World War 2 In Review: 07/28/25

Consolidated R2Y Liberator Liner

Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner.

The Consolidated R2Y Liberator Liner (Consolidated Model 39 redesignated as Consolidated-Vultee Model 104) was an airliner derivative of the B‑24 Liberator built for the United States Navy by Consolidated Aircraft.

Development and Service

The XR2Y-1, as the single prototype was known in Navy service, used the high-aspect wing and tricycle landing gear of the Liberator. The fuselage was an entirely new design, and the vertical stabilizer was taken from the PB4Y Privateer. The final design looked much like a smaller, high-wing Boeing B-29 Superfortress, but with windows for passengers.

The aircraft was meant to carry passengers or cargo to distant Navy bases, but after a brief evaluation the prototype was demilitarized in the mid-1940s, returned to Convair, and leased to American Airlines as a freighter with the name "City of Salinas".

Role:

Prototype military transport aircraft

Prototype cargo aircraft

Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft

First flight: 15 April 1944

Status: Experimental

Primary users:

United States Navy

American Airlines

Number built: 1

Developed from: Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Crew: unknown

Capacity:

48 passengers with baggage

1,200 lb (550 kg) of mail

12,000 lb (5,500 kg) of cargo (after refit)

Length: 90 ft 0 in (27.45 m)

Wingspan: 110 ft 0 in (33.55 m)

Airfoil: Davis (22% at root to 9.3% at wingtip)

Gross weight: 56,000 lb (25,000 kg)

Maximum takeoff weight: 64,000 lb (29,000 kg)

Powerplant: 4 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 radial engines, 1,200 hp (900 kW) each

Cruise speed: 240 mph (380 km/h, 210 kn)

Range: 4,000 mi (6,400 km, 3,500 nmi) at 200 mph (322 km/h)

References

Bridgeman, Leonard. "The Consolidated Vultee Model 39." Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. p. 217.

John Wegg, General Dynamics Corporation. General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecessors.

Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner cockpit, 26 April 1945.

View of interior of Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner looking aft and the auxiliary ceiling under the wing. 2 June 1945.

View of interior of Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner looking aft at the auxiliary ceiling under the wing. 2 June 1945.

View of interior of Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner looking aft at the auxiliary ceiling under the wing and the right hand side of the fuselage. 2 June 1945.

Although still carrying U.S. national markings, this Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner, marked “Liberator Liner” on fuselage sides, is in process of being prepared for marketing it as a commercial airliner.

Passenger seating in the Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner in American Airlines livery.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner, “Liberator Liner.”

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner in American Airlines livery.

Wind tunnel model of the Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Liner, 4 March 1943.

View of interior of Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner showing passenger seating in commercial version.

Interior arrangement of commercial passenger transport version of Consolidated R2Y-1 Liberator Liner

Tire failure on a Consolidated RY 3 Liberator Liner, 22 November 1944.

Consolidated XR2Y-1.

Consolidated RY Liberator Express

Consolidated RY-1 Liberator Express, Admiral Nimitz’s transport.

RY-1: United States Navy designation for three former USAAF Consolidated C-87A Liberator Express models fitted for 16 passengers.

RY-2: Five former USAAF C-87s fitted for 20 passengers, a further 15 were cancelled.

RY-3: The RY-3 was a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express transport derivative of the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber, with the single tail and seven foot fuselage stretch of the PB4Y-2 Privateer. Ironically, this aircraft retained its Liberator namesake of “Liberator Express” as opposed to “Privateer Express” or some variation thereof. It was assigned the company designation of Model 101.

The RY-3 differed from the PB4Y-2 in having no armament and in having a series of windows cut into the sides of the fuselage. A large loading door was cut into the side of the rear fuselage, and fairings were installed where the nose and tail turrets had been. A crew of four and 28 passengers could be carried. 16,641 pounds of cargo could be carried in the all-freight configuration. A hinged nose allowed up to 1600 pounds of cargo to be carried in the forward section.

Thirty-nine were built, and were used by the RAF Transport Command, U.S. Marine Corps, and one was used by the RCAF. Five of them were converted from the C-87 standard using aircraft built at Fort Worth, while 34 were custom built at the Consolidated factory at San Diego. Twenty-six of the aircraft were delivered as Liberator C.IX to 231 and 232 Squadrons of the RAF in February 1945. The famous Commando, which was LB-30 AL504, was also converted to single-tailed RY-3 configuration in 1944.

The balance were retained by the U.S. Navy. The USAAF expressed interest in the RY-3 and placed a tentative order of 125 to be known as the C-87C. Large quantities of the superior Douglas R5D/C-54 Skymaster transport became available which precluded further procurement of the RY and C-87 series aircraft.

Millionaire ballpoint pen inventor Milton Reynolds teamed with the Boston Museum of Science for an expedition to the Amne Machin mountain range in Tibet in an attempt to find a mountain higher than Mt. Everest. The aircraft used was an ex-Navy Consolidated RY-1 Liberator Express, BuNo 67798, former C-87A serial 43-30570, nicknamed “The Explorer,” registered NL5151N. On both sides of the nose and fuselage was painted “Reynolds Boston Museum-China Expedition.”

Ballpoint tycoon Milton Reynolds took this Liberator Express to China hoping to prove that Mt. Amne Machin was higher than Mt. Everest. On take-off from Peking the aircraft was slightly damaged when its right main gear failed or was inadvertently retracted, as seen here. The party ran into problems with the authorities and escaped to Japan with the aircraft a few days later. This was allocated to the USAAF as C-87A (S/N 43-30570), but instead went to the US Navy as RY-1 (BuNo 67798), in 1944. Became NL5151N in February 1948. To Frigorifico Ballnian Ltda. as CB-75 in 1951, then to Boliviana de Aviación as CP-575 in early 1964. Crashed at La Paz on 8 February 1964.

Consolidated RY-3, BuNo 90044, transport of Marine VMR-352 at MCAS Miramar on 24 May 1946.

Consolidated RY-3 BuNo 90020 at Patuxent River on 25 October 1944.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, BuNo 90021, U.S. Navy, 1946.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, BuNo 90020, U.S. Navy.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, U.S. Navy.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, BuNo 90021, U.S. Navy.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, BuNo 240355.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, 16 September 1944.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, number 32, in Marine service.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express fuel tank access, 28 October 1944.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express configured to carry litter patients.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express configured to carry passengers.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express configured to carry cargo.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express.

Consolidated RY-3 Liberator Express, in RAF service where it was known as the Liberator C.XI, s/n JT978. Returned to the U.S. Navy in April 1946.

Consolidated (RY-3) Liberator C.XI, s/n JT978.

Consolidated LB-30, s/n AL504, “Commando,” at Whenuapai, New Zealand, on the 8 November 1944 after conversion to RY-3 standard.

Consolidated RY-3, “Rockcliffe Ice Wagon,” RCAF. A Consolidated RY-3 Liberator was loaned to the RCAF by the RAF in 1946. The first of the “Rockcliffe Ice Wagons.” The “Rockcliffe Ice Wagon” was primarily used for in-flight de-icing tests along with other cloud seeding experiments.