriage front-
pivoting shaft
139 Drag strut
140 Bendix scissors
141 Internal bomb load
(max 8,0000lb/3629 kg)
142 Starboard mainwheel
143 Engine-mounting ring
144 Firewall
145 Monocoque oil tank
146 Mainwheel oleo (Bendix
pneudraulic strut)
147 Side brace (jointed)
148 Undercarriage actuating
cylinder
149 Starboard mainwheel
well and rear fairing
150 Fowler flap structure
151 Wing front spar
152 Wing leading-edge de-
icing boot
153 All-metal wing structure
154 Span-wise wing
stringers
155 Aileron trim tab
(starboard only)
156 Wing rear spar
157 Wing ribs (pressed and
built-up former)
158 Statically-balanced
aileron (metal frame)
159 Starboard navigation
light
160 Wingtip structure
44

The most produced heavy bomber in history

Even though the B-24 Liberator was conceived
five years after the B-17 Flying Fortress and did
not greatly improve in performance, the Liberator
was one of the most significant aircraft in aviation
history. It was the most complex and expensive
combat aircraft ever produced but this did not
stop it being built in greater numbers, in more
variants and with the ability to operate in more
roles than any other machine in in American
aircraft manufacturing history.
The B-24 was an unusual design, dominated
by the slim David Davis-designed high-mounted
wing which allowed the bomb bays to be much
deeper than normal, with a capacity of 8,000lb.
With its incredibly efficient aerofoil, this, combined
with a high fuel capacity, gave the B-24 a very
long-range. The position of the wing resulted in a
very long main undercarriage which was retracted
outwards by electric motors.
The contract to build a single prototype for the
USAAC was issued in March 1939 and requested
that the aircraft should be ready before the
end of the year. This was achieved when the
prototype XB-24 (aka Model 32) made its maiden
flight on December 29, 1939. The aircraft was
far from being combat ready, its mechanically
supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-2800-33 engines
could only give a top speed of 273mph rather
than the expected 311mph. Various modifications
followed, including turbo-supercharged R-1830
engines and a wider tail plane which resulted in
the aircraft being re-designated XB-24B and all
subsequent production aircraft, from the B-24C
onwards, received the same modifications. Seven
YB-24s were ordered by the USAAC in April 1939
and all were re-designated as LB-30A transports

Douglas-Tulsa B-24E-20-DT Liberators of

the 34th Flying Training Wing operating
out of Midland Army Field, Midland, Texas.
Operational between January 1942 and
December 1945, Midland was tasked with
Bombardier training under the control of the
78th Bombardier Training Group. Via editor

as they were not deemed combat ready by either
the RAF or the USAAC.
Improved defensive armament led to the
Liberator Mk I which first entered RAF Coastal
Command service with 120 Squadron in June 1941.
Fitted with ASV radar and with an operational
range of 2,400 miles, the Mk I went a long way
in helping to close the ‘gap’ in the mid-Atlantic
where German U-boats had a free reign. The B-24C
entered USAAC service in November 1941 and
served the RAF as the Liberator Mk II, mainly in the
Middle East. This variant was the first to introduce
CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR
power-operated turrets and can be officially
described as the first fully operational Liberator.
The first mass-produced version was the B-24D
(Liberator Mk III and Mk V) which featured oval
cowled engines, extra fuel capacity and improved
armament. 2,738 B-24Ds served with a number
of USAAF bomber groups across Europe and the
Pacific and with RAF Coastal Command over the
North Atlantic.
The most significant variants of all were the
B-24G, H and J (USN PB4Y and RAF B Mk IV and GR
Mk IV) of which 10,208 were produced. Built by
45
Convair, Douglas, Ford and North American, these
machines featured four turrets.
The C-87 Liberator Express transport aircraft
were a huge family of machines in their own
right, all of which contributed to an eye-
watering final production total of 19,203 aircraft
which excludes at least an equivalent of 1,800
aircraft that were delivered as spare parts.
Just as the Halifax was overshadowed by the
Lancaster in RAF service, the B-24 always played
second fiddle to the B-17 yet, in both cases their
contribution to the war effort was colossal.
CONSOLIDATED B-24H/J
LIBERATOR
FIRST FLIGHT: (XB-24)
December 29, 1939
ENGINE: Four 1,200hp Pratt &
Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp radials
SPAN: 110ft
LENGTH: 67ft 2in
MAX SPEED: 290mph at 25,000ft
CLIMB RATE: 1,025ft/min
ARMAMENT: Ten 0.5in machine
guns as standard, plus up to a
maximum bomb load of 12,800lb or
a normal load of 5,000lb
46

THE CONSOLIDATED B-24 MAIN VARIANTS

(XB-24 (Model 32)) Single prototype f/f December 29, 1939; (YB-24/LB-30A) Six aircraft despatched to Britain to serve as LB-30A transports; (B-24) Seven aircraft ordered for
service testing on April 27, 1939; (B-24A/LB-30B) First production model with improved aerodynamics, 20 LB-30Bs, some of which were sent to Britain under Lend-Lease and a
single B-24A built; (XB-24B)Powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-41 turbo-supercharged engines which increased the initial disappointing top speed by 37mph, one XB-24
converted; (B-24C) B-24A installed with R-1830-41 engines, modified engine cowlings, improved tail gunner’s position fitted with A-6 turret, nine aircraft converted; (B-24D) First
major production variant with improved R-1830-43 supercharged engines, Bendix ventral turret up to the 289th aircraft, replaced by early type tunnel gun position and finally
the Sperry ball turret, 2,696 built, 2,381 by Consolidated (San Diego), 305 by Consolidated (Fort Worth) and ten by Douglas (Tulsa); (B-24E) Installed with R-1830-65 engines,
mainly used as training machines, 801 built; (XB-24F) Thermal de-icer test-bed, one B-24D converted; (B-24G) 25 North American-built aircraft with Sperry ball turret and three
.50in Browning machine guns in the nose; (B-24G-1) North American-built version of the B-24H, 405 built; (B-24H) Multiple design changes including an Emerson A-15 front
turret, 3,100 built; (XB-24K) Single aircraft converted from a B-24D with a single tail layout from a C-54 Skymaster, the resulting improved handling saw the single fin adopted
for the PB4Y-2 and B-24; (B-24L) Lighter version of the B-24J which concentrated and modified and reduced armament to achieve the weight reduction, 1,667 built; (B-24M)
Lighter version of the B-24L, 2,593 built; (XB-24N) Only one example built despite 5,168 being ordered; (YB-24N) Seven pre-production test aircraft were built; (XB-24P) One
B-24D fitted with fire control systems for the Sperry Gyroscope Co.; (XB-24Q) One B-24L by General Electric with a radar-controlled designed for the B-24; (XB-41) One B-24D
converted into a heavily armed gunship with 14 0.50in machine guns, which included a Bendix chin turret and an addition Martin A-3 turret, however, the aircraft was unable
to keep up with the formation it was designed to protect; (B-24ST) Single aircraft with a single fin tail from a B-23 Dragon; (AT-22/TB-24) These were C-87s employed for flight
engineer training, sub-variants were the RB-24L, used to train B-29 gunners and the TB-24L, installed with extra radar equipment; (C-87 Liberator Express) Three sub-variants,
all capable of carrying up to 20 passengers, the C-87A was VIP transport, the C-87B was a projected armed version and the C-87C was the USAAF/USAF designation for the
RY-3; (CX-109/C-109) Fuel transport used in support of the B-29 operations from China; (Photographic Reconnaissance variants) These were the XF-7 (converted B-24D), the
F-7 (converted B-24H), F-7A (converted B-24J) with six cameras, three in the nose and three in the bomb bay and the F-7B (converted B-24J) with all six cameras positioned in
the bomb bay; (BQ-8) Several B-24Ds and B-24Js were converted into radio-controlled flying bombs as part of Operation Aphrodite;(PB4Y-1) US Navy version of the B-24D, 976
aircraft navalized; (PB4Y-1P) Photo recce version of the PB4Y-1; (RY-1, 2 & 3) US Navy designation for the C-87A, C-87 and PB4Y-2 respectively;(Liberator B Mk I) RAF designation
for the B-24A, 20 aircraft received, several later converted to GR Mk 1 standard; (Liberator B Mk II) Built to British specifications, 165 built; (Liberator B Mk III) RAF designation
for the B-24D with one .303in in nose, a pair in the waist positions and four in a Boulton Paul rear turret, 156 built; (Liberator B Mk V) Modified B-24D variant with higher fuel
capacity but less armour; (Liberator B Mk VI) RAF designation for the B-24H only modified with the Boulton Paul rear turret; (Liberator B Mk VIII) RAF designation for the B-24J;
(Liberator GR Mk V) Modified B-24D for RAF Coastal Command with search radar and Leigh Light; (Liberator GR Mk VI) Re-designated B-24Gs, Hs and Js used by RAF Coastal
Command for long-range reconnaissance duties; (Liberator GR Mk VIII) Re-designated B-24J for RAF Coastal Command for anti-submarine work; (Liberator C Mk VI) B Mk VIII
transport conversion; (Liberator C Mk VII) British re-designation for the C-87; (Liberator C Mk VIII) G Mk VIII transport conversion; (Liberator C Mk IX) RAF version of the RY-3/C-
87C powered by four 1,300hp Pratt & Whitney GR-1830-65 Twin wasp engines.

