PB4Y-1 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer
Hello everyone !
B-24 is one of my favorite aircraft of the time of II WW. We have already in game B-24D and B-24J also exist Liberator GR.V and Jaypack44 mod which changes the appearance of turret nose B-24J.
My request relates especially to PB4Y-1 , I wonder if is it possible modify the B-24 in such a way to get the PB4Y-1 with Erco Ball Turret. This request it is only suggestion but I think that both versions would be a good complement for B-24.
In the summer of 1942, the Navy needed long-range aircraft to patrol the vast reaches of the Pacific. Other Navy patrol aircraft, such as the PBY-5 Catalina, PBM, and the PB2Y were too slow and lightly armed; a distinct disadvantage if they were to patrol close to enemy-held islands. In July 1942, the Army agreed to the Navy receiving a quantity of B-24D Liberators which changed the designation to the PB4Y-1 (PB-patrol bomber, 4-fourth modification, Y-Consolidated Aircraft Company). I wrote that the designation stood for PB-patrol bomber, 4-four engine, Y-model 1.
A rumor still exists that the Army gave the Navy B-24s that failed their inspection-not good enough for the Army but just right for the Navy.
The Navy's use of the Liberator made it possible to cover wider search sectors than before and, more importantly, extensive photographic reconnaissance could be made before a major operation. The squadrons to be established would be designated VB for Navy Bombing until October 1944 when the designation was changed to VPB for Navy Patrol Bomber.
During World War II, the United States Navy modified several Consolidated B-24 Liberator airframes to serve as long-range patrol aircraft. Early PB4Y-1's differed little from their Air Force kin, but later versions sported a more obvious upgrade in the form of the bulbous ERCO bow turret (Engineering and Research Corp.). After the war, many Navy P4Y-1 were refurbished and used for training, transport, and support duties. The markings of this P4Y-1 indicate that it operated out of the Naval Aviation Ordnance Test Station at Chincoteague (NAOTS). 
The Navy Liberator had to be modified to suit the needs of long-range patrolling over the Pacific. The first Navy Liberators sent to the Pacific varied little from the Army B-24D, retaining the distinctive Plexiglas nose with free-hand machine guns mounted to protect against frontal attacks. This type of defensive armament would soon prove to be inadequate. Furthermore, a few of the earlier models were not equipped with the Sperry ball turret under the fuselage instead; they had twin-fifty caliber tunnel guns that were manually fired by a crewmember. This piece of equipment was all but useless in part because it gave the gunner vertigo bending over the guns while firing. By the summer of 1944, the tunnel guns were gone. 
The distinctive Navy version of the Liberator was introduced when most of the conventional B-24's were modified with the Erco bow turret in the nose that extended the length of the aircraft by three feet. The bow turret had twin .50-caliber guns and carried twice the ammunition supply of other turrets-800 versus 400. It also had armor plating in front that gave the pilots additional protection. However, some squadrons, such as VPB-111, received J, L, and M models with the Emerson nose turret. A total of 977 PB4Y-1 Liberators (the majority being D and J models) were received by the Navy before the war's end.
Interesting but sad story: RAAF BEAUFORT SHOT DOWN BY A U.S. NAVY PB4Y-1 LIBERATOR NEAR RABAUL ON 12 JULY 1943:
http://www.ozatwar.com/friendlyfire/a9-225.htmSpecifications:
PB4Y-1 Liberator
Type: 10 seat martime patrol bomber
Powerplant: 4 x 1.200Hp (894.8kW)
Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 or 65 air-cooled
radial piston engines
Performance:maximum speed
449 km/h (279 mph) at 8077m (26,500ft);
Climb to 1219 m (4,000ft) in 7.8 minutes,
Service ceiling 9693 m (31,800ft),
Normal patrol range 4764 km (2,960 miles)
Weights: empty 16761 kg (36,950 lb)
Maximum take-off 27216 kg (60,000lb)
Dimensions: span 33,53m (110 ft 0 in)
Length 20.50 m (67 ft 3 in),
Height 5,46 m (17 ft 11 in)
Wing area 97,36m² (1,048 sq ft)
Armament:
eight 12,7 mm (o,5 in) machine guns in nose,
dorsal and tail turrets and waist hatches amadships,
plus up to 5806 kg (12,000lb) of bombs,mines or depth charges
Bomb load: 4 bombs at 2,000 lbs each,
8 bombs at 1,600 lbs each, 8 bombs 1,000 lbs each,
12 bombs at 500 lbs each, 12 bombs at 250 lbs each or
40 bombs at 100 lbs each
Depth bombs : 8 depth bombs at 650 lbs each ,
or 8 depth bombs at 325 lbs each,
Mines: 8 MK 13 mines
HVAR ? :
December 1943 Aviation Ordnance Development Unit No. 1 (AODU-1) was commissioned under the cognizance of Commander Fleet Air, West Coast
AODU-1 PB4Y-1 Privateer BuNo 32151 with fuselage mounted HVAR launch rails, Harvey Field, circa 1943. Official U.S. Navy photo.
