PB4Y Privateer

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PB4Y Privateer was a patrol bomber of the United States Navy derived from the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber.
PB4Y-1 used by the Navy were relatively unmodified B-24 other than the equipment needed for the Navy mission. PB4Y-1s assigned to Atlantic ASW and all Coast Guard PB4Y-1s had the ventral turret replaced by a retractable radome. Also, most naval planes had an Erco ball turret installed in the nose position, replacing the greenhouse-nose and other styles of turret. The last PB4Y-1 (a B-24M) was delivered in January 1945.
PB4Y-2 was a redesigned version of the PB4Y-1, optimized for the Navy low-altitude patrol mission. Privateer was ordered in May 1943, and three PB4Y-1s were allocated for prototype conversion. The modifications for this B-24 version were more extensive and included the lengthening of the fuselage 2,10 m (7 ft) forward of the wing, a new single tail, removal of the engine turbo superchargers, new nacelles and added defensive armament (12 × 12,7 mm M2 Browning machine guns). This armament consisted of a Convair nose and tail turret, two Martin top turrets, and two ERC0 fuselage side turrets. The wing and the landing gear were unchanged. The first converted PB4Y-2 made its first flight on 20 September 1943.
Manufacturer: Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, San Diego, California.
Producion:
PB4Y-1 977 aircrafts
PB4Y-2 739 aircrafts
Specifications:

variant
PB4Y-2 Privateer (Consolidated Vultee model 100), Liberator C Mk IX
crew
11
wingspan (m)
33,53
lenght (m)
22,73
height (m)
8,88
wing area (m2)
97,36
weight (kg)
16970
gross weight (kg)
29030
max take-off weight (kg)
28123
engines
Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 Twin Wasp, radial, twin row 14 cylinders, air cooled, turbosupercharged. 1350 hp for take-off (at 2800 rpm); 1200 hp at 3050 m (at 2600 rpm)
fuel (l)
10750 – 18020
max speed (km/h)
394 at 4191 m
cruising speed (km/h)
254
landing speed (km/h)
154
service ceiling (m)
6462
range (km)
4232
climb to
6096 m / 29 m
bombs (kg)
2722
armament
12 x 12,7 mm
production
739

Bureau Numbers:
PB4Y-1 31936-32335; 38733-38979; 46725-46737; 63915-63959; 62587-65396; 90132-90271; 90462-90483
RY-1: 67797-67799
RY-2: 39013-39017
XPB4Y-2: 32086 and 32095-32096
PB4Y-2: 59350-60009 and 66245-66324
RY-3: 90020-90021 and 90023-90059

Bibliography:

  • John Wegg: General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors, Putnam
  • Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation – Flight Manual PB4Y-2 Airplane
  • Ernest R. McDowell – Consolidated B-24D-M Liberator in USAAF-RAF-RAAF-MLD-IAF-Czech AF & CNAF Service, PB4Y-1/2 Privateer in USN-USMC-Aeronavale & CNAF Service, Osprey Aircam Aviation Series 11
  • Alan C Carey – Consolidated-Vultee PB4Y-2 Privateer: The Operational History of the U.S. Navy’s World War II Patrol/Bomber Aircraft, 2007
  • Nicholas A. Veronico – Convair PB4Y-2/P4Y-2 Privateer, Naval Fighters Number Ninety-Three
  • Frederick A. Johnsen – Bombers in Blue: PB4Y-2 Privateers and PB4Y-1 Liberators, 1979
  • Ray Merriam – World War II Album Volume 7: Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer
  • Robert L. Lawson, Barrett Tillman – U.S. Navy Air Combat 1939-1946
  • Frank F. Smith, Ray Merriam – Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer in Focus with The Story of VPB-106 “The Wolverators”
  • Alan C. Carey – Above an angry sea, United States Navy B-24 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer operations in the Pacific, October 1944-August 1945, 2001
  • Ray Merriam – Consolidated’s Naval Liberator and Privateer: World War 2 Album, 2015
  • Thomas E. Doll – US Navy Aircraft Camouflage & Markings 1940-1945, Squadron/Signal Publications 6087
  • John M. Elliott – The Official Monogram U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide, Vol 2: 1940-1949
  • Robert E. Bradley – Convair Advanced Designs: Secret Projects from San Diego, 1923-1962. 2010