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XB-41 Liberator
| XB-41 Liberator | |
|---|---|
| Type | Escort bomber |
| Manufacturer | Consolidated Aircraft |
| Introduced | 1942 |
| Status | Cancelled in 1943 |
The Consolidated XB-41 Liberator was a single Consolidated B-24D Liberator bomber, serial 41-11822, which was modified for the long-range escort role for U.S. Eighth Air Force bombing missions over Europe. Outfitted with fourteen .50 caliber weapons, paired in two upper turrets, nose, tail and ventral turrets plus a pair at each waist window, the XB-41 carried 11,000 rounds of ammunition, stored in the bomb bay. It was powered by four 1,250 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 Twin Wasp radial engines. It received limited testing but stability problems, coupled with the unsatisfactory performance of similarly-converted YB-40 gunships derived from the B-17 Flying Fortress in actual operations, led to no further conversions of the Liberator as gunships. The XB-41 was never flown operationally.
Specifications (XB-41)
General characteristics
- Crew: nine
- Length: 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
- Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.54 m)
- Height: 17 ft 11 in (5.46 m)
- Wing area: ft² (m²)
- Empty weight: lb (kg)
- Loaded weight: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 63,000 lb (28,576 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-43 radial engines, 1,250 hp (934 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 289 mph (465 km/h)
- Range: 3,100 mi (4,989 km)
- Service ceiling: 28,500 ft (8,689 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
- Power/mass: hp/lb (kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 14× .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine guns
References and external links
- Andrade, John M. (1979). U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leicester: Midland Counties Publications. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
- Birdsall, Steve (1973). Log Of The Liberators. Garden City: Doubleday and Company. ISBN 0-385-03870-4.
Related content
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