Description
Object description
American four-engine heavy bomber military aircraft, built by Ford Motor Company in 1945 and used for meteorological research from 1946-1954. Of a type of US military aircraft designed and developed by Consolidated Aircraft introduced in 1941, and widely used by the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) on daylight strategic bombing missions against industrial and military targets in Nazi occupied Europe during the Second World War.
Physical description
Four-engine heavy bomber aircraft. Fixed-wing monoplane with straight high aspect ratio wings, dual tail and tricycle landing gear. Overall in natural metal finish with olive drab 'anti-dazzle' strip in front of cockpit, and red engine cowling; with US Army Air Force (USAAF) national insignia (1943 pattern) painted in white and insignia blue on fuselage and wings; with nose number '493' painted in black and nose art of 'Dugan' painted in white over a black band and superimposed on a green four-leaf clover between two 'X's' on both sides of nose; with VIII Bomber Command Squadron Code 'EC' (578th Bomb Squadron) painted in black on fuselage; with radio call number '451228' painted in black on inner surfaces of tail fins, and high visibility tactical markings of white 24 inch 'C' over white bar superimposed on a black 36 inch horizontal band (392nd Bomb Group) painted on outer surfaces of tail fins.
History note
Manufactured by Ford Motor Comapny at the Willow Run bomber plant in Detroit, Michigan. Completed 15 March 1945. Never saw squadron service. Was stationed at St. Pauls Field, Pitsburg; Mitchell Field, Nashville and Wright Field through 1945 and early 1946, while undergoing flight testing and awaiting squadron allocation. On 1 March 1946 transferred to Aeronautical Icing Research Laboratories, Minneapolis. Stayed attached to AIRL all its service life where it was used as flying ice research laboratory. Retired from active service approx in June 1954. Flew into Lackland Air Force Base (USAF Enlisted Mens Basic Training Centre) where it stood on edge of parade ground until early 1999 when recovered by Imperial War Museum.
Overall in natural metal finish with olive drab 'anti-dazzle' strip in front of cockpit, and red engine cowls
451228
US military aircraft's radio call number with 6 digits painted in black
Project No US Army B-24M-20-FO
Airforce Serial No.44-51228
US military aircraft's Technical Data Block (TDB) made up of two rows of black text consisting of one-inch high characters
493
Aircraft identification number of three digits painted in black
EC
VIII Bomber Command Squadron Code 'EC' (578th Bomb Squadron) of two block letters painted in black
Roundel consisting of white 5 pointed star on a blue circular background, with two white bars and blue outline.
US Army Air Force (USAAF) national insignia with 'insignia blue' outline (September 1943 pattern)
C_
VIII Bomber Command high visibility tactical tail markings of 26 inch high letter with bar underneath painted in white on a 36 inch wide horizontal black band
Dugan on four leaf clover
The name 'Dugan' painted in white over a black band and superimposed on a green four-leaf clover between two 'X's'