Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Last updated

C-87 Liberator Express
C-87-liberator-express.jpg
General information
Type Military transport aircraft
Manufacturer Consolidated Aircraft
StatusRetired
Primary users United States Army Air Forces
Number built287
History
Introduction date 1942
Developed from Consolidated B-24 Liberator

The Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express was a transport derivative of the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber built during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces. A total of 287 C-87s were delivered by Consolidated Aircraft from its plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

Contents

The plant also developed and delivered a USAAF flight engineer trainer designated the AT-22. Other versions included the AAF C-87A, an executive transport version; and the RY, a United States Navy VIP transport.

The Navy also ordered the RY-3, a Navy-contracted, single-tail version with an extended fuselage built in San Diego; the AAF also ordered the design under the designation C-87C. Those were cancelled and allotted to a Royal Air Force VIP transport designated the Liberator C.IX.

The C-109 Liberator was a fuel-transport converted from existing B-24s. [1]

Design and development

The C-87 was hastily designed in early 1942 to fill the need for a heavy cargo and personnel transport with longer range and better high-altitude performance than the C-47 Skytrain, the most widely available United States Army Air Forces transport aircraft at the time. Production began in 1942.

The first C-87 prototype was 41–11608. The design included various modifications, including the elimination of gun turrets and other armament along with the installation of a strengthened cargo floor, including a floor running through the bomb bay. The glazed nose of the bombardier compartment of the B-24 was replaced by a hinged metal cap to allow loading the nose compartment, which in the bomber version can only be reached through a crawlspace under the cockpit floor. A cargo door was added to the port side of the fuselage, just forward of the tail, and a row of windows was fitted along the sides of the fuselage.

The C-87 could be fitted with removable seats and racks to carry personnel or litters in place of cargo. In its final configuration, the C-87 could carry between 20 and 25 passengers or 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) of cargo. Because of wartime production bottlenecks and shortages, many C-87 aircraft were fitted with turbosuperchargers producing lower boost pressure and thus unable to sustain power at the same altitudes as those fitted to B-24s destined for combat use, and ceiling and climb rate were accordingly reduced.

C-87A VIP transport

In 1942 and 1943, several C-87 aircraft were converted into VIP luxury passenger transports by adding insulation, padded seats, dividers, and other accommodations. The modified aircraft, designated C-87A, could carry 16 passengers. One C-87A, serial 41-24159, was converted in 1943 to a presidential VIP transport, the Guess Where II, intended to carry President Franklin D. Roosevelt on international trips. Had it been accepted, it would have been the first aircraft to be used in presidential service, i.e. the first Air Force One. However, the Secret Service, after a review of the C-87's controversial safety record, flatly refused to approve the Guess Where II for presidential carriage. [2] The Guess Where II was used to transport senior members of the Roosevelt administration and in March 1944, flew Eleanor Roosevelt on a goodwill tour of several Latin American countries. [2]

XC-87B

A damaged B-24D, 42-40355, became what is referred to as the XC-87B with an extended fuselage and low-altitude engine packages. This transport, "Pinocchio" as it was known, was later converted to a single tailfin with Privateer-type engine packages. This should not be confused with the cancelled XC-87B project which proposed an armed transport.

Operational history

C-87 Liberator Express takes off from Fort Worth, Texas on a test flight in October 1942. Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express.jpg
C-87 Liberator Express takes off from Fort Worth, Texas on a test flight in October 1942.

Most C-87s were operated by the U.S. Air Transport Command and flown by formerly civilian crews from U.S. civil transport carriers. The planes were initially used on transoceanic routes too long to be flown by the C-47. After the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942, the C-87 was used for flying war material from India to American and Chinese forces over "The Hump", the treacherous air route that crossed the Himalayas. When the route was established, the C-87 was the only readily available American transport with high-altitude performance good enough to fly this route while carrying a large cargo load.