PB4Y-2 Privateer
http://www.boydski.com/diving/dives/PB4Y-wreck.htmThe Liberator served the Navy well from 1943 to 1945, however, the Navy questioned the time and cost of modifying ex-Army B-24s for over-sea patrolling. In 1942, it was reasoned that the Liberator would be more stable with a single fin and three XPB4Y-2's were built and tested with the single fin and rudder modification. In May 1943, the Navy contracted with Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Company for the new bomber.
At first, the aircraft was named the Sea Liberator. However, since approximately 50 percent of the bombers internal components were changed and the belly turret deleted, it was essentially a new model and was finally called the Privateer. In addition to the single fin, seven feet was added to the length, and two Martin upper turrets and twin Erco waist blisters were installed.
Although the belly turret was deleted, the defensive armament of the Privateer was not diminished with it having twelve 50-caliber machine guns compared to ten on the Liberator. Therefore, the PB4Y-2 was a heavily armed gun platform and could readily defend itself from fighter attack while unleashing punishing blows on Japanese shipping and shore installations. In April 1945, some Privateers were modified to carry the Bat and were designated as the PB4Y-2B.
In January 1945, the first squadron outfitted with the Privateer arrived in the Pacific. By the end of WWII, the Navy received 739 single-tailed PB4Y-2 Privateers. Unlike the PB4Y-1, which were scrapped, The PB4Y-2 continued serving with the United States military and other countries well into the 1950s and into civilian use as fire bombers. Examples of it can be found in aviation museums and will be seen for generations to come, unfortunately, the same can not be said of the PB4Y-1 Liberator. The only known example of this plane lies under the Pacific Ocean off Maui, Hawaii.
PB4Y-2 Privateer SpecificationsGeneral characteristics
Crew: 11: two pilots, navigator, bombardier, five gunners, two radio operators
Length: 74 ft 7 in (22.73 m)
Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.53 m)
Height: 30 ft 1 in (9.17 m)
Wing area: 1,048 ft² (97.4 m²)
Empty weight: 27,485 lb (12,467 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 radial engines, 1,350 hp (1,007 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 300 mph (261 kn, 482 km/h)
Cruise speed: 175 mph (121 kn, 224 km/h)
Range: 2,820 mi (2,450 nmi, 4,540 km)
Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Wing loading: 62 lb/ft² (300 kg/m²)
Armament:
Guns: 12 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in six turrets
2 in the nose turret, 4 in the waist, 2 in the forward deck and
2 in the after deck
Bombs: Up to 12,800 lb (5,800 kg) of bombs, mines, or torpedoes
Provisions for four 2,000 pound or eight 1,000 pound or twelve
500 pound bombs; or twelve 324 pound depth charges; or four 2,000
pound or eight 1,000 pound mines
The PB4Y-2 used a MK 9 illuminated sight in the nose , tail and waist positions and the MK 18 compuing sight in the deck turrets
A PB4Y-2B modified to act as a parent aircraft for the guidet missiles known as the Bat (ASM-N-2)
Best regards
PIOTREK
Author
Topic: PB4Y-1 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer (Read 35443 times)
