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There were 73 original and 45 replacement aircraft in the 492nd. Those are the ones that we consider to be "492nd Bomb Group Aircraft."
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Other aircraft did come through North Pickenham Airfield, but were transferred away before seeing any action with the 492nd.
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All the aircraft in the 492nd were B-24 Liberators, all models either B-24H or B-24J.
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The B-24 has been overshadowed by the B-17, which has consistently been touted by media and authors as the only bomber that did anything in WWII.
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| US Bomber Production in WWII |
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B-24 |
(H) |
Liberator |
18,256 |
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B-17 |
(H) |
Flying Fortress |
12,692 |
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B-25 |
(M) |
Mitchell |
9,816 |
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A-20 |
(L) |
Havoc |
7,385 |
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B-26 |
(M) |
Marauder |
5,157 |
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B-29 |
(VH) |
Superfortress |
3,970 |
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A-26 |
(L) |
Invader |
2,449 |
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| • | The production ratio of B-17s to B-24s was 17:24 — a very interesting coincidence. |
| • | The percentage of B-17s lost was comparable to the number of B-24s lost. The chances of survival were the same regardless of the aircraft flown. |
| • | All USAAF aircraft produced in WWII helped win the war. |
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| About the B-24 Liberator |
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| The photo above shows the B-24 "S.O.L." 44-40066 in the foreground flying the right-wing postion in a three-plane element formation. |
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| The S.O.L. flew 3 missions with the 492nd. This photo, however, was taken after it was transferred to the 458th BG, 753rd BS, as evidenced by the different tail marking. |
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Aircraft