A B-24 Liberator of the 11th Bomb Group,

7th Air Force, climbing out of Yontan airfield,
Okinawa on July 27, 1945. Via editor
CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR 47

Consolidated B-24D-30-CO Liberator, 42-40128

‘Ball of Fire III’ of the 328th BS, 93rd BG. The
aircraft was damaged during an operation on
November 18, 1943 and was forced to divert
to Sweden where the aircraft and crew were
interned. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
48
CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR 49

A never ending stream of B-24s work their

way down Consolidated’s production line at
its huge San Diego factory. Nearest to the
camera is B-24D-105-CO Liberator, 42-40823
in ‘Sea-Search’ camouflage.
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
50
North American B-25 Mitchell
FILLING THE USAAC’S REQUIREMENT
FOR A NEW MEDIUM BOMBER
The latest requirement for a new medium bomber
for the USAAC was issued in March 1939, only
weeks before the crash of the NA-40B. The USAAC
needed an aircraft that had a range of 2,000 miles,
a maximum speed of 400mph and the ability to
carry a bomb load of 3,000lbs. Also in the race for
this lucrative contract was Martin’s Type 179 (aka
the B-26), which would be a far more aesthetically
pleasing design but considerably more complex.
The USAAC wanted the B-26 but still had their
reservations so, in addition to placing an order
for the maximum number of aircraft Martin could
deliver at the time (201), an order for 184 NA-62s
(aka the B-25) was also placed. As with the B-26,
the USAAC was sufficiently impressed to order the
B-25 straight from the drawing board. The order
was placed in September 1939, many months
before the first flight of the prototype.
The B-25 clearly had its roots in the general
layout of the NA-40, the bomber having the same
One of the very first production B-25s, complete
with its original straight wing which, from the
tenth aircraft onwards, was exchanged with the
traditional gull-wing design. Via editor
style of tricycle landing gear, twin tail fins and a
pair of Wright Twin Cyclone engines. Defensive
armament was a little on the light side and was
made up of three 0.30in machine guns fitted into
the nose, waist and lower fuselage plus a 0.50in in
the tail. The rear gunner’s position was not ideal
because he had to lie prone in order to fire the
weapon and use a telescopic sight to aim it.
The fuselage, although retaining the general
shape of the NA-40 from the side, was actually
twice as wide and not so deep, allowing for a more
traditional side-by-side seating arrangement in the
cockpit for the pilot and co-pilot.
The wing was mid rather than shoulder-
mounted and had no dihedral, which would lead
to a number of directional stability issues during
the early flight trials. These problems would later
be eradicated from the tenth production onwards
by the introduction of a shallow ‘gull-wing’ design
which would be one of the classic features of
the B-25. The prototype’s tail fins were generally
a rounded off rectangular shape but eventually,
after experimenting with five different designs, a
tail fin with an angled leading edge proved to be
the most efficient.
Once a few items were modified, including the
fitment of the new wing, the B-25 exuded excellent
handling characteristics and a performance range
which achieved all that the USAAC had set out
in early 1939. By this stage, the aircraft had been
christened the ‘Mitchell’, after General William ‘Billy’
Mitchell who had campaigned for greater use of air
power during the 1920s.
The first 24 B-25s built (40-2165 to 40-2188)
were delivered to the USAAC in February 1941,
the majority serving as coastal patrol aircraft
leading up to USA’s entry in the Second World
War. The prototype, 40-2165, was converted into
a company transport with five passenger seats
and considerably more home comforts installed
compared to an operational machine. Named
Whiskey Express, the B-25 served NAA until
August 1, 1945 when it was written off following
a wheels-up landing.
NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL 51

The prototype, B-25, 40-2165, was

completed by the summer of 1940
and, on August 19, Vance Breese, in
company with engineer Roy Ferren
flew, the B-25 for the first time.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
52
FINE TUNING NAA’S MEDIUM
BOMBER  THE B25A & B
The first major variant of the Mitchell was the
B-25A, of which the USAAC ordered 40 examples.
Overall, the ‘A’ was not dissimilar from the standard
B-25 but featured additional armour for crew
protection and self-sealing fuel tanks of slightly
less capacity. While making the aircraft more
operationally friendly, this came at the cost of
reduced speed and a shorter range.
The B-25B was introduced to address the weak
defensive armament of the earlier variants. This
came in the shape of a pair of Bendix power-
operated turrets. One was placed on top of
the rear fuselage and contained a pair of 0.5in
Browning machine-guns, while the other was
almost directly below. The latter was retractable,
contained a pair of 0.5in machine-guns and was
remotely sighted by a periscope.
The additional turrets made the rear gun
redundant and this was removed but the single
Only 40 B-25As were built, the first of them serving
with the 34th, 37th and 95th Bomb Squadrons and
the 89th Reconnaissance Squadron of the 17th BG
based at McChord Field. Via editor
0.30in machine gun in the nose was retained.
These turrets, with even more armour to protect
the crew, once again added to the aircraft’s
weight and therefore reduced performance
because the original R-2600 engines were
retained.
The first of 40 B-25As made its maiden flight
on February 25, 1941 and, like the B-25s before
them, were generally assigned to coastal defence
operations. All of the B-25Bs that were ordered
had been delivered to the USAAF by early 1942. 23
of the B-25Bs were later redesignated as Mitchell
Is for the RAF. The majority of these served with
111 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, based
at Nassau/Oakes Field, in the Bahamas. Several
B-25Bs also found their way into Soviet hands.
Both the B-25A and B-25B served in a variety
of theatres throughout the Second World War.
Neither aircraft was operationally perfect but
the definitive and most successful version was
yet to come.
NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL 53