The C-87 was plagued by numerous problems and suffered from a poor reputation among its crews. Veteran airline pilot and author Ernest K. Gann, in his 1961 memoir Fate is the Hunter , wrote: "They were an evil bastard contraption, nothing like the relatively efficient B-24 except in appearance." Complaints centered around electrical and hydraulic system failures in extreme cold at high altitudes, a disconcertingly frequent loss of all cockpit illumination during takeoffs, and a flight deck heating system that either produced stifling heat or did not function at all. [3]

The C-87 did not climb well when heavily loaded, a dangerous characteristic when flying out of the unimproved, rain-soaked airfields of India and China; many were lost on takeoff with the loss of just a single engine. Gann's book recounts a near-collision with the Taj Mahal after takeoff in a heavily loaded C-87 when full flaps had to be hastily deployed to increase the aircraft's altitude to avoid the edifice. The aircraft's auxiliary long-range fuel tanks were linked by improvised and often leaky fuel lines that crisscrossed the crew compartment, choking flight crews with noxious gasoline fumes and creating an explosion hazard. The C-87 also had a tendency to enter an uncontrollable stall or spin when confronted with even mild icing conditions, a frequent occurrence over the Himalayas. Gann said they "could not carry enough ice to chill a highball". [4]

The aircraft could also become unstable in flight if its center of gravity shifted due to improper cargo loading. This longitudinal instability arose from the aircraft's hasty conversion from bomber to cargo transport. Unlike a normal cargo transport, which was designed from the start with a contiguous cargo compartment with a safety margin for fore-and-aft loading variations, the bomb racks and bomb bays built into the B-24 design were fixed in position, greatly limiting the aircraft's ability to tolerate improper loading. This problem was exacerbated by wartime exigencies and the failure of USAAF Air Transport Command to instruct loadmasters in the C-87's peculiarities. The design's roots as a bomber are also considered culpable for frequently collapsing nosegear; its strength was adequate for an aircraft that dropped its payload in flight before landing on a well-maintained runway, but it proved marginal for an aircraft making repeated hard landings on rugged unimproved airstrips while heavily loaded.

Despite its shortcomings and unpopularity among its crews, the C-87 was valued for the reliability of its Pratt & Whitney engines, superior speed that enabled it to mitigate significantly the effect of head and cross winds, a service ceiling that allowed it to surmount most weather fronts, and range that permitted its crews to fly "pressure-front" patterns that chased favorable winds. [5] The C-87 was never fully displaced on the air routes by the Douglas C-54 Skymaster and Curtiss C-46 Commando, which offered similar performance combined with greater reliability and more benign flight characteristics. Some surviving C-87 aircraft were converted into VIP transports or flight crew trainers, and several others were sold to the Royal Air Force.

Variants

C-87
USAAF transport variant of the B-24D with seats for 25 passengers, 278 built. [6]
C-87A
VIP version for 16 passengers, three for the USAAF and three to the United States Navy as RY-1. [6]
C-87B
Proposed armed variant, not built. [6]
XC-87B

Conversions with stretched forward compartment and LB-30 type low altitude power packages. Later PB4Y-2 type power packages and single tail (see RY-3/C-87C). 42–40355. (Total: 1 conversion)

C-87C
Proposed USAAF variant of the RY-3, designation not used. [6]
RY-1
United States Navy designation for three former USAAF C-87As fitted for 16 passengers. [6]
RY-2
Five former USAAF C-87s fitted for 20 passengers, a further 15 were cancelled. [6]
RY-3
A C-87 with the single tail and seven foot fuselage stretch of the PB4Y-2 Privateer. 39 were built, and were used by the RAF Transport Command No. 231 Squadron, U.S. Marine Corps, and one was used by the RCAF.
AT-22
Five C-87s used for flight engineer training, later designated TB-24D. [6]
Liberator C.VII
Royal Air Force designation for C-87s supplied under Lend Lease [7]
Liberator C.IX
Royal Air Force designation for 26 RY-3s supplied under Lend-Lease. The designation meaning "Cargo (aircraft) Mark 9"

Accidents and incidents

The Aviation Safety Network, part of the Flight Safety Foundation, records 150 hull loss accidents involving the C-87 or the C-109 occurring between 1942 and 1964. [8]

On 30 November 1943, a C-87 with a crew of four plus a passenger ran out of fuel flying from Kunming, China to Jorhat, India, when it was blown off-course by strong wind. All five onboard landed near Tsetang, Tibet, and became some of the first Americans to visit Lhasa. [9]

