Consolidated XB-41 Liberator

XB-41 Liberator
Role	Escort bomber
Manufacturer	Consolidated Aircraft
Introduction	1942
Retired	1943
Primary user	United States Army Air Force
Number built	1
Developed from	Consolidated B-24 Liberator

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 during World War II.

Design and development

The XB-41 Liberator was outfitted with 14 .50 caliber defensive machine guns. These included twin dorsal turrets, a remotely-operated Bendix "chin" turret (of the same type as the YB-40 used) under the extreme nose, the usual twin-Browning M2 .50-cal armed, manned tail turret and twin-.50 cal armed, fully retractable Sperry ventral ball turret, plus a twinned-mount pair of Browning .50 cal M2s at each waist window.^[1]

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.

Operational history

The XB-41 received limited testing but stability problems, coupled with the unsatisfactory performance of similarly-converted YB-40 gunships derived from the Boeing 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)
• 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)

Armament

• Guns: 14× .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M2 machine guns

See also

Related development

• Boeing YB-40 Flying Fortress
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator
  

Related lists

• List of bomber aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States
  

References

Notes

1. ^ Baugher, Joe. "Consolidated XB-41." American Military Aircraft, 10 August 1999. Retrieved: 29 July 2011.

Bibliography

• Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leicester: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9.
• Birdsall, Steve. Log Of The Liberators. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1973. ISBN 0-385-03870-4.