The B-25B’s baptism of fire came on April 18,

1942 when it took part in one of the most
famous bombing raids of the Second World
War. The operation, which was officially known
as the Tokyo Raid, was more popularly referred
to as the ‘Doolittle Raid’, after its leader, Lt Col
‘Jimmy’ Doolittle. This remarkable operation
involved 16 B-25Bs transported within striking
distant of Japan aboard the USS Hornet. None
of the aircraft returned because of the distance
involved and the attack was not heavy but the
fact that the US had shown the Japanese that
it could strike back after a series of defeats was
invaluable. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
54
THE MASS-PRODUCED AND
MURDEROUSLY EFFECTIVE MITCHELL
– THE B-25C & D
With the exception of the activities of Doolittle’s
B-25Bs, the next variants, the B-25C and D, were
the first mass-produced examples to fully enter
combat. The B-25C and D were identical and were
only given a different suffix to distinguish the
Inglewood-built (B-25C-NA) from the Fairfax Field,
Kansas City-built (B-25D-NC) machines.
Externally, the B-25C/D was little changed
from the B-25B, although the keen eyed would
be able to spot the new variant from the bumper
under the rear fuselage. Under the skin though,
the original design had a great number of subtle
changes, the most significant being a pair of
1,700hp R-2600-13 engines to help cancel out the
increasing weight of the bomber. The first batch
to be built had a new de-icing system fitted; the
outer panels of the wings were made stronger
and the bomber’s range was raised through the
addition of a 152-gallon self-sealing fuel tank in
each wing. Later production aircraft were revised
further with a modified exhaust system, a cabin
A trio of North American B-25D-20 Mitchells of the
USAAF Central Instructors School. Via editor
heater, provision for a fuel tank in the bomb bay
and underwing bomb and torpedo racks.
The only other difference from the earlier
models was that the B-25C/D was ten inches
shorter and from the 383rd production machine
onwards, a navigators’ astrodome was added.
Early production models had the same armament
as the B-25B, the only change coming later on
when the single machine-gun in the nose was
upgraded to a pair of 0.5in.
The first B-25C made its maiden flight in
November 1941 and was followed by the first
B-25D in January 1942. By March 1942, the
first batch of 48 B-25Cs were being ferried to
Brisbane via Hamilton Field, Hawaii and the
Fiji Islands. In the Southern Pacific theatre, the
B-25s were put to good use as part of the 5th Air
Force, under the command of Maj Gen George
C Kenney. In company with A-20s, the B-25s
adopted a successful low-level attack tactic using
23lb parachute retarded bombs which proved
particularly effective against airfields. A similar
type of attack was used against shipping although
‘skip bombing’, which involved a B-25 coming
in very, very low over the water, also proved
extremely successful. In March 1943, B-25s caused
havoc amongst the attacking Japanese during
their attempted invasion of Rabaul, New Britain.
The B-25C/D also saw extensive action in the
China-Burma-India theatre as well as with the
12th Air Force in North Africa, which used the
type throughout the Mediterranean and onwards
through Italy.
The RAF operated almost 600 B-25C/Ds which
were designated as the Mitchell II. The type first
went into action on January 22, 1943, proving
particularly useful during the build-up to D-Day.
Several sub-variants of the B-25C/D family were
produced, such as the WB-25D, which served with
the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and
the XB-25E which was modified to carry out flight
testing of de-icing equipment. Another B-25C was
converted into a ZXB-25E specifically to test
insulated electrical de-icing coils and
one was also converted to a XB-25G.
The latter had its transparent nose
converted to carry two .50in and a
75mm M4 cannon.
NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL 55

North American B-25C Mitchell ‘Pink

Petunia’ of the 83rd BS, 12th BG,
operating out of North Africa in 1942.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
56

PACKING A PUNCH  THE B25G, H & J and also with the RAF’s Tactical Air Force during The first B-25J made its maiden flight in
During the 1930s, several flight trials were carried the final push through Europe. December 1943, the first of 4,390 built all at the
out by the USAAC to see if a modern aircraft could Closely resembling the B-25H, the ‘J’ was not Kansas City plant making the ‘J’ the most prolific
stand the stresses and strains of high calibre fitted with the cumbersome 75mm cannon but of all Mitchells built by far. 255 B-25Js were
weaponry. Tests were carried out using a 37 and instead could be fitted with two different types of transferred to the USMC to become PBJ-1Js, all
75mm gun which proved to be successful. The nose containing different packs of machine-guns. of which were fitted with a variety of radars. Ten
B-25 seemed the ideal, solid, stable platform to A standard glass nose contained a single flexible USMC machines were further modified to carry
carry such big guns, in particular, the 75mm. Using mounted and two fixed 0.5in Brownings while an under-fuselage pack which contained a pair
B-25C-1, 41-13296, as a prototype, the 9ft 6in long the second version was for strafing. The latter of 11.5in ‘Tiny Tim’ unguided rocket projectiles.
weapon (weighing more than 900lbs) was trunion- contained an impressive eight 0.5in machine- The ‘J’ also saw extensive service with the RAF
mounted into the bombardier’s crawl tunnel. guns, making it one of the most lethal ground- where it was redesignated the Mitchell III. An
The nose of the bomber was shortened to give attack medium bombers ever built. unknown number were also sent to the Soviet
clearance around the muzzle and the structure was The new longer nose gave the B-25J the same Union as well. Many B-25Js were also involved
strengthened to handle the cannon. Only 21 rounds overall length as the earlier B-25C/D and the strafer in a host of flight test trials, including testing
of ammunition were carried for the manually version could easily have been retro-fitted to any the AN/APQ-7 Eagle Eye radar contained within
loaded M-4 which was first flown in 41-13296 by Ed mark of Mitchell. Other modifications included a wing which was fitted below the lower rear
Virgin and Paul Brewer on October 22, 1942. the co-pilots position being returned which gave fuselage. This airborne radar system was later
The first production B-25G entered USAAF service the B-25J a six-man crew. More power was also fitted to the B-29 and was used for operations
in May 1943 while the first B-25H made its maiden provided by a pair of uprated R-2600-29 engines. against Japan.
flight the same month but did not enter service
until early 1944. The B-25H was first delivered to
the 498th BS, 345th BG and, alongside its older
stablemate, the ground attack machines served
extensively in the Pacific theatre. Both variants were
enthusiastically employed against noth the enemy
target that floated, and shore targets. The 7th Air
Force, which operated across the Pacific, unleashed
over 4,000 cannon shells during the retaking of the
Marshall and Caroline Islands alone.
Almost a quarter of all B-25Hs built (248) were
operated by the USMC as PBJ-1Hs which were
fitted with an AN/APS-2 or APS-3 search radar in a
pod under the starboard wing.
A cross between a B-25C and a B-25H, the final
mass-produced variant of the successful Mitchell
family was the B-25J. The variant achieved great
success against the Japanese in the Pacific theatre

B-25H-5-NA, 43-4550, armed to the teeth with a single 75mm cannon, four 0.5in machine guns
in the nose and four more, either side of the fuselage, in cheek packs. The repositioned upper
turret could also be brought to bear during strafing attacks. Via editor
DOUGLAS A-20/DB-7/BOSTON AND HAVOC 57

B-25G Mitchell, 42-64842 ‘Shady Lady’ of the

279th BS, 310th BG operating out of Oran,
Algeria during August and September 1943.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
North American B-25H Mitchell

North American B-25H Mitchell, 43-4501

‘Norma Sue’ of the 57th BW, 12th Air Force.
www.hornby.com
North American B-25H Mitchell

North American B-25H Mitchell, 43-4501

‘Norma Sue’ of the 57th BW, 12th Air Force.
www.hornby.com
Martin B-26C Marauder
Martin B-26C Marauder
58

North American Mitchell Mk II, FL185 ‘EV-R’ of

180 Squadron which survived its operational
tour of duty only to be SOC on June 5, 1947.
Key Archive

NORTH AMERICAN B-25J

MITCHELL
FIRST FLIGHT: (NA-40) January
1939
ENGINE: Two 1,700hp Wright
R-2600-92 Cyclone radials
SPAN: 67ft 7in
LENGTH: 51ft 11in
MAX SPEED: 272mph at 13,000ft
SERVICE CEILING: 25,000ft
ARMAMENT: Twelve 0.5in machine
guns as standard, plus eight 5in RPs
and up to 3,000lb in bombs

