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Subject: Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_PB4Y-2_Privateer
The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is a World War II and Korean War era patrol
bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
The Navy had been using unmodified B-24s as the PB4Y-1 Liberator, and the type
was considered very successful. A fully navalized design was desired, and
Consolidated developed a dedicated long-range patrol bomber in 1943, designated
PB4Y-2 Privateer. In 1951, the series was redesignated P4Y-2 Privateer. A
further change occurred in October 1962 when remaining Navy Privateers (all
having previously been converted to drone configuration as P4Y-2K) were
redesignated QP-4B.
The Privateer was externally similar to the Liberator, but the fuselage was
longer to accommodate a flight engineer's station, and had a tall single
vertical stabilizer rather than the B-24's twin tail configuration. The
defensive armament was also increased to 12 .50-in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine
guns in six turrets (two dorsal, two waist, nose and tail), with the B-24's
ventral, retractable Sperry ball turret being omitted. Turbosuperchargers were
not fitted to the engines since maritime patrol missions were not usually flown
at high altitude.
The Ford Motor Company (which produced B-24s for the United States Army Air
Forces) had earlier built an experimental variant (B-24K) using the single tail
of a Douglas B-23 Dragon. Aircraft handling was improved, and the Air Corps'
proposed B-24N production model was to be built by Ford, but the order was
canceled on 31 May 1945 and the B-24N never entered production. The Navy's
desire for substantial redesigns, however, had sustained interest in the new
tail assembly.
The Navy eventually took delivery of 739 Privateers, the majority after the end
of the war, although several squadrons saw service in the Pacific theater in the
reconnaissance, search and rescue, electronic countermeasures, communication
relay, and anti-shipping roles (the latter with the "Bat" radar-guided bomb.)
Role
Maritime patrol bomber
Manufacturer
Consolidated Aircraft
Introduction
1943
Retired
1954, U.S. Navy
1958, U.S. Coast Guard
Primary users
United States Navy
United States Coast Guard
Produced
Number built
739
Developed from
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
The Privateer entered Navy service during late 1944, Patrol Bomber Squadrons 118
and 119 (VPB-118 and VPB-119) being the first Fleet squadrons to equip with the
aircraft. The first overseas deployment began on 6 January 1945, when VPB-118
left for operations in the Marianas. On 2 March 1945 VPB-119 began "offensive
search" missions out of Clark Field, Luzon in the Philippines, flying sectored
searches of the seas and coastlines extending from the Gulf of Tonkin in the
south, along the Chinese coast, and beyond Okinawa in the north.
The Privateer was used as a typhoon/hurricane hunter from 1945 to the mid-1950s.
One aircraft, designated BuNo 59415 of VPB-119, went down when it experienced
mechanical trouble while investigating a Category 1 typhoon near Batan Island in
the Philippines. It attempted to land on the island, but was unable to do so and
crashed. It was one of only six hurricane hunter flights that were ever lost,
and the only one found.
All Navy PB4Y-2s were retired by 1954, though unarmed PB4Y-2G Privateers served
until 1958 with the Coast Guard before being auctioned off for salvage.
Specifications (PB4Y-2)
General 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)
Empty weight: 27,485 lb (12,467 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
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)
Armament
Bombs: Up to 12,800 lb (5,800 kg) of bombs, mines, or torpedoes
*
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