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Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

A Comprehensive History of PB4Y-2 Buccaneers

The naval patrol bombers of World War II (1939-1945) were of particular value to the Japanese and Americans in the vast Pacific theater. As a result, both sides are investing heavily in modifications and specialized models that will turn the tide of battle in their favor.

In the end, the Americans won a healthy inventory of such aircraft, including the contribution of the oft-forgotten PB4Y-2 "Private" series.

The PB4Y-2 was developed by Consolidated Aircraft as a dedicated overwater maritime patrol platform to meet United States Navy (USN) requirements. The existing Joint B-24 Liberator heavy bomber (detailed elsewhere on this page) was used as the basis for the new aircraft, with several modifications to suit the rigors of waterflight and combat. The Privateer series was launched in the heat of battle in 1943, with a total of 739 produced by 1945. The aircraft remained in service with the Americans throughout the 1950s and eventually fought in the bloody Korean War (1950-1953).

And the Cold War that followed (1947-1991), before being completely decommissioned in the 1960s, was largely in the hands of foreign operators.

Development

Until 1943, the U.S. Navy simply used standard B-24 Liberator bombers for critical naval patrols, designated "PB4Y-1 Liberators". However, due to the increased need for surface patrolling of the Imperial Japanese naval forces, it was decided that an economically oriented dedicated platform was needed. The US Navy's familiarity with the Liberator series makes the heavy, land-based four-engine bomber an excellent candidate, as it can carry a large number of bombs and stay away from bases - characteristics perfect for use over the vast US Pacific theater.

Due to their size, the bombers are entirely composed of The U.S. Navy operates from land bases.

Tour

The basic appearance of the Liberator bomber was largely retained during the redesign - except for the simplification of the twin rudder tail assemblies into a single rudder unit (this was originally tested by the Air Force with the obsolete "B-24N" designation used by the U.S. Army) . The fuselage was lengthened to accommodate the workstations of the flight engineer station, but the aircraft continued to use high-wing main aircraft, each with a pair of engine nacelles driving three-blade propeller units. The B-24's standard tricycle landing gear was also retained for ground operations.

The nose section is distinctly stepped (like the B-24) and is guided by the forward-most power ball turret. In the cockpit, two pilots sit side by side behind and above a powered dorsal tower. Another engine-assisted turret was placed further aft along the aircraft's dorsal spine, and additional turrets were added to the rear of the fuselage as protruding airbags. The stern carried additional defensive armament in the form of another powered gun bay.

Unlike the B-24 series, the Privateer did not retain the B-24's retractable belly "belly" turret.

A total of 12 x .50 newly designed Browning M2 Heavy Machine Guns (HMG) and a total of six electric turret turrets provide the heavy bomber with excellent all-round protection from enemy interceptors. The bomber's belly can carry up to 12,800 pounds of conventionally dropped bombs, mines, depth charges and torpedoes.

Additionally, a full suite of Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) was installed, resulting in various antenna and sensor bubbles/protrusions being seen on the hull. Additional communications equipment was carried internally and a retractable radome was mounted behind the front wheels - deployed when needed.

The crew consisted of 11 men who were responsible for various duties on their large aircraft. Dimensions include a length of 74.6 feet, a wingspan of 110 feet, and a height of 30 feet. Curb weight is 27,500 lbs and MTOW is 65,000 lbs.

Power comes from 4 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 air-cooled radial piston engines, each producing 1,350 hp. Top speed is 300 mph and cruising is near 175 mph. Range is 2,820 miles and service is capped at 21,000 feet.

The absence of turbochargers on each engine means the aircraft is relegated to low-level operation - which is negligible since mission roles often require it and the lack of propulsion equipment saves weight.

Variations

NOTE: The official name PB4Y-2 "Privateer" was only assigned to the series after the USN changed in 1951. So far, the name PB4Y-1 "Liberator" has been used.

The series was first tested with three YPB4Y-2 prototypes being developed for trials, which led to the final PB4Y-2 model of which 736 examples were completed. The following brands of PB4Y-2B were equipped to fire ASM-N-2 "Bat" series air-to-surface missiles/glide bombs, later (from 1951) called P4Y-2B. The PB4Y-2M were rebuilt PB4Y-2 models for weather reconnaissance missions, these also became P4Y-2M in the 1951 revision. The PB4Y-2S identified the PB4Y-2S platform equipped with an anti-submarine radar system, which eventually became the P4Y-2S in 1951. World at War and evolved into the P4Y-2G in 1951.

The final model was the PB4Y-2K, modified for the targeted drone role, eventually becoming the P4Y-2K in 1951 and the QP-4B in 1962.

Services

Once in service, the investment in privateers paid off immediately for the U.S. Navy, and they were used in a variety of roles including anti-ship/anti-submarine, general reconnaissance, communications relay work, countermeasures, and critical search and Rescue (SAR).

They are well defended with multiple machine gun posts that can extend for thousands of kilometers.

Although the series was introduced as early as 1943, the series was not felt until 1944 when a quantitative force level was reached in the U.S. Navy inventory. They served critical weather reconnaissance missions in the postwar world and were still in service during the Korean War in the early 1950s.

Later in its career, when the "Cold War" with the Soviet Union "got too hot", the aircraft was also used in a signals intelligence (SIGINT) role. In fact, in April 1950, Soviet fighter jets claimed possession of a PB4Y-2 over the Baltic Sea - a tension at the time when any single event could once again erupt into an open world war.

In 1954, private jets were jettisoned by the US Navy as the jet age officially dawned. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is another well-known private operator that didn't manage their fleet until the late 1950s before following suit.

Many bombers then ended their days as expendable drones (until 1962, when they had a "K" at the end of their name, by which time they became "QP-4B"). Others ended their careers in firefighting roles, with large bomb chambers that could carry large quantities of extinguishing agent.

External Services

In addition to the U.S. use of the aircraft, the bomber was used by the armies of France and the Republic of China (Taiwan) with mixed results. Canada and Honduras are other major players in Privateer's history.