Martin B-26 Marauder
B-26 CUTAWAY KEY
1 Flexible 0.50in (12.7mm)
nose gun
2 Fixed 0.50in (12.7mm)
nose gun
3 Optically flat bomb-
sight window
4 Bomb door
5 Nose cone warm-air/
demist
6 Bomb sights
7 Cartridge collector bag
8 Ring sight
9 Plexiglass nose cone
10 Circular nose frame
11 Bomb selector-switch
panel
12 Ammunition box
13 Bombardier’s station
armour plating
14 Nose compartment/
flight deck access
15 Bombardier’s station
16 Nose wheel pivot
17 Pitothead
18 Nosewheel oleo
19 Channel-section torque
scissors
20 Fully-steerable
rearward-retracting
nosewheel
21 Nosewheel doors
22 Fuselage lower frames/
flight-deck floor support
23 Underfloor control runs
24 Control column side
mounting
25 Pilot’s rudder pedals
26 Location of external
cockpit armour plating
27 Instrument panel
28 Ring sight (pilot’s fixed
nose gun)
29 Whip aerial
30 Windscreen panels
31 Pilot’s escape hatch
(hinged upper canopy
sections)
32 Aileron and rudder trim
controls
Martin Marauder Mk II (B-26C-5) FB436
during trials with the A&AEE at Boscombe
Down. One of 123 Mk IIs (only 99 actually
received) ordered by the RAF, FB436
never saw active service and instead was
allocated to Cunliffe-Owen Aircraft until it
was SOC on November 23, 1944. Via editor
33 Co-pilot’s seat
34 Instrument panel
shroud
35 Clear-vision panel
36 Pilot’s seat
37 Oxygen cylinder
38 Pilot’s back armour
39 Armoured-glass side
window panel
40 Radio equipment racks
41 Radio-operator’s station
42 Package guns ammunition
boxes and feeds
43 Two 0.50in (12.7mm)
gun package
44 Ventral whip aerial
45 D/F loop bullet
46 Bulkhead (front/mid-
fuselage construction
join)
47 Access door
48 Radio operator’s side
window
49 Radio operator’s seat
50 Cable runs
51 Navigator’s seat
52 Navigator’s chart table
53 Dorsal decking
54 Aerial mast
55 Life-raft stowage
56 Navigator’s astro-hatch
(emergency escape)
57 Control runs
58 Hinged leading-edge
inboard section
59 Engine exhaust fairing
60 Firewall/bulkhead
61 Engine accessories
62 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-
43 eighteen-cylinder
double-row radial engine
63 Reduction gear casing
64 Oil cooler intake
65 Four-blade hollow steel
Curtiss Electric constant-
speed propeller
66 Propeller cuffs
67 Propeller boss
68 Carburettor intakes
69 Carburettor duct filter
70 Engine oil tank
71 Engine exhaust louvres
72 Starboard outer Martin
Mareng wing self-sealing
fuel cell (100 US gal)
73 Wing box upper
corrugation
74 Starboard landing lamp
75 Flush-rivetted stressed
wing skinning
76 Pitothead
77 Starboard front
navigation light
78 Starboard rear
navigation light cluster
79 Fabric-covered aileron
80 Aileron control quadrant
81 Aileron control cables
82 Aileron trim tab
83 Tab control (push-pull
rod/ irreversible screw)
84 Slotted flap outboard
section
85 Fuel lines
86 Starboard inner Martin
Mareng wing self-sealing
fuel cells (3 x 100 US gal)
87 Wing rear spar
88 Slotted flap inboard
section
89 Wing/fuselage centre-
section assembly
90 Wing corrugated skin
91 Centre-section splice/
dorsal former
92 Starboard bomb
stowage (2 x 1,000lb
demolition bombs)
93 Bomb release slips
94 Vertical (canted) bomb
support rails
95 Port bomb stowage (2
x 1,000lb demolition
bombs)
96 Central catwalk
between bomb rails
MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER
97 Two-part (centrally-
hinged) port forward
bomb-bay doors
98 Forward bomb-bay
doors actuating cylinder
99 Bulkhead lower section
100 Aft bomb-bay
101 Bomb-bay doors
emergency actuating
cylinder (1,800 psi
compressed-air)
102 Inter bomb-bay access
103 Integral multiple aileron
quadrant
104 Flap actuation restrictor
relief valve
105 Wing flap actuating
cylinder
106 Oxygen cylinder
107 Tail-turret ammunition
box
108 Ammunition feed
109 Circular-section all-
metal monocoque
fuselage structure
110 Bulkhead (mid/aft-
fuselage construction
join)
111 Waist-gunner’s folding
seat
112 Dorsal turret actuating
mechanism
113 Ammunition boxes
(within turret armour-
plating)
114 Martin 250CE
electrically-operated
two-gun 0.50in
(12.7mm) dorsal turret
115 Waist gun ammunition
box and feed
116 Tailfin front spar/
fuselage attachment
117 Tailfin structure
118 Metal skinning
119 Starboard tailplane
120 Aerial
121 Elevator outer hinge
122 Starboard elevator
123 Aerial attachment
124 Tail navigation light
125 Rudder upper hinge
126 Fabric-covered rudder
127 Rudder trim tab
128 Starboard elevator trim
tab control
129 Rudder tab linkage
130 Dihedrally-set elevator
torque-tubes
131 Rudder control
quadrant
132 Tail-gunner’s armoured
glass screen
133 Plexiglass hatch (upward
hinged for gun access)
134 Martin-Bell power-
operated two-gun 0.50in
(12.7mm) tail turret
135 Port elevator trim tab
136 Fabric-covered elevator
137 Port tailplane
138 Tail-gunner’s entry door
139 Tail-gunner’s seat
140 Tailplane front spar/
fuselage attachment
141 Fuselage aft frame
142 Circular vision/
observation port
143 Martin remote-feed
ammunition tracks (to
tail turret)
144 Camera pedestal
145 Starboard waist hatch
146 Two flexible-mounted
0.50in (12.7mm) waist
guns
147 Port waist hatch
148 Wind deflector plate
149 Aft fuselage catwalk/
floor section
150 Slotted flap inboard
section
151 Nacelle aft fairing
152 Wing flap control runs
153 Wing rear spar
154 Engine exhaust louvres
155 Engine bearer support
frame
156 Firewall/bulkhead
63
157 Engine bearer
158 Carburettor air intakes
159 Four-blade hollow steel
Curtiss Electric constant-
speed propeller
160 Propeller boss
161 Oil cooler intake
162 Nacelle lower-section
controllable gills
163 Engine exhaust fairing
164 Forward-retracting
port mainwheel (47in
diameter)
165 Dual brakes
166 Fork mounting
167 Mainwheel oleo
168 Brake cables
169 Mainwheel well
170 Main gear auxiliary
drag struts
171 Retraction jacks
172 ‘W’-strut main gear
mounting
173 Mainwheel door
actuating rods
174 Mainwheel doors
175 Corrugated-box wing
structure
176 Flap actuating linkage
177 Slotted flap outboard
section
178 Landing/taxiing lamps
179 Leading-edge
construction
180 Wing ribs
181 Wing front spar
182 Aileron tab control
linkage (push-pull rod/
irreversible screw)
183 Port aileron trim tab
184 Aileron metal frame
185 Aileron control
(push-pull rod)
186 Wing outer section
structure
187 Port rear navigation
light cluster
188 Port wing tip
189 Port front navigation
light
64
Martin’s much maligned Madame
Over the years, there have been many military
aircraft that have been criticized both through
the benefit of hindsight and following the
creation of a few myths. The B-26 Marauder
bucked the trend slightly by suffering a great
deal of criticism from the start. Some of it was
justified, while some negative comments were
about its very advanced design, mainly because
traditional rules were being broken and pushed
to the limit of known technology. The pressure
of an impending world war certainly aggravated
the situation and, if development had taken
place in peacetime, many of the Marauder’s
early foibles would have been ironed out
MARTIN B-26G MARAUDER
First flight: (B-26) November 25, 1940
Engine: Two 2,000hp Pratt & Whitney
R-2800-43 Double Wasp radials
Span: 71ft
Length: 58ft 3in
Max Speed: 287mph at 5,000ft
Initial climb rate: 1,500ft/min
Armament: Eleven 0.5in machine
guns, plus up to 8,000lb in bombs
MARTIN B-26
MARAUDER VARIANTS
(B-26) 201 aircraft built by Martin at Baltimore,
Maryland; R-2800-5 engines; mostly training and
months, if not years, before the type actually
entered frontline service.
The challenging handling of the aircraft,
especially in inexperienced hands, resulted in
many early casualties and this was especially true
of the early models during flight training with
the 21st BG (Bombardment Group) at MacDill
Field, Tampa in Florida. It was not long before the
first of many unflattering and unjustified labels
were attached to the B-26. These included the
exaggeration ‘a Marauder a day in Tampa Bay’,
the equally unflattering ‘Martin Murderer’ and
the ‘Widow Maker’. The main cause of these early
losses was a lack of primary twin-engined trainers,
test aircraft (40-1361 to 40-1561); (B-26A) 139 aircraft
built at Baltimore; R-2800-9 or -39 engines (41-7345
to 7483) (Marauder Mk I) 52 B-26A-1 to RAF (FK109
to FK160); (B-26B) 1,883 aircraft built at Baltimore;
first 791 had -5 engines, remainder with -41 or -43
engines; B-26B-4 introduced lengthened nose wheel
leg and ventral gun; B-5 introduced slotted flaps;
B-10 introduced 71ft (21.64m) span wings. (41-17544
to -18334; 41-31573 to -32072; 42-43260 to -43357;
42-43360 and -43361; 42-43459; 42-95738 to -96228);
(Marauder Mk IA) 19 short-span and 104 long-span
B-26C-5 aircraft purchased by UK as Marauder IA.
(FK362 to FK380) Two crashed before delivery; the
remainder going on to serve with 14 Squadron; (AT-
23A (later TB-23B)); 208 target tug/trainers; stripped
version of B-26B (42-43358 to -43359; 42-43362 to
-43458; 42-95629 to -95737; large number served with
USN and USMC as JM-1); (B-26C) 1,214 aircraft built
at Omaha, Na, similar to B-26B. (41-34673 to -35560);
(Marauder Mk II) 123 B-26C-5 purchased by UK as
which resulted in ‘green’ crews being unleashed
on one of the world’s most advanced bombers.
The lack of wing area was also quickly noted and
it was claimed to be displaying ‘no visible means
of support’ which brought about the nicknames of
the ‘Baltimore Whore’ and the ‘Flying Prostitute’.
Despite these early problems, which almost saw
the USAAF abandon the B-26 in favour of the vice-
free B-25, the Marauder went on to become a success
story and rewarded those crews that showed the
‘Maligned Madame’ the most respect. The B-26 not
only proved to be one of the most reliable in its class
but also achieved one of the lowest loss rates of a
USAAF bomber during World War II.
Marauder II (FB400 to FB522); (AT-23B) 371 (21 aircraft
built at Omaha) target/tug trainers, stripped version
of B-26C. (41-35371, -35373, -35516, -35539; 41-35541
to -35547; -35552; 41-35561 to -35871; 42-107471
to -107496; 42-107497 to -107855); (XB-26D) One
aircraft converted to trial anti-icing systems; (B-26E)
Planned lightweight version; never built; (B-26F) 300
Baltimore-built aircraft with increased wing incidence;
R-2800-43 engines (42-96229 to 96528); (Marauder
Mk III) 200 B-26F-2 and -6 purchased by Marauder
III (HD402 to HD601); (B-26G) 898 Baltimore-built
aircraft with minor equipment changes from B-26F
(43-34115 to 34614; 44-67805 to -67944; 44-67970 to
-68221; 44-68254); (Marauder Mk III) 74 B-26G-11 and
84 B-26G-21 purchased by UK as Marauder III (G-11;
HD602 to HD676 & G-21; HD677 to HD751); (TB-26G)
57 target tug/trainers; stripped version of B-26G. (44-
67945 to -67969; 44-68222 to –68253; 32 to USN and
USMC as JM-2); (XB-26H) One aircraft with zero track
tandem undercarriage. (44-28221).
 MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER 65

