The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category.

B-24, long-range heavy bomber used during World War II by the U.S. and British air forces. It was designed by the Consolidated Aircraft Company (later Consolidated-Vultee) in response to a January 1939 U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) requirement for a four-engined heavy bomber.

Conceived in 1938 by Consolidated Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin legacy company, the original B-24 prototype was designed to fly faster and carry a larger payload than the US Army Air Corps’s B-17 Flying Fortress.

Aug 31, 2021 · The B-24 Liberator was one of the US’ primary heavy bombers of WWII. It fought alongside the legendary B-17 but has since been overshadowed by the sleeker and more popular Flying Fortress. Despite this, the B-24 was able to carry a heavier bomb load than its Boeing counterpart, and also had a higher top speed and cruise speed.

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American four-engine heavy bomber used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and other allied air forces during World War II. Of the 19,256 B-24, PB4Y-1, LB-30 and other model variants in the Liberator family produced, thirteen complete examples survive today, two of which are airworthy.

On 29 December 2019, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, one of the most famous bombers of World War II, turned 80 years old. More than 18,400 of this type were built, making it the most produced American wartime aircraft. It gained a distinguished war record with operations in the European, Pacific, African and Middle Eastern theaters.

It is the same type airplane as the "Lady Be Good" -- the world-famous B-24D that disappeared on a mission from North Africa in April 1943 and was found in the Libyan Desert in May 1959.

The B-24 Liberator was a powerful symbol of US industrial might, with more than 18,000 produced by the war’s end. Liberators flew faster, higher and farther than the older B-17, thanks to greater fuel capacity and an innovative low-drag wing design.

The twin-tailed B-24H — with a wingspan of 110 feet, overall length of 67 feet and a height of 18 feet — was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 engines, each rated at 1,200 horsepower. The aircraft weighed in empty at just over 36,000 pounds.

Operating by the British and Canadians on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean, B-24 bombers made significant contributions in the Battle of the Atlantic. Nicknamed "VLR" for "Very Long Range", these converted Liberator bombers were involved with 72 U-boat sinkings.