B-24D LIBERATOR (OLIVE) MODEL

The B-24 Liberator was the prototype model produced by Consolidated Aircraft Corp. It was the rival of the B-17 Flying Fortress but it had greater speed and range than the latter. In history, The B-24 Liberator was built in greater quantity than any other US bombers during World War II; thus there were over 18,000 of it.

Its very first flight was on December 26, 1939. Of the 164 battles it was engaged in, 53 lost their route, 23 were forced down and only 88 returned safely to base. The B-24 Liberator has a feature that makes it suitable for long water missions.

On August 1, 1943, the Liberator was involved in the initial raid on the Ploesti oil refinery in Southern Rumania. That raid is said to be the most dramatic of all its European battles as it was heavily defended by anti aircraft guns, the squadrons of German Luffwafe and the Royal Rumanian Air Force fighters.