‘Ken’ Ebel gently eases back on

the control column to lift the first
production B-26 40-1361 into the
air on November 25, 1940. Ebel,
who was 41 years of age, was a
talented aeronautical engineer as
well as a test pilot. Via editor

Martin B-26B-50-MA Marauder, 42-95857

‘Shootin in’, of the 556th BS, 387th BG.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

The ‘first production’ B-26 taxies out for another

test flight from Middle Rover, Baltimore, on
November 28, 1940. Note the aerodynamic
cleanness of the fuselage which earned it the
early nickname of the ‘Flying Torpedo’. Less
flattering nicknames would follow. Via editor
66

USAAF photographers posing in front of B-26B-25-MA, 41-31802

‘Pappys Pram’ of the 450th BS, 322nd BG. The airmen have all
flown 50 missions since the war began, from left to right: Sgt
James Hinkle, Sgt Robert Hammerberg, Sgt Frank Udovich,
Sgt Charles Smith and Sgt Wilbur DeGroff. USAF via editor
MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER 67
68

Ex-Free French Air Force B-26G-25-MA 44-68188

Gaston le Morvan at Vilgénis in 1961. This
aircraft was delivered direct to the FFAF in May
1945 going on to serve with GBM 1/34 and GBM
2/63 before being retired in April following an
accident. It then went on to serve with the
Air France training school well into the
1960s, giving hundreds of students their first
taste of a real aircraft. Via editor
MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER 69
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
70
Martin 187 Baltimore
American bomber, British specification
While the Maryland was designed to a USAAC
specification, its sister bomber, the Martin
187, was produced to a British specification. A
development of the Maryland, the 187 was fitted
with more powerful engines and was re-designed
with a much deeper fuselage which improved
crew communication. While the latter was an
improvement over the Maryland, the fuselage was
still narrow and if a crew member was injured it
was impossible to change positions in flight.
Named the Baltimore by the RAF, 400 aircraft
was ordered in May 1940 and with the arrival of
MARTIN BALTIMORE MK IV
FIRST FLIGHT: (Mk I) June 14, 1941
ENGINE: Two 1,660hp Wright R-2600-
19 Cyclone 14 radials
SPAN: 61ft 4in
LENGTH: 48ft 5¾in
MAX SPEED: 305mph at 11,500ft
INITIAL CLIMB RATE: 1,500ft/min
ARMAMENT: Four .303in wing-
mounted machine guns, two/four
Designated by the USAAC as the A-30, no examples
were ever delivered and this machine was employed
for trials from Langley AFB. Via editor
the Lend Lease scheme, this was raised to two
batches of 575 and 600 aircraft were ordered
in June and July 1941 making a total of 1,575
machines. The latter figure was destined not to be
achieved as a number of Mk IIIs and Mk IIIAs were
lost during transit across the Atlantic.
The first Baltimores were delivered to the
RAF in late 1941 and these early examples were
allocated to OTUs in the Middle East before
they were re-equipped with Mk IIs of 55 and
223 Squadron which were also operating in
the Middle East. The type was used exclusively
.303in machine guns and two .30in
machine guns in ventral position, plus
up to 8,000lb in bombs
MARTIN MODEL 187
BALTIMORE VARIANTS
(Baltimore Mk I) Original production variant
powered by a pair of 1,600hp Wright GR-
2600-A5B engines and only a single Vickers
‘K’ machine gun in the dorsal turret, 50 built;
(Baltimore Mk II) Similar to Mk II but with
twin Vickers ‘K’ machine guns in dorsal turret,
100 built; (Baltimore Mk III) Improved and
by the RAF in the Middle East and proved to
be particularly effective in the day and night
bombing role. The Baltimore served operationally
with the RAF into 1944 and the last was not
delivered until May 1944. A few continued to
serve during the immediate post-war period, the
last of which was withdrawn in 1949.
In addition to serving with the RAF, the
Baltimore also saw service with the RAAF, RCAF,
Free French Air Force, Royal Hellenic Air Force,
Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force, SAAF and the
Turkish Air Force.
more powerful variant thanks to a pair of
Wright R-2600-19 engines and a Boulton Paul
hydraulically-powered dorsal turret fitted with
four .303in machine guns, 250 built; (Baltimore
Mk IIIA) The initial Lend Lease variant which
was procured by the USAAF as the A-30, similar
to Mk III but fitted with a Martin electrically-
actuated dorsal turret installed with apair
of .50in Browning machine guns, 281 built;
(Baltimore Mk IV) Detail differences from Mk
IIIA, procured by the USAAF as the A-30A, 294
built; (Baltimore Mk V) The final production
version, similar to Mk IV but fitted with 1,700hp
R-2600-29 engines, procured by USAAF as the
A-30A, 600 built.
MARTIN 187 BALTIMORE 71

