Liberator b-24 - Aircraft of World War II

krakus57 · 05-10-2009, 08:57 PM

I need ANY informations about Liberators problems by take-off !!

URGENT !!

michaelmaltby · 05-10-2009, 10:05 PM

Read Stephen Ambrose's book - The Wild Blue - it's about B-24 pilots in Europe and specifically George McGovern.

MM

syscom3 · 05-10-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michaelmaltby

Read Stephen Ambrose's book - The Wild Blue - it's about B-24 pilots in Europe and specifically George McGovern.

MM

Excellent book!

Negative Creep · 05-11-2009, 11:08 AM

Great book that. If I remember rightly didn't they have a tendency to swerve on take off and were a real pig to handle at low speeds?

FLYBOYJ · 05-11-2009, 12:05 PM

From what I heard the nose gear would shimmy if you kept pressure on it at high taxi speeds. The idea was to keep the yoke back at all times.

I also read that the MLG was weak and was subjected to collapse. My wife's grandfather was a co-pilot on one that experienced a MLG failure during a training mission right after the war. I think the aircraft only had about 1,400 hours on it which is really "young" for a multi engine aircraft aircraft.

v2 · 05-12-2009, 06:13 AM

Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany - eBookMall

Capt. Vick · 05-12-2009, 01:37 PM

Not long ago Syscom3 recommended I read "Shattered Sword", as he read on the forum that I was interested in the battle of Midway. Well his recommendation was spot on. That book was fantastic and I never properly thanked him other then to suggest he read another book on Midway that I also thoroughly enjoyed. (The title escapes me at this time however.) So it is with that in mind that I here and now, in front of this illustrious forum, respectfully offer my heartfelt thanks for recommending that excellent book, but in the same breath humbly disagree with his (and others) opinion of the late Stephen Ambrose book "Wild Blue".

(Rant below)

For starters, I felt this was a vanity piece written for George McGovern. If you are a McGovern fan by all means read it, but I highly suspect that there are other more worthy biographies that would fit the bill better. Second, there was next to no drama in the book other then having his and his wife’s luggage stolen stateside and a flight instructor telling him he will fail him if he doesn’t successfully complete a night navigation problem. In a word: Boring. Real life perhaps, but if you are looking for exciting tales of B-24 bomber pilots and crews give this one a wide berth. He flew in the 15th air force (I believe) in Italy towards the end of the war when fighter opposition was lightest and I honestly can’t remember him or his crew being in an instance of impending mortal doom. If I was a pilot in WWII I would have liked to have had his flying career because I would have had a good chance of making it back alive. Make no bones about it, I could never hold a candle to any member of the “greatest generation” and this doesn’t take anything away from him or any other vet, but surely any number of lesser known pilots had combat careers more deserving of being written about. In fact this book was one of only two books that I ever returned and the only one after reading in its entirety. (I know that was a bit cheap, but I felt that strongly about it.) All of this was done BEFORE allegation of plagiarism came to light. This was a sad way for such a great narrative historian to end his career.

05-10-2009, 08:57 PM	#1
krakus57 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 5	Liberator b-24 I need ANY informations about Liberators problems by take-off !! URGENT !!

05-11-2009, 11:08 AM	#4
Negative Creep Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Plymouth Posts: 819	Great book that. If I remember rightly didn't they have a tendency to swerve on take off and were a real pig to handle at low speeds? __________________ "We attack tomorrow under cover of daylight" "Daylight sir?" "Yes it's the last thing they'll be expecting, a daylight charge over the minefield"

05-11-2009, 12:05 PM	#5
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,049	From what I heard the nose gear would shimmy if you kept pressure on it at high taxi speeds. The idea was to keep the yoke back at all times. I also read that the MLG was weak and was subjected to collapse. My wife's grandfather was a co-pilot on one that experienced a MLG failure during a training mission right after the war. I think the aircraft only had about 1,400 hours on it which is really "young" for a multi engine aircraft aircraft. __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

05-12-2009, 06:13 AM	#6
v2 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cracow Posts: 4,207	Wild Blue: The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany - eBookMall __________________ "A good fighter pilot, like a good boxer, should have a knockout punch..... You will find one attack you prefer to all others. Work on it till you can do it to perfection... then use it whenever possible." - Captain Reade Tilley, USAAF 7 Victories, WW-II -

05-12-2009, 01:37 PM	#7
Capt. Vick Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 159	I have to disagree... Not long ago Syscom3 recommended I read "Shattered Sword", as he read on the forum that I was interested in the battle of Midway. Well his recommendation was spot on. That book was fantastic and I never properly thanked him other then to suggest he read another book on Midway that I also thoroughly enjoyed. (The title escapes me at this time however.) So it is with that in mind that I here and now, in front of this illustrious forum, respectfully offer my heartfelt thanks for recommending that excellent book, but in the same breath humbly disagree with his (and others) opinion of the late Stephen Ambrose book "Wild Blue". (Rant below) For starters, I felt this was a vanity piece written for George McGovern. If you are a McGovern fan by all means read it, but I highly suspect that there are other more worthy biographies that would fit the bill better. Second, there was next to no drama in the book other then having his and his wife’s luggage stolen stateside and a flight instructor telling him he will fail him if he doesn’t successfully complete a night navigation problem. In a word: Boring. Real life perhaps, but if you are looking for exciting tales of B-24 bomber pilots and crews give this one a wide berth. He flew in the 15th air force (I believe) in Italy towards the end of the war when fighter opposition was lightest and I honestly can’t remember him or his crew being in an instance of impending mortal doom. If I was a pilot in WWII I would have liked to have had his flying career because I would have had a good chance of making it back alive. Make no bones about it, I could never hold a candle to any member of the “greatest generation” and this doesn’t take anything away from him or any other vet, but surely any number of lesser known pilots had combat careers more deserving of being written about. In fact this book was one of only two books that I ever returned and the only one after reading in its entirety. (I know that was a bit cheap, but I felt that strongly about it.) All of this was done BEFORE allegation of plagiarism came to light. This was a sad way for such a great narrative historian to end his career.

05-10-2009, 10:05 PM	#2
michaelmaltby Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 224	Read Stephen Ambrose's book - The Wild Blue - it's about B-24 pilots in Europe and specifically George McGovern. MM

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