Boeing B-24D Liberator Ploesti Raid Mahogany Model

$ 219.95

Introducing the ready-to-ship Boeing B-24D mahogany model. This 1/62 scale model was handmade with precision and accuracy to produce the finest model that will be the centerpiece of your collection for years to come. This model is a perfect gift for pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike. Not too big or too small, this model features a wingspan of 21.3 inches and a length of 12.8 inches. This model features a very accurate paint scheme with realistic panel lines. This collectible B-24 Liberator represents one of the unsung heroes of World War II.

About this Model:

Your model will be delivered exactly as shown in the photographs with the exact same paint scheme.  The stand shown in this photograph may vary or change with the model you receive. If you would like to change this model in any other way, please visit the Custom Model section of our website to commission a customized model to be built.  

History of the Boeing B-24 Liberator:

Along with its more famous counterpart, the B-17 Flying Fortress, the Liberator was a four-engine heavy bomber that operated worldwide during World War II. This model B-24 shows one of the B-24s assigned to the 15th Air Force as flown on the deadly 1943 raid on Ploesti. Painstakingly built from Philippine mahogany by our skilled craftsmen with a wealth of detail, this 1/62-scale model B-24 makes a great gift for any aviation enthusiast or history buff. The Aug. 1 raid on Ploesti was one of the deadliest in history for the Army Air Forces. Five bomb groups would launch 178 Liberators in the attack from fields around Benghazi. Because an earlier attack has seen little resistance, planners decided to attack in daylight, at low level. One plane was lost on the way to the targets, while others aborted. The remaining Liberators ran into a withering barrage of anti-aircraft fire at the target. The raid resulted in the loss of 59 aircraft and the deaths of 310 airmen, with 108 captured and held as POWs and 78 more interned in Turkey. Five Medals of Honor were awarded for actions during the raid, the most for any single air action. The B-24 Liberator didn’t grab the public attention the way its stablemate, the B-17 Flying Fortress did. The Liberator was a more modern design than the B-17, with greater speed, range and bomb load. However, it was tough to fly, requiring a heavy hand on the controls and was difficult to fly in formation. Its “Davis” wing, with its high aspect ratio, was very efficient, but the Liberator could not take as much damage as a B-17 and keep flying. Despite its drawbacks, the B-24 Liberator was produced in great numbers than any other American military aircraft, before or since, with more than 18,400 built by September 1945. About 12,000 Liberators were used by the Army Air Forces, with about 1,800 used by the U.S. Navy as the PB4Y-1 and PB4Y-2 Privateers for its ability to conduct very long range maritime patrols. The B-24 was 67 feet, 8 inches long, with a wingspan of 110 feet. With a maximum takeoff weight of 65,000 pounds, the Liberator could carry up to 8,000 pounds of bombs on short flights. The crew of seven to 10 men could defend the bomber with 10 machine guns – four pair in powered turrets and two waist gun positions. The B-24 first flew on Dec. 29, 1939 after the Army Air Corps had ordered a design as an improvement on the B-17 Flying Fortress. Over its long production run, improvements included the addition of more powerful engines, the addition of ball turrets and nose turrets, and upgraded systems. The Army Air Forces took delivery of its first B-24s in 1941. The Liberator eventually became the standard heavy bomber in the Pacific, thanks to having a longer range than the B-17. IN Europe, Liberators comprised about a third of the bomber strength of the Eighth Air Force. Operating from Italy, the Ninth and Fifteenth Air Forces also launched Liberators against targets in occupied Europe. The B-24 served as cargo aircraft as the C-87 and as tankers, the C-109.

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