A few of the 1,575 Martin

Baltimores that were supplied to
the RAF await delivery in the USA
to the North African theatre.
Via editor
72

Right: Baltimore Mk IIIA, FA353 ‘X’, of

69 Squadron being serviced in one of
Luqa’s many revetments. Via editor

Left: Baltimore Mk IV,

FA504 ‘M’ of 52 Squadron
at Bo Rizzo, Sicily, on
February 18, 1944. The
aircraft survived the war
and was transferred to the
Italian Air Force in 1945.
Via editor

The Baltimore gave the RAF good service

across five different variants and with the
following squadrons, 13, 14, 52, 55, 69, 162,
203, 223, 249, 454, 459, 500 and 680.
Via editor
MARTIN 187 BALTIMORE 73

Martin Baltimore Mk V, FW880 ‘T’ of 500

(County of Kent) Squadron.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
74
Douglas A-26/B-26 Invader
A formidable ground attack aircraft
One of the few military aircraft to have been built
entirely as a result of the Second World War from
its conception through to combat operations
from late 1944 onwards. The concept of the A-26
Invader and the medium attack bomber was
shelved as soon as VJ-Day arrived, Douglas then
placing all focus on jet-powered machines. With
no plans in place for development, no effort was
being made by Douglas to retain the Invader
design team and with no further interest being
shown by the USAAF, the Invader appeared to
be finished. However, the day of the piston-
powered bomber was not yet over as Korea and
later Vietnam would prove and, even as late as
1963, the production lines were re-established as
demand increased.
Designed by Ed Heinemann, the Invader was
the natural replacement for the DB-7, making use
of the 2,000hp R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine.
The USAAC placed an order for three prototypes
in May 1941, one of them fitted with 75mm gun,
A-26s of the 553rd BS, 386th BG which received
the type whilst operating from Great Dunmow
in September 1944. The rest of the unit
converted from the B-26 Marauder to the A-26
Invader from January 1945 and continued the
war from Beaumont-sur-Oise in France and
St Trond in Belgium. Via editor
another with four 20mm fixed forward-firing
cannon, an upper turret with four 0.5in machine
guns and a radar in the nose while the third
aircraft was produced as an attack bomber with
an optical sighting station and a pair of turrets
as defensive armament. The bomber was the
first variant to be ordered and the aircraft was
designated as the A-26B. Considerably faster than
other tactical bombers in service at the time (apart
from the Mosquito), the A-26B was manufactured
700lbs lighter than planned and was more than
capable of carrying twice the bomb load of the
required of the original specification. The Invader
was the first bomber to be fitted with a NACA
laminar-flow, have double-slotted flaps and
remotely-controlled turrets of a similar design to
those fitted to the B-29 Superfortress.
The Invader began combat operations with the
9th Air Force on November 19, 1944 and, by VE-
Day, the aircraft had dropped an impressive 18,000
tons of bombs on a variety of tactical targets
throughout Northern Europe. 1,355 A-26Bs were
delivered to the USAAF, 535 of them were installed
with the R-2800-79 engine with water-injection.
The first of 1,091 A-26Cs entered service in January
1945, this variant having a transparent nose, ‘lead-
ship’ navigation equipment and a large number
were also installed with H2S panoramic radar.
From 1948, with the withdrawal of the B-26
Marauder from USAF service, the Invader took over
the B-26 designation, much to the chagrin of many
Marauder crews who felt that their trusty medium
bomber had been written out of history. 450 B-26
Invaders were still in service when war broke out
in Korea and, during the Vietnam War, the aircraft
was one of the most popular aircraft for night
operations along the Ho Chi Minh trail. The A-26A
(designation given to re-built B-26Ks)
was a potent attack aircraft capable
of 350mph, able to carry up to
11,000lbs of bombs and loiter over
the target for up to two hours.

DOUGLAS B-26B
First flight: July 10, 1942
Engine: Two 2,000hp Pratt &
Whitney R-2800-27 or -79 Double
Wasp radials
Span: 70ft
Length: 50ft
Max Speed: 355mph at 15,000ft
Climb rate: 1,250ft/min
Armament: Ten 0.5in machine
guns and up 4,000lb of bombs
DOUGLAS A & B-26
INVADER VARIANTS
(XA-26) One prototype with dummy
armament; (XA-26A) One night fighter
prototype; (XA-26B) One solid nose
attack prototype fitted with a single
75mm forward-firing cannon; (A-26B)
Main production attack bomber fitted
with six or eight 0.5in machine guns,
1,355 built; (TB-26B) Unarmed trainer;
(VB-26B) Unarmed communications
aircraft; (XA-26C) Planned version with
four 20mm cannon in nose but idea
abandoned, ‘C’ suffix later applied to
the version with transparent nose;
(A-26C) Main production attack bomber,
1,091 built; (RB-26C (later FA-62C))
Photographic-reconnaissance fitted
with cameras and flash flares; (TB-
26C) Unarmed trainer; (XA-26D) One
prototype powered by a pair of 2,100hp
Chevrolet-built R-2800-83 radials. The
planned A-26D production was cancelled
after VJ Day; (XA-26E) One prototype
powered by two 2,100hp R-2800-83
radials for planned A-26E production
which was cancelled after VJ Day; (XA-
26F) One prototype powered by a pair
of 2,100hp R-2800-83AM3 engines and
a 1,600hp General Electric J31 turbojet
in the tail. Maximum speed was 435mph
at 15,000ft which was not higher
enough to warrant production; (A-26Z)
Proposed designation by Douglas which
would have been built post-war as
the A-26G and A-26H with solid nose,
raised pilot’s canopy and drop tanks
on the wingtips; (B-26N) French Air
Force operated B-26s were unofficially
DOUGLAS A-26/B-26 INVADER 75
designated as the B-26N; (Invader Mk
I) The RAF received 144 A-26Cs under
the Lend Lease scheme in 1944; (JD-1)
A-26B & A-26C for US Navy as target
tugs, drone directors and general
communications aircraft, 150 aircraft;
(On Mark Marketeer) Unpressurised
version of the Marksman C; (On Mark
Marksman) Pressurised executive
transport built by On Mark Engineering
powered by a pair of 2,100hp R-2800-
83AM3 engines; (On Mark Marksman B)
Fitted with wingtip tanks and powered
by two R-2800-83AM4A radials; (RB-26L)
A pair of RB-26Cs converted for night
photographic work; (Smith Biscayne
26) Developed by L B Smith & Co., this
variant was a high-speed transport able
to seat up to 15 passengers; (Smith
Super 26) Fitted with wingtip tanks and
an executive interior;(Smith Tempo I)
Unpressurised executive powered by
R-2800 B-series engines; (Smith Tempo
II) Pressurised executive conversion with
a 9ft 7½in fuselage extension for seating
13 passengers.
76

Corporal J C Lovelace reloads the eight .50in Browning machine guns in the nose of this
B-26 Invader, during the Korean War on September 13, 1950.

