Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consol...4Y-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 B-24s with only minor modifications as the PB4Y-1
Liberator, and along with maritime patrol Liberators used by RAF Coastal Command
this type of patrol plane was proven 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 type was redesignated P4Y-2
Privateer. A further designation change occurred in September 1962, when the
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 it had a tall single
vertical stabilizer rather than the B-24's twin tail configuration. The Navy
wanted a flight engineer crewmember to reduce pilot fatigue on long duration
over water patrols. The single vertical tail was adopted from the USAAF's
canceled B-24N design (and was slightly taller on the Privateer) because it
would increase stability at low to medium altitudes for maritime patrol. The
Ford Motor Company, which produced B-24s for the United States Army Air Forces,
had earlier built an experimental variant (B-24K) using a single tail. Aircraft
handling was improved. The single tail design was used on the B-32 Dominator and
PB4Y-2 and was slated for the Air Corps' proposed B-24N production model to be
built by Ford, but that order (for several thousand bombers) was canceled on 31
May 1945.

Defensive armament on the PB4Y-2 was increased to twelve .50-in (12.7 mm) M2
Browning machine guns in six power operated turrets (two dorsal, two waist, nose
and tail); the B-24's ventral, retractable Sperry ball turret was omitted.
Turbosuperchargers were not fitted to the Privateer's engines since maritime
patrol missions were not usually flown at high altitude, improving performance
and also saving weight.

The navigator's astrodome was moved from its (B-24/PB4Y-1) position on the
aircraft's upper nose to behind the first dorsal gun turret. Electronic
countermeasure (ECM), communication and radar antennas also protruded or were
enclosed in fairings at various locations on the fuselage of the Privateer,
including a manually retractable AN/APS-2 radome behind the nose wheel well.

The Navy eventually took delivery of 739 Privateers, the majority after the end
of the war. Several PB4Y-2 squadrons saw operational service in the Pacific
theater through August 1945 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
1943–1945

Number built
739

Developed from
Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The Privateer entered U.S. 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.

Privateers were used as typhoon/hurricane hunters 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.

PB4Y-2s were also used during the Korean War to fly "Firefly" night illumination
missions dropping parachute flares to detect North Korean and Chinese seaborne
infiltrators. In addition, Privateers were used by the U.S. Navy for signals
intelligence (SIGINT) flights off of the coast of the Soviet Union and the
People's Republic of China. On 8 April 1950, Soviet La-11 fighters shot down a
U.S. Navy PB4Y-2 Privateer (BuNo 59645) over the Baltic Sea, off the coast of
Liepaja, Latvia. Named the Turbulent Turtle, the aircraft was assigned to Patrol
Squadron 26 (VP-26), Det A.

The French Aéronavale was supplied with Privateers via the Mutual Defense
Assistance Act, which they used as bombers during the Indochina War and later
operated out of Bizerte, Tunisia and Algiers.

All U.S. 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)
Wing area: 1,048 ft² (97.4 m²)
Empty weight: 27,485 lb (12,467 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 65,000 lb (29,500 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 radial engines, 1,350 hp (1,007 kW)
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)
Wing loading: 62 lb/ft² (300 kg/m²)

Armament

Guns: 12 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in six turrets
Bombs: Up to 12,800 lb (5,800 kg) of bombs, mines, or torpedoes




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