The worst accident took place 25 July 1944. All 27 on board USAAF C.87 41-11706 were killed when it crashed on Florida Island in the south-west Pacific; [10] the crew were civilian employees of Consairway and the passengers were high-ranking British and American officers, including Royal Air Force Air commodore Isaac John Fitch. [11]

The next year, in July 1945 a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express operated by the Royal Air Force bound for Manus Island failed to gain altitude after taking off from Sydney's now non-existent runway 22, struck trees and crashed into the ground in Brighton-Le-Sands. [12] [13] The aircraft exploded on impact, killing all 12 passengers and crew on board. The victims were from the British, Australian and New Zealand armed forces. [14]

Another notable accident took place on 15 April 1957 when C-87 XA-KUN, operated by TAMSA (Transportes Aéreos Mexicanos SA), crashed after take-off from Mérida-Rejon Airport, killing all on board, including the famous Mexican actor and singer Pedro Infante. [15]

Operators

Flag of Bolivia.svg  Bolivia
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China
Flag of India.svg  India
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States

Specifications (C-87)

3-view line drawing of the Consolidated RY Consolidated RY 3-view line drawing.png
3-view line drawing of the Consolidated RY

Data from [17]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated B-24 Liberator</span> 1939 bomber aircraft family by Consolidated Aircraft

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models designated as various LB-30s, in the Land Bomber design category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas C-47 Skytrain</span> Military transport aircraft derived from DC-3

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troop transport, cargo, paratrooper, for towing gliders and military cargo parachute drops. The C-47 remained in front-line service with various military operators for many years. It was produced in approximately triple the numbers as the larger, much heavier payload Curtiss C-46 Commando, which filled a similar role for the U.S. military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss C-46 Commando</span> U.S. military transport aircraft with 2 piston engines, 1940

The Curtiss C-46 Commando is a low-wing, twin-engine aircraft derived from the Curtiss CW-20 pressurized high-altitude airliner design. Early press reports used the name "Condor III" but the Commando name was in use by early 1942 in company publicity. It was used primarily as a cargo aircraft during World War II, with fold-down seating for military transport and some use in delivering paratroops. Mainly deployed by the United States Army Air Forces, it also served the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps, which called it R5C. The C-46 filled similar roles as its Douglas-built counterpart, the C-47 Skytrain, with some 3,200 C-46s produced to approximately 10,200 C-47s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hump</span> Airlift route in World War II

The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in China. Creating an airlift presented the USAAF a considerable challenge in 1942: it had no units trained or equipped for moving cargo, and there were no airfields in the China Burma India Theater (CBI) for basing the large number of transport aircraft that would be needed. Flying over the Himalayas was extremely dangerous and made more difficult by a lack of reliable charts, an absence of radio navigation aids, and a dearth of information about the weather.

Aphrodite was the World War II code name of a United States Army Air Forces operation to use worn out Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated PB4Y bombers as radio controlled flying bombs against bunkers and other hardened or reinforced enemy facilities. A parallel project by the United States Navy was codenamed Anvil. The missions were not generally successful, and the intended targets in Europe were either overrun by the ground advance of Allied troops or disabled by conventional attacks by aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing C-108 Flying Fortress</span> US World War II transport aircraft

The Boeing C-108 Flying Fortress was an American transport aircraft used during World War II. Four were converted from B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilyushin DB-3</span> 1935 bomber aircraft family

The Ilyushin DB-3, where "DB" stands for Dalniy Bombardirovshchik meaning "long-range bomber", is a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that first flew in 1935. 1,528 were built. The DB-3 was the precursor of the Ilyushin Il-4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beechcraft Model 18</span> American twin-engine, light aircraft produced 1937–1970

The Beechcraft Model 18 is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November 1969, over 9,000 were built, making it one of the world's most widely used light aircraft. Sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis, or floats, it was also used as a military aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Transport Command</span> United States Army Air Forces command responsible for transport and ferrying aircraft

Air Transport Command (ATC) was a United States Air Force unit that was created during World War II as the strategic airlift component of the United States Army Air Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer</span> Patrol bomber of the US Navy, 1943

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer is an American 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 US Navy Privateers were redesignated QP-4B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consolidated Liberator I</span> US aircraft

