Some good news! The B-24...

[OD/NG]

My second favourite 'bomber' aircraft after the Lancaster so this is excellent news and particularly like the second picture

Are there any other B-24's airworthy or in the process of becoming airworthy?

Only other possible one would be Kermit Weeks's B-24J

And the Australian group. They have made significant progress on their Liberator.

Unless they changed their plans, the Australian one is not being restored to airworthy condition. It is only being restored to "taxiable" condition. My understanding is that it has an "unairworthy" wing spar and the cost to repair or remanufacture it is cost-prohibitive.

BTW, there was the old LB-30 project that sat outside in Colorado for years that was supposed to be restored to airworthy condition. Last I heard it was for sale, and I don't know what the current status is, but I assume it is not being worked on. That aircraft needed a deep pocketed restoration fund and I'm assuming the economic realities of sinking in 5 to 10 Million dollars into an aircraft that would not be worth that much probably had something to do with the lack of motivation for completion - just my opinion. Anyone have an update on that one?

[Warbird Kid]

I've often hoped that Collings would acquire another Liberator since they seem to be invested in rotating their Wings of Freedom tour aircraft for maintenance. (i.e. P-51C, B-17G, etc.) One would assume that if they are adamant in overhauling Nine O Nine and replacing her with the ex-Evergreen B-17, then the B-24 probably needs the same treatment. I hope one day somebody with deep pockets and a fondness for the B-24 tools up production for a short run / restoration of B-24s.

Especially this one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atka_B-24D_Liberator
In my opinion, it does no one any good to have a derelict crashed B-24 hulk resting on an inhospitable island at the end of Alaska chain vs being restored to fly and tour across the country.

[phil65]

Need to get Joe back in the air..




Phil

Last edited by phil65 on Sat Oct 27, 2018 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[OD/NG]

I've often hoped that Collings would acquire another Liberator since they seem to be invested in rotating their Wings of Freedom tour aircraft for maintenance. (i.e. P-51C, B-17G, etc.) One would assume that if they are adamant in overhauling Nine O Nine and replacing her with the ex-Evergreen B-17, then the B-24 probably needs the same treatment.

I don't think it's necessarily that Collings is interested in rotating all their aircraft for maintenance as it is that when an aircraft such as the B-17 is down for maintenance for a long period of time, 6 mos to 1 year, etc., the "cash cow" quits producing money. The Collings foundation has found the successful formula for a money machine and it involves the tour aircraft. They generate a SIGNIFICANT amount of money, i.e. - millions each year, that funds the entire Collings operation. When you take an aircraft such as a B-17 out of commission for a year, they will lose a significant portion of their annual income. From my acquaintenences that I know who work for Collings, I've heard profit numbers that are staggering and put the CAF to shame. You take an important revenue generator such as a B-17 out of the tour, it has a huge impact on the bottom line. The heavy bombers have been on the foundation tour for decades and their restorations are decades old. They run them hard and eventually the aircraft will need to be "re-restored". That was the case with the TP-51C Betty Jane. Even though she was a relatively "new" restoration, she is/was the highest time Mustang in the world, according to many. So, "909" would have eventually needed to be taken off the tour, but now that they have the other B-17, they can do it without losing significant portions of their tour income.

BTW, the Evergreen B-17 was part of a package deal. I don't think it was necessarily that Collings was looking for an additional tour aircraft as it was that the package deal allowed Collings to obtain some very important aircraft for their collection at greatly reduced prices. The Collings foundation is very, very smart. When they see an excellent opportunity to acquire warbirds for a fraction of what they are worth, they seize on the opportunity. I think that's what happened with Evergreen. The court ordered them to liquidate and Collings was able to get a smoking deal on a major portion of their collection.

I hope one day somebody with deep pockets and a fondness for the B-24 tools up production for a short run / restoration of B-24s.

Unfortunately, that will never happen. That would require someone to come in with tens and multiple tens of millions of dollars. The final product would not be worth that much considering they would essentially be replicas, plus the B-24 is just not popular with collectors and gets no respect. If somebody had about 100-200 million to waste on a production line, I would rather they build a flyable B-36. Now, that would be cool!