98 A-26s of various marks remain extant across the globe

and, of this number, an incredible 23 remain airworthy.
This example, A-26B, 44-34602 (N167B) ‘Sugarland Express’
is operated by Nordic Warbirds and is based at Västerås,
Sweden. Key Archive
 DOUGLAS A-26/B-26 INVADER 77

Douglas A-26B-15-DT, 43-22343 of the 553rd BS,

386th BG. Later converted into a TB-26C, the
aircraft was destroyed on January 9, 1955 when
it crashed 2 miles from Tachikawa Air Base,
Japan after attempting a go-around.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

A B-26K Invader of the 609th Special Operations Squadron on patrol over Laos, the Panhandle and
the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Via editor

Originally built as an A-26C (44-25251) by Douglas and then converted to a B-26K Counter Invader,
64-17672 by On Mark, this aircraft was operated by the 603rd ACS (Air Control Squadron) during
the Vietnam War. Whilst attached to the 606th ACS, the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire
near the Thai/Laos border on December 14, 1944. The pilot managed to keep flying for a further
20 miles, enabling his three crew to bail out safely. For his efforts, the pilot was awarded the
Mackay Trophy for airmanship and courage. Editor’s collection
Douglas A-26B Invader
Douglas A-26B Invader
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
78

Air woman Bettye Krieter poses

next to a 14th Air Force A-26
Invader while its pilot looks on.
Via editor
 BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 83

A USAAF armourer
inserts fuses into 500lb
bombs in the cavernous
bomb-bay of a B-29
Superfortress in
China in June 1944.
Via editor

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Very long-range, very heavy bomber
84
The story of the B-29 Superfortress began in March
1938 from a design study for a new bomber with
a pressurised cabin and a tricycle undercarriage.
Boeing’s design evolved into the Model 345 and
in August 1940, money was allocated for the
production of a pair of prototypes. By January 1942,
the USAAF placed an order for 14 YB-29s and 500
production aircraft many months before the first
prototype took to the air. From February 1942,
plans were already in place regarding how large
production would be handled for such a large and
complex aircraft and an organisation involving
BOEING B-29A
SUPERFORTRESS
FIRST FLIGHT: September 21, 1942
ENGINE: Four 2,200hp Wright R-3350-
23-23A/-41 Cyclone 18 turbo-charged
radials
SPAN: 141ft 3in
LENGTH: 99ft
MAX SPEED: 358mph at 25,000ft
CLIMB RATE: 900ft/min
ARMAMENT: Two 0.5in machine guns
in four remotely-controlled power-
operated turrets and three 0.5in
Boeing, Bell, North American and Fisher (General
Motors) was established. Martin also later joined this
group and by VJ-Day, 3,000 B-29s had been built.
This was a phenomenal achievement considering
the complexity of the B-29 and this set a whole new
standard for bomber aircraft due to its powerful
Cyclone engines, high gross weight, wing loading,
pressurisation, advanced armament, new airborne
systems - even the basic structure of the bomber was
unlike any other that had been built before.
The B-29 flew its first combat operations with
the 58th Bomb Wing on June 5, 1944 and by
or two 0.5in guns and one 20mm
cannon in the rear turret, and a bomb
load of up to 20,000lb
BOEING B-29
SUPERFORTRESS VARIANTS
(XB-29) The model 345 prototype, of which three
examples were ordered in August and December
1940; (YB-29) 14 aircraft were ordered for service
testing from the summer of 1943, fitted with
uprated Wright R-3350-21 engines driving four-
blade propellers; (B-29) Original production variant,
2,513 built, 1,620 by Boeing, 357 by Bell and 536 by
Martin; (B-29A) Improved B-29 which included new
wing design and defensive armament, 1,119 built
all by Boeing; (B-29B) Lighter variant designed for
the end of the war, the USAAF could put up 20
Groups from the Marianas Islands, comprising
on average 500 bombers against targets at will
across Japan.
A wide range of B-29 variants were produced,
including the Washington B Mk I, which filled a
strategic bomber gap from 1950 to 1958. Three
B-29s made forced landings in Soviet territory
and after they were reverse engineered by
Tupolev, they re-emerged as the Tu-4 and later
Tu-7- transport, the former giving the USSR its first
serious nuclear-capable bomber.
low-level operations, armed with just three .50in M2/
AN and a single 20mm M2 cannon, 311 built; (B-29D
(XB-44)) Improved variant powered by four 3,500hp
Pratt & Whitney R-4360-35 engines; (KB-29M, MR &
P) Tanker variants, 282 aircraft converted; (EB-29)
Parasite fighter test aircraft for the XF-85; (RB-29J)
Photographic reconnaissance variants originally
known as F-13 and F-13A with three K-17B, a pair
of K-22s and a single K-18 camera. Re-designated
as the FB-29J in 1948 and RB-29 and RB-29A; (SB-
29) ASR variant nicknamed the ‘Super Dumbo’;
(TB-29) Trainer, target tug and later radar target
aircraft; (WB-29) Weather observation aircraft and
radioactive debris collector; (P2B-1) Conversion for
the US Navy of four B-29s into long-range patrol
aircraft; (XB-39) One YB-29 installed with Allison
V-3420-7 engines; (Tu-4) Soviet-built version given
the NATO name ‘Bull’, 847 built; (Washington B Mk I)
88 B-29As supplied to the RAF.
BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 85

The most famous B-29 of all was 44-86291,

more familiarly known as ‘Enola Gay’, the
first aircraft in the world to deliver an atomic
weapon. The Martin-Omaha-built bomber
was one of 14 ‘Silverplate’ aircraft which were
specifically modified to drop an atomic bomb.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

A shaky yet rare colour image of two of the 14

YB-29s built, complete with full camouflage
which was dispensed with from the original
production B-29 onwards. Flight tested during
the summer of the 1943, the YB-29s introduced
a wide range of modifications, including
R-3350-21 engines, four-blade propellers and
were also used to trial a number of different
defensive armament configurations.
Via editor
86
 BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 87

The Superfortress lived on post-war with the B-50 family, this

example, B-50A-5-BO, 46-6 was employed to carrier the Bell X-1,
one of many of the breed which were used as ‘Mother Ships’. Both
aircraft were destroyed on November 9, 1951, after landing,
following a captive flight test. Whilst X-1, 46-064, was being
de-fuelled, a gasket failed in the fuel tank causing an explosion.
Via editor
88

The world’s only airworthy B-29 is operated

by Commemorative Air Force. Serialled
44-62070, the aircraft is actually a rebuild
of three different aircraft and operates with
the civilian registration N529B. Named ‘Fifi’,
the aircraft is a huge hit with airshow fans
across the USA. Commemorative Air Force
BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 89
90
BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 91

The Boeing Washington B Mk I was the first American-built

bomber to serve the RAF during the post-war period. The
aircraft entered service with 115 Squadron at RAF Marham
under an American military aid programme for Europe
which was prompted by the beginning of the Cold War. 88
Washingtons which were all ex-USAF B-29s and B-29As were
taken out of storage and served the RAF until 1958 with 15,
35, 44, 57, 90, 115, 149, 192 and 207 Squadrons.
Key Archive
the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an
end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.
92
Consolidated (Convair) B-32 Dominator
The last Allied aircraft in combat during WW2
In June 1940, the USAAC approached the
Consolidated Aircraft Company and asked
them to produce a heavy bomber to the same
specification as the Boeing B-29 which had been
under development since the middle of 1938.
Consolidated presented the Model 33, which was
based on the B-24, and on September 6, 1940,
a pair of prototypes, designated XB-32 (Model
33) were ordered, more as an insurance policy
against the B-29 of which a pair of prototypes
were ordered the same day. Powered by the
same 2,200hp Wright R-3350 engines as the B-29,
the XB-32 was pressurised and was armed with
remotely controlled turrets which sported 14 .50in
machine guns between them.
The first XB-32-CO prototype, serialled 41-141,
made its maiden flight from Tarrant Field on
September 7, 1942, a fortnight before the XB-29.
There would actually be three prototypes built,
the second and third of which flew on July 2 and
November 9, 1943 respectively, each of them
differing in several major areas. The first prototype
featured a rounded nose and similar twin fins and
rudders to the B-24 while the second retained the
same tail unit but had a modified forward fuselage
complete with a stepped windscreen for the cockpit.
The third prototype retained the second prototype’s
The second XB-32 prototype, 41-142 pictured
on February 28, 1944. The prototype featured a
stepped nose and was first flown on July 2, 1943.
Via editor
nose but introduced the single large fin (19½ft high)
which would become the basic configuration for the
production aircraft (Model 34).
The XB-32s experienced a number of problems,
many of which were shared with the B-29 in
regard to the engines but this did not prevent the
USAAF from placing an order for 1,500 aircraft. The
first production aircraft was not delivered until
September 19, 1944, by which the time the B-29
had already established itself and was operational
from bases in China. From late 1945, 40 aircraft
were delivered as TB-32-CF trainers without
armament being installed and with a redesigned
entrance door for the bombardier.
It was not until May 1945 that three B-32
Dominators were allocated as test aircraft to the
386th BS, 312th BG, with whom they flew the first
of four missions against a Japanese supply depot
at Antatet, Philippines on the 29th of the month.
Further trial operations to bomb an alcohol plant
at Heito, Formosa on June 22 and a final mission
to attack bridges near Kiirun, Taiwan on June
25 proved the aircraft worthy of full operational
duty. In July 1945, the 386th BS fully re-equipped
with the B-32 and carried out six missions before
the end of the war. From August 13, the 386th BS
moved to Yontan, Okinawa, from where a number
of photographic reconnaissance operations
were flown, all of which were intended to make
sure that Japan was maintaining the ceasefire.
During one recce, on August 17, three out of four
B-32s were attacked by Japanese fighters in an
engagement that lasted for two hours which only
caused minor damage to the American aircraft.
The following day, another four B-32s set out to
complete the previous day’s operation but this
time were confronted with 17 Japanese fighters.
One B-32, named ‘Hobo Queen II’, claimed a pair
of A6M Zeros destroyed and a probable N1K2-J
Shiden-Kai. One lower flying B-32 was seriously
damaged by multiple fighter attacks, one of its
crew was wounded and a second was killed;
photographers’ assistant Sgt A Marchione had
become the last American to be killed in aerial
operations during the Second World War.
The B-32 flew its final photographic
reconnaissance mission of the Second World War
on August 28, 1945 and, two days later, the 386th
BS was stood down. The production order for the
B-32 was cancelled on September 8, by which time
only 118 aircraft had been delivered. A number
of these were flown direct from the factory to the
reclamation yard and it is a shame that today no
examples of this bomber exist.
 CONSOLIDATED (CONVAIR) B-32 DOMINATOR 93