Consolidated Liberator I was the service name of the first Consolidated B-24 Liberator four-engined bombers to see use with the Royal Air Force (RAF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas XCG-17</span> Prototype for a sailing military aircraft, based on the Douglas DC-3

The Douglas XCG-17 was an American assault glider, developed by the conversion of a C-47 Skytrain twin-engine transport during World War II. Although the XCG-17 was successfully tested, the requirement for such a large glider had passed, and no further examples of the type were built; one additional C-47, however, was converted in the field to glider configuration briefly during 1946 for evaluation, but was quickly reconverted to powered configuration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapai</span> 1943 aviation accident

The 1943 Liberator crash at Whenuapai was an aircraft accident in New Zealand during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase XC-123A</span>

The Chase XC-123A was an experimental transport aircraft developed by Chase Aircraft. The first jet-powered transport built for the United States Air Force, it was intended for use as a high-speed transport for high-priority cargo and personnel. The XC-123A was determined to have insufficient advantages over existing types in service, and did not go into production. The sole prototype was converted into the piston-powered Stroukoff YC-123D to evaluate boundary layer control systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed C-69 Constellation</span> Early military version of the Constellation

The Lockheed C-69 Constellation is a four-engined, propeller-driven military transport aircraft developed during World War II. It was co-developed with the Lockheed Constellation airliner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing C-137 Stratoliner</span> VIP transport aircraft derived from the Boeing 707

The Boeing C-137 Stratoliner is a retired VIP transport aircraft derived from the Boeing 707 jet airliner used by the United States Air Force. Other nations also bought both new and used 707s for military service, primarily as VIP or tanker transports. In addition, the 707 served as the basis for several specialized versions, such as the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. The designation C-18 covers several later variants based on the 707-320B/C series. The C-137 should not be confused with the similar Boeing C-135 Stratolifter; although they share a common ancestor the two aircraft have different fuselages, among other structural differences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas DC-2</span> Two engined airliner

The Douglas DC-2 is a 14-passenger, twin-engined airliner that was produced by the American company Douglas Aircraft Company starting in 1934. It competed with the Boeing 247. In 1935, Douglas produced a larger version called the DC-3, which became one of the most successful aircraft in history.

This is a partial list of notable accidents and incidents involving the Consolidated-designed B-24 Liberator. Combat losses are not included except for some cases denoted by singular circumstances. Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express and PB4Y Privateers are also included.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014706/http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b24_27.html Consolidated C-109
  2. 1 2 Dorr 2002, p. 134.
  3. ↑ Gann, Ernest K. (1961), Fate is the Hunter, Simon & Schuster. ISBN   0-671-63603-0, pp. 214–215
  4. ↑ Gann (1961), p. 214
  5. ↑ Gann (1961), pp. 216–217
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Andrade 1987, pp. 42, 82, 87.
  7. ↑ "American Aircraft in Royal Air Force Service 1939-1945: Consolidated Liberator".
  8. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "Aviation Safety Network > ASN Aviation Safety Database > Aircraft type index > Consolidated C-87 > Consolidated C-87 Statistics". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Downed Plane, and the Will to Survive." (PDF). Air Power History. Summer 2006. p. 55.
  10. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express 41-11706 Gaeta Village, Florida Island". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  11. ↑ PacificWrecks.com. "Pacific Wrecks – C-87-CF Liberator Express Serial Number 41-11706". pacificwrecks.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  12. ↑ Pearcy, Arthur (1996). Lend lease aircraft in World War II (1. publ. ed.). United States: Motorbooks International Publishers & Wholesalers. p. 105. ISBN   9780760302590.
  13. ↑ Livingstone, Bob (1998). Under the Southern Cross: the B-24 Liberator in the South Pacific (Limited ed.). Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company. p. 122. ISBN   9781563114328.
  14. ↑ "Crash of a C-87 Liberator Express 1 mile west of Mascot Airfield on 19 July 1945". Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  15. ↑ Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express XA-KUN Mérida-Rejon Airport (MID)". aviation-safety.net. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  16. ↑ "Liberator." Archived 2009-12-12 at the Wayback Machine bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved: 9 December 2010.
  17. ↑ Baugher, Joe (13 June 2004). "Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express". joebaugher.com. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.