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How The B-24 Was Born

C

casey jones

Charter Member
I was so impressed by the video of "MY Most Dangerous Mission" I would just like to add this small story of how the B-24 was born...I am sure there are many of you who know more then I will ever know about the B-24. In January 1939 the Air Corps expecting war in Europe to beak out asked the Consolidated Company to build B-17s, Ruben Fleet said "we can build you a much better bomber then the B-17"! Mr Fleet the president of the company had a meeting in his office with several of the company designers including Mr Davis an designer working on a new wing. They sat around and useing Mr Fleet's desk they took out sheets of paper and began drawing a basic outline, it was very basic...a box fuselage very deep with Mr Davis's high wing and four engines, the tail was from a flying boat design as Consolidated built flying boats for the Navy. A wooden mockup was thrown together, the U.S. Air Corps Material Division at Wright Field sent a 1st Lt to look the mock up over and if he was satisfied with the design he was to sign off on it. The officer liked what he saw. On Dec 31 1939 with William Wheatley at the controls of the XB-24, and a Consolidated test engineer lying flat in the green house nose the bomber moved slowly away from the Consolidated Hangar at San Diago and took off. (I have a 11X14 photograph of the XB-24 its engines turning over by the Consolidated hangar).

Cheers

Casey
 
Hi,

And how the B-24 die .. :) (AFAIK)
After the war the B-24 was considered to be used as a cargo plane ... but was not a succes
This plane ( mainly cause the gravity center and longitudinal instability) was very dangerous on landing when loaded.
 
casey jones said:
In January 1939 the Air Corps... asked the Consolidated Company to build... A wooden mockup was thrown together, the U.S. Air Corps Material Division at Wright Field sent a 1st Lt to look the mock up over and if he was satisfied with the design he was to sign off on it....On Dec 31 1939...the XB-24... took off.

Casey
Click to expand...
[Emphasis by H52]

Can you even begin to imagine that happening in today's wimp-assed, leaderless environment?
Hell, the war would be over before the first impact statement came back from the printer! :angryfir:

- H52
 
hawkeye52 said:
[Emphasis by H52]

Can you even begin to imagine that happening in today's wimp-assed, leaderless environment?
Hell, the war would be over before the first impact statement came back from the printer! :angryfir:

- H52
Click to expand...

Not to mention changes in mission, delays and the obligatory cost overruns.
 
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