Especially this one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atka_B-24D_LiberatorIn my opinion, it does no one any good to have a derelict crashed B-24 hulk resting on an inhospitable island at the end of Alaska chain vs being restored to fly and tour across the country.

I agree, but since it is part of the National Park system, it is unlikely to ever fly, much less be recovered and displayed out of the elements.

[Steve Nelson]

I believe the Assie Liberator is being restored strictly to ground-running condition. It's a composite of several airframes, and was never intended to fly.

SN

[Invader26]

The B-24M in Australia is the fuselage of a former RAAF aircraft and is now fitted with a wing recovered from New Guinea as the original wings had been cut off and scrapped.

It's full or original equipment and is first class..

[cooper9411]

Especially this one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atka_B-24D_Liberator
In my opinion, it does no one any good to have a derelict crashed B-24 hulk resting on an inhospitable island at the end of Alaska chain vs being restored to fly and tour across the country

This one could have been recovered about 10 years ago and well on its way to being restored, but some people threw a wrench into the works which caused the plane to still sit!

[tulsaboy]

Outside of Kermit Weeks' example, I think the only possibility for return to flight would be for someone with something that the NMUSAF really wanted/needed for their collection to trade that aircraft for the B-24J that is at Barksdale. Then the Barksdale B-24 could be restored (again with 10's of millions). Outside possibility is for a group to put together a nice static example out of some significant chunks of combat vet airframes (think PNG/Alaska wrecks), as the Aussies are doing, and then to trade that to the NMUSAF or the Canadians or the Brits for one of the ex IAF B-24s that are in pretty good shape. Either way, it will take horse trading and cubic volumes of cash. All to obtain an airplane that has lots less pop culture appeal than the B-17 and that is lots harder to support/maintain compared to the B-17. I would love to see it happen. Desperately. And if I win the lotto, that's where some of those 10's of millions will go. But until then, I think it is simply a nice thought. I think Kermit's will eventually fly but probably not while Kermit is alive.
kevin

[rcaf_100]

Outside of Kermit Weeks' example, I think the only possibility for return to flight would be for someone with something that the NMUSAF really wanted/needed for their collection to trade that aircraft for the B-24J that is at Barksdale. Then the Barksdale B-24 could be restored (again with 10's of millions). Outside possibility is for a group to put together a nice static example out of some significant chunks of combat vet airframes (think PNG/Alaska wrecks), as the Aussies are doing, and then to trade that to the NMUSAF or the Canadians or the Brits for one of the ex IAF B-24s that are in pretty good shape. Either way, it will take horse trading and cubic volumes of cash. All to obtain an airplane that has lots less pop culture appeal than the B-17 and that is lots harder to support/maintain compared to the B-17. I would love to see it happen. Desperately. And if I win the lotto, that's where some of those 10's of millions will go. But until then, I think it is simply a nice thought. I think Kermit's will eventually fly but probably not while Kermit is alive.
kevin

I've been trying to persuade the Yankee guys to try and obtain the B-24L at Rockcliffe by restoring the combat-vet RCAF Liberator GR.V (586 'A' - she's been languishing in Labrador since her forced landing in 1944) to static display and trade for their potentially airworthy example with no Canadian connection. (Yankee's DHC-4 Caribou is the oldest surviving example (C/N 2) -with no USAF service either- and may be a pretty good bargaining chip too)

One can dream, eh?

[Warbird Kid]

I've been trying to persuade the Yankee guys to try and obtain the B-24L at Rockcliffe by restoring the combat-vet RCAF Liberator GR.V (586 'A' - she's been languishing in Labrador since her forced landing in 1944) to static display and trade for their potentially airworthy example with no Canadian connection. (Yankee's DHC-4 Caribou is the oldest surviving example (C/N 2) -with no USAF service either- and may be a pretty good bargaining chip too)

One can dream, eh?

I've thought of this exact same scenario as well. Or YAM acquires the disassembled Fort Collins LB-30 that's already been discussed. Makes too much sense to not do it. Any pictures of the wreck of GR.V (586 'A' in Labrador?