CONSOLIDATED (CONVAIR)
B-32 DOMINATOR
FIRST FLIGHT: (XB-32) July 2, 1943
ENGINE: Four 2,200hp Wright
R-3350-23 Cyclone radials
SPAN: 135ft
LENGTH: 83ft 1in
MAX SPEED: 357mph at 25,000ft
SERVICE CEILING: 35,000ft
ARMAMENT: Two 20mm cannon,
four .50in machines guns and a
bomb load of up to 20,000lb.

Another view of 41-142 which shows off the redesigned forward fuselage; the first prototype had
similar lines to the B-29’s forward fuselage. Via editor
94

Above: Following the revisions being applied to the prototypes, the B-32 became known as the Model 34 and orders were increased to over 1500
aircraft, including a third contract for 500 aircraft to be manufactured in the San Diego plant. San Diego was to produce fuselage parts for Fort
Worth and the latter was to build wings for incorporation into the complete aircraft at San Diego. Powerplant auxiliary packages were to be built at
Downey, and the rudder and the engines were to come from the Chicago plant of General Motors. Via editor
Below: Beginning on January 27, 1945, 40 aircraft (serialled 42-10845 to 42-108524) were delivered to the USAAF with turrets or bombing equipment
and were designated as the TB-32. Ballast was carried to compensate for weight of the equipment removed. B-32 pilots carried out 50 hours of flying
training while co-pilots carried out 25 hours of flying training and 25 hours of observer training.This aircraft is TB-32-15-CF, 42-108522. Via editor
 CONSOLIDATED (CONVAIR) B-32 DOMINATOR 95

Above: At the time of cancellation, Fort Worth had produced 74 B-32s and 40 TB-32s and
San Diego had built only one. The last six fully-equipped Dominators (42-108579 to 42-
108584) were flown from the production line directly into storage at Davis-Monthan and
Kingman, Arizona. Twelve additional aircraft in shop-assembled status at San Diego and
Fort Worth were declared “terminal inventory” and were also flown directly to disposal
sites. At least 37 partially-assembled machines were stripped of all their government-
furnished equipment and engines and were scrapped on site by the contractor. Those
Dominators that were already in service were flown to the nearest disposal centre, and all
the non-flyable examples were scrapped in place. By 1947, most of B-32s that had been
sent to the disposal centres had been scrapped. Via editor
96
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
Long-range, maritime patrol bomber
A clear derivative of the B-24 Liberator, the
Privateer, came about in May 1943, when the US
Navy placed a contract with Convair (Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft) for a new long-range patrol
bomber. Three B-24Ds were removed from the
San Diego production line for conversion into
prototypes. Virtually rebuilt, the fuselage was
extended by 7ft, the interior layout was changed
and the defensive armament was completely
re-arranged. The airframes received a number of
changes, including a new hot-air de-icing system,
while the engine cowlings were still oval-shaped,
as per the B-24, but were re-positioned in the
vertical rather than the horizontal. A huge single
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, 59533, of
VP-HL-3 (Heavy Patrol Squadron (Landplane))
pictured in 1946. Via editor
vertical fin, taller than the B-24N, replaced the
twin-tail arrangement, in a similar style to the
Liberator transport variants.
The US Navy ordered 739 examples of the PB4Y-2
Privateer, of which 286 were received in 1944 and the
remaining 453 in 1945. The Privateer entered service
in late 1944, initially with VPB-118 and VPB-119, the
former began operations from the Marianas in early
January 1945. Performance of the aircraft was inferior
to the B-24, despite its equal power which was
attributed to a larger and heavier airframe and the
extra equipment that it carried.
Post-war, VP-119 became involved in typhoon
and hurricane investigation work and the
Privateer was also heavily employed during
the Korean War. Re-designated as the P4Y-2
in 1952, as the Privateer became increasingly
involved in clandestine operations and was
suitably equipped with the latest radar and
countermeasures. At least one aircraft was lost
during a clandestine operation; ‘Turbulent Turtle’
of VP-26 strayed over Russian territory on April
8, 1950 and was shot down by Soviet fighters.
All USN examples were withdrawn by 1954,
although a few PB4Y-2Gs served on the USCG
until 1958. The type also served with in Canada,
China, France and Honduras in a military
capacity into the 1960s.
 CONSOLIDATED PB4Y-2 PRIVATEER
CONSOLIDATED PB4Y INITIAL CLIMB RATE: 800ft/min
ARMAMENT: Two Consolidated
PRIVATEER
turrets in the nose and tail, two
FIRST FLIGHT: (XPB4Y-2) September
Martin dorsal turrets and a pair
20, 1943 of Erco blister-type turrets in the
ENGINE: Four 1,200hp Pratt waist positions, each armed with
& Whitney R-1830-94 Twin Wasp a pair of 0.5in Browning machine
14 radials guns. Internal bomb bay capable
SPAN: 110ft of carrying up to 6,000lb of bombs,
depth charges or various other stores.
LENGTH: 74ft PB4Y-2B capable of carrying a pair of
MAX SPEED: 247mph ASM-N-2 ‘Bat’ air-to-surface missiles.
97
CONSOLIDATED PB4Y VARIANTS
(YPB4Y-2) Three prototypes created from B-24Ds;
(PB4Y-2) The main production variant, 736 built;
(PB4Y-2B (re-designated P4Y-2B in 1951)) A variant
modified to carry the ASM-N-2 ‘Bat’ air-to-surface
missile; (PB4Y-2M (re-designated P4Y-2M in 1951))
Weather reconnaissance variant; (PB4Y-2S (re-
designated P4Y-2S in 1951)) Installed with anti-
submarine radar; (PB4Y-2G (re-designated P4Y-2G
in 1951)) Operated by the USCG, ASR capable and
weather reconnaissance capable; (PB4Y-2K (re-
designated P4Y-2K in 1951 and again to QP-4B in
1962)) Target drone conversion.
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer 59525
‘Our Baby’ sporting the standard ‘Non-
Specular Sea Blue, Intermediate Blue
and White’ scheme which was worn by
the majority of Privateers during the
later stages of the Second World War.
Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk
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