Article 5665 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: Bomber Series--Consolidated B-24 Liberator (17 of ??)
Message-ID: <Cz0ztB.5pL@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary:  B-24G from North American
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Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 00:24:47 GMT
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Under the terms of the Liberator Production Pool agreement, B-24G was 
the designation given to the version of the Liberator that was built 
by North American/Dallas as prime contractor.  

Initially, the B-24G was powered by R-1830-43 engines.  The first 
B-24G rolled off the production line at Dallas in March of 1943.  The 
first 25 machines were designated B-24G-NT.  They were quite similar 
to the Consolidated-built B-24D, but had no ventral armament.  

In the meantime, the Ford-originated B-24H had introduced on the 
production line at Willow Run, with components being delivered to 
Consolidated/Fort Worth and Douglas/Tulsa for final assembly.  Based 
on information provided by Ford, the nose turret was also introduced 
on the North American/Dallas production line.  However, this did not 
lead to a new series letter being introduced.  Instead, a new 
production block (B-24G-1-NT) was started to designate the 
nose-turret-equipped North American-built Liberator.  In addition, 
several other changes introduced by Ford on the B-24H were 
incorporated into the B-24G-1-DT.  

The first B-24G-1-NT was delivered to the USAAF on November 3, 1943.  
With the nose turret installed, the B-24G was externally identical to 
the B-24H, and the two types could generally be distinguished only by 
examining their serial numbers.  However, the B-24G-1-NT was initially 
somewhat heavier than the Ford-built B-24H and subsequently had a 
poorer performance, but this was soon corrected.  Most B-24Gs were 
assigned to the Mediterranean Theatre with the 15th Air Force.  

A ball ventral turret was introduced on the B-24G-10-NT production 
block.  Also, R-1830-65 engines were introduced with this variant.  
The new engines increased the offensive load to 12,800 pounds of 
bombs.  

A total of 430 B-24Gs were built.  The last B-24G was delivered in 
June of 1944.  After that, North American/Dallas switched over to the 
B-24J version, which was by that time the Liberator version being 
built by all the members of the production pool.  

B-24G serial numbers:

42-78045/78069		North American B-24G-NT Liberator
42-78070/78074		North American B-24G-1-NT Liberator
42-78075/78145		North American B-24G-5-NT Liberator
42-78155/78314		North American B-24G-10-NT Liberator
42-78315/78352		North American B-24G-15-NT Liberator
42-78353/78474		North American B-24G-16-NT Liberator

Sources:

    Famous Bombers of the Second World War, William Green, 
    Doubleday, 1959.

    Liberator: America's Global Bomber, Alwyn T. Lloyd,
    Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc, 1993.

    B-24 Liberator in Action, Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications
    Inc, 1987.

    General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecesssors, John Wegg,
    Naval Institute Press, 1990.

    Consolidated B-24D-M Liberator IN USAAF-RAF-RAAF-MLD-IAF-CzechAF
    and CNAF Service, Ernest R. McDowell, Arco, 1970. 

    United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
    and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

    American Combat Planes, 3rd Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner,
    Doubleday, 1982.

    Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century,  Michael
    J.H. Taylor, Mallard Press.


Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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