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Consolidated B-24E Liberator
Hello everybody. I’d like to suggest the Ford-built B-24E Liberator for the US aviation tree in War Thunder. The B-24E was a slightly revised version of the B-24D, constructed by Ford Motor Company and distinguished by its use of improved R-1830-65 engines and different propeller designs. While only a small number of B-24Es were sent overseas, most were retained in the United States for training and support roles.
History
As part of the Liberator Production Pool Agreement, Ford was contracted to mass-produce B-24 components and complete aircraft at its massive Willow Run plant in Michigan. To denote their origin, these Ford-built Liberators were given the designation B-24E. Though Ford built the major components, final assembly for many of the B-24Es was completed at Consolidated’s Fort Worth and Douglas’s Tulsa facilities. The first Ford-built B-24E rolled off the line on May 15, 1942, only 160 days after the United States entered World War II. A total of 801 B-24Es were built: 490 at Willow Run, 167 in Tulsa, and 144 at Fort Worth.
Visually, the B-24E was nearly identical to late-production B-24Ds and typically featured the three-gun nose configuration. However, it lacked a powered ball turret, instead using a single .50-caliber machine gun mounted in a tunnel position beneath the fuselage. Another distinctive feature was its use of different propeller types, beginning with narrow “needle” blades and later switching to wider “paddle” blade propellers as production evolved. The engines were upgraded to Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65s, providing better high-altitude performance than the earlier -43 models used on B-24Ds.
Production of the B-24E was initially slowed by Ford’s challenge in adapting automotive assembly line techniques to large aircraft manufacturing. By the time production stabilized, the B-24E was already seen as obsolete for front-line combat, especially as newer variants like the B-24G and B-24H were being introduced. As a result, most B-24Es remained stateside, primarily assigned to replacement training units. A number of them, about 160, were later converted into gunnery trainers for future B-29 Superfortress crews, receiving General Electric remote fire control systems for training purposes.
Despite its limited combat use, the B-24E played a role in expanding US bomber production. Ford’s contributions were critical to the massive scale of Allied heavy bomber operations later in the war, with Ford going on to produce significant numbers of the B-24H, J, L, and M variants.
Specifications
Consolidated B-24E Liberator
Total Produced: 801
General Characteristics
Crew: 10
Dimensions:
Length: 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Height: 18 ft (5.49 m)
Wingspan: 110 ft (33.53 m)
Wing Area: 1,048 sq ft (97.36 sq m)
Propeller:
Type: 4 x 3-bladed Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic
Diameter: 11 ft 7 in (3.53 m)
Powerplant:
Type: 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp
Configuration: Turbo-supercharged radials
Power Output:
Takeoff/Altitude: 1,200 hp (895 kW) each (4,800 hp / 3,580 kW total)
Fuel/Oil:
Fuel Capacity: 2,364 - 3,164 US gal (self-sealing)
Oil Capacity: 131.6 US gal (498 L)
Weight:
Empty: 32,300 lb (14,651 kg)
Gross: 41,000 lb (18,597 kg)
Max Takeoff: 53,700 lb (24,358 kg)
Flight Performance
Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.12 hp/lb (0.19 kW/kg)
Max Speed:
Cruising: 233 mph (375 km/h)
Max @ Altitude: 313 mph (504 km/h) @ 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
Landing: 93 mph (150 km/h)
Wing Loading: 39.1 lb/sq ft (191 kg/sq m)
Time to Altitude: 6.1 min to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
Service Ceiling: 34,000 ft (10,363 m)
Armament
Defensive Guns:
Dorsal Turret: 2 x 0.50-in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning (400 rpg)
Tail Turret: 2 x 0.50-in (400 rpg)
Waist Positions: 1 x per side (250 rpg)
Nose: 3 x 0.50-in (100 rpg)
Ventral Tunnel: 1 x 0.50-in (100 rds)
Bombs:
4 x 2,000-lb
8 x 1,600-lb
8 x 1,000-lb
12 x 500-lb
12 x 250-lb
20 x 100-lb
Related Suggestions
Liberator Family:
Sources
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