Tag: B-24

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Midnight Flyboys: The Untold WWII Missions of American Flyers and Allied Spies

The new book Midnight Flyboys: The American Bomber Crews and Allied Secret Agents Who Aided the French Resistance in World War II shares the untold history of a top-secret operation in the run-up to D-Day in which American flyers and Allied spies carried out some of the most daring cloak-and-dagger operations of World War II.

In 1943, the OSS—precursor to the CIA—came up with a plan to increase its support to the French resistance forces that were fighting the Nazis. To start, the OSS recruited some of the best American bomber pilots and crews to a secret airfield twenty miles west of London and briefed them on the intended mission. Given a choice to stay or leave, every airman volunteered for what became known as Operation Carpetbagger.

Their dangerous plan called for a new kind of flying: taking their B-24 Liberator bombers in the middle of the night across the English Channel and down to extremely low altitudes in Nazi-occupied France to find drop zones in dark fields. On the ground, resistance members waited to receive steel containers filled with everything from rifles and hand grenades to medicine and bicycle tires. Some nights, the flyers also dropped Allied secret agents by parachute to assist the French partisans.

Though their story remained classified for more than fifty years, the Carpetbaggers ultimately received a Presidential Unit Citation from the US military, which declared: “it is safe to say that no group of this size has made a greater contribution to the war effort.” Along with other members of the wartime OSS, they were also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Based on exclusive research and interviews, the definitive story of these heroic flyers—and of the brave secret agents and resistance leaders they aided—can now be told. Written in Bruce Henderson’s “spellbinding” (USA TODAY) prose, Midnight Flyboys is an astonishing tale of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice. The 336 page book is available in hardcover, Kindle, audiobook and audio CD formats.

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New Book Series to Provide “Ultimate Look” at B-24 Liberator

Fonthill Media will soon release The Consolidated B-24 Liberator: Reuben Fleet, the Factories, and the Product – the first of a “massive two volume B-24 Liberator set” by Dr. William Wolf, which is described as “a meticulously researched, truly ultimate look at the B-17’s stablemate from the drawing board to its emergence as America’s preeminent blue-collar bomber.”

In addition to his personal 25,000-book library and microfilm collection, the author made extensive use of the massive document and photo collections at the NMUSAF, the Pima Aerospace Museum; and Consolidated and Ford Company design and production information. Described is the role of aviation icon, Reuben Fleet, for his and Consolidated’s contribution to the development of Liberator in context of American military and commercial aviation industry. The design evolution of the Liberator and the Davis Wing are highlighted. Since the B-24 was ultimately manufactured by five different factories, primarily Consolidated and Ford, using different manufacturing technics, these are described, contrasted, and pictured in detail. The Ford Knock Down Kits, their manufacture and transport are detailed for the first time. The final section of the book describes the various B-24 models and variants along with detailing today’s surviving B-24s. This book and Volume 2 intends to be the definitive look at the Liberator detailing every facet for the air enthusiast, historian, and modeler.

The 624 page first volume is currently available for pre-order with release set for December 23.

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B-24 Liberator Project Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

A Consolidated Vultee B-24 Liberator project has hit the market.

The listing describes the project as “LB-30. Wrecked, needs complete restoration.” Additional details are scarce, although a number of photos are included.

The project is located in Utica, Florida and is currently being offered for US $175,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(Top Image: digitalcamouflage7 [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons)

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Hobby Boss Releases New Tool 1/32 B-24J Liberator Model Kit

Hobby Boss has released their new tool B-24J Liberator model kit in 1/32 scale.

The new kit (83211) reportedly includes detailed fuselage and wing with accurate design, finely detailed cockpit and gear cabin, grooved rubber tires and PE parts. Three marking options are also included which recreate S/N 44-40674 “Going My Way,” S/N 42-109816 “War Goddess” and 44-40927 “My Akin ?.”

Product Page ($259.99 Additional Information via Hobby Boss)

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B-24 “Diamond Lil” Returns to the Air Following Restoration

The Commemorative Air Force has reported that their B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil” returned to the air for the first time in over two years on October 22.

As previously reported, the aircraft (AM927) was delivered to the British in May 1941 and transferred to Trans World Airlines (TWA) to conduct training of RAF pilots out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A landing accident shortly thereafter resulted in the bomber being returned to Consolidated in San Diego. In July 1942, it returned to service as the C-87 Liberator Express prototype, acting as a personnel and equipment transport and test platform. Following the war it was modified with long RY-3 nose and PBY nacelles and saw further use as an executive and personnel transport. It was acquired by the CAF in 1968.

The machine was grounded in 2016 for work that included an interior restoration and the overhaul of three engines. It will reportedly make its first post-restoration appearance at the Wings Over Dallas WW2 airshow this weekend.

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CAF’s B-24 “Diamond Lil” Nearing Return to Flight

After being grounded in 2016 for restoration, the Commemorative Air Force’s B-24 Liberator “Diamond Lil” is nearing its return to the air.

The aircraft (AM927) was delivered to the British in May 1941 and transferred to Trans World Airlines (TWA) to conduct training of RAF pilots out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A landing accident shortly thereafter resulted in the bomber being returned to Consolidated in San Diego. In July 1942, it returned to service as the C-87 Liberator Express prototype, acting as a personnel and equipment transport and test platform. Following the war it was modified with long RY-3 nose and PBY nacelles and saw further use as an executive and personnel transport. It was acquired by the CAF in 1968.

The recent work was based on an ambitious plan to ensure continued flights well into the future. This initiative included an interior restoration and the overhaul of three engines – the last of which has just arrived at the CAF facility in Texas.

It is hoped that “Diamond Lil” will return to the air by July to continue its role as the oldest flying B-24. Click below to check out a selection of recent photos.

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Spotted: Renderings of Hobby Boss’ Upcoming 1/32 B-24J Model

Hobby Boss revealed what appears to be renderings of their upcoming new tool B-24 Liberator at the Nuremberg Toy Fair earlier this month.

Little is known about the model at the moment, although there will reportedly be two offerings representing the B-24D (83212) and B-24J (83211), both in an impressive 1/32 scale. A release date is not yet known, although Scalemates suggests it could be sometime this year.

(via Trumpeter/Hobby Boss and Scalemates)

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Possible B-24 Liberator Wreck Discovered in Himalayas

A team of locals searching for aircraft wrecks in northeastern India may have discovered the remains of a US WW2 aircraft.

India’s NorthEast Today magazine reports that the types and locations of the parts suggest that it is was used in WW2 and went down while attempting to cross over the Himalayan range of Arunachal Pradesh, referred to as the “hump” by US airmen.

A lack of equipment prevented a thorough examination of the site, although it has been marked for future exploration. As for the newly discovered parts, positive identification is still needed, but based on the examination of photos, experts at HistoryNet believe it’s possible that they came from a B-24 Liberator or a C-87 Liberator Express.

A team from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency had previously conducted search and rescue operations in the area, locating the remains of airmen lost in the crash of a B-24J in 1944.

(NorthEast Today via AirForceTimes via Fox News)