This link has four aids to help you identify B-24 series and blocks by using photographs of the airplane nose: (1) B24 Noses; (2) B24 Anti-Glare Panels; (3) Sub-type Matrix; and (4) Thumbnail Pictorial Guide. These aids can help identify possible serial number ranges for most nose art photos if enough features of the plane show in the picture. Beginners should view the B-24 Noses link first (B24 Noses) to see the shapes of various nose turrets and turret fairings. A good second step to identify the production plant is the Anti-Glare Panels link (B24 Anti-Glare Panels). The shape of the paint helps in identification in most cases where the plane is Natural Metal (NMF); but not in all cases, especially if the plane was stripped of paint in the field. Other identification aides are provided at Bombardier's Scanning Windows and Bombardier's Aim Windows.
The Sub-type Matrix below lists thirty-eight (38) sub-type lines identified by series, manufacturer and applicable
block numbers. Those very familiar with B-24 variants and production blocks can go straight to the Sub-type Matrix below.
There is also a Thumbnail Pictorial Guide to the thirty-eight subtypes below the Sub-type Matrix. If you page down to the
Thumbnail Pictorial Guide, the instructions there will help you navigate between the Sub-type Matrix and the Thumbnail Pictorial Guide layout.
It will automatically point you to the line on the matrix that corresponds to the thumbnail you select.
If you use the Sub-type Matrix , you can start with the block and serial identifications; the middle section on features; or the
examples in the last 3 columns of each line. CLICK on any example and a link to the B24 Best Web or 7th Bomb Group Web Site
will open an image of the plane in a new window. To return to this page, simply close the new image window.
*See Acknowledgements, Restrictions and Copyright Information below
(Click on examples in the last
3 columns to see an image of the sub-type.
Click on last serial number in a range to go to the next serial number range.)
|
Sub-type |
Serial No. Ranges |
Totals |
Deliveries |
Key Identification Features |
Examples |
Sub-type |
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Start-End |
Start |
End |
1st |
Last |
Turret |
Bomb Aim Window |
Bomb Scan |
Nose |
Pitot(s) |
Nav |
Paint |
Low |
Middle |
High |
Start-End |
Line # |
||
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|
D1 |
Random |
42-72956 |
~400 |
3/43 |
10/43 |
A6-A |
None |
UP |
2high |
rect w/cheek |
|
D1 |
1 |
||||
|
2 |
D1 |
Random |
42-72963 |
~200 |
5/43 |
10/43 |
A6-A |
UP |
2high |
rect w/cheek |
OD & A/S |
D1 |
2 |
|||||
|
D1 |
Random |
Random |
~72 |
5/44 |
N/A |
A6-A |
None |
UP |
2high |
rect w/cheek |
NMF |
D1 |
3 |
|||||
|
H-FO |
42-7465 |
42-7769 |
305 |
6/43 |
1/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
H-FO |
4 |
||||||
|
H-DT |
41-28574 |
297 |
8/43 |
1/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
H-DT |
5 |
|||||||
|
H-CF |
41-29116 |
41-29608 |
493 |
8/43 |
2/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
Flak Magnet (V1) |
H-CF |
6 |
|||||
|
J-CO |
42-72964 |
42-73514 |
551 |
8/43 |
11/43 |
A6-A |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD, "Pink" |
J-CO |
7 |
||||||
|
J-CF |
42-64057 |
282 |
10/43 |
1/44 |
A6-A |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD, "Pink" |
|
|
J-CF |
8 |
|||||
|
F-7A |
42-64047 |
42-64371 |
325 |
10/43 |
01/44 |
A6-A |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
CAM |
F-7A |
9 |
||||||
|
G-NT |
42-78070 |
85 |
11/43 |
01/44 |
A-15 |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
|
G-NT |
10 |
||||||
|
J-CO |
42-100155 |
181 |
11/43 |
12/43 |
A6-B |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
J-CO |
11 |
|||||||
|
J-CF |
42-64339 |
42-64394 |
56 |
1/44 |
1/44 |
A6-B |
UP |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
J-CF |
12 |
||||||
|
J-CO |
42-100336 |
42-100435 |
100 |
12/43 |
1/44 |
A6-B |
UP |
1 low |
rect or mod |
OD |
J-CO |
13 |
||||||
|
J-CF |
42-99872 |
42-99935 |
64 |
3/44 |
4/44 |
A6-B |
UP |
1 low |
rect or mod |
OD |
No AAF examples |
|
|
J-CF |
14 |
|||
|
G-NT |
42-78155 |
~42-78200 |
~46 |
01/44 |
01/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
OD |
G-NT |
15 |
||||||
|
G-NT |
~42-78201 |
42-78474 |
~274 |
01/44 |
05/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
G-NT |
|
||||||
|
J-CO |
44-40049 |
800 |
2/44 |
5/44 |
A6-B |
UP |
1 low |
rect or mod |
NMF |
J-CO |
17 |
|||||||
|
H-DT |
41-28871? |
41-28961? |
~91 |
02/44 |
02/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
H-DT |
18 |
||||||
|
19 |
H-DT |
41-28962 |
41-29006 |
45 |
2/44 |
5/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
H-DT |
19 |
|||||
|
Start-End |
Start |
End |
Totals |
1st |
Last |
Turret |
Bomb Aim Window |
Bomb Scan |
Nose |
Pitot(s) |
Nav |
Paint |
Low |
Middle |
High |
Start-End |
Line # |
|
|
H-FO |
42-95023 |
481 |
3/44 |
3/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
H-FO |
20 |
|||||||
|
H-CF |
42-50355 |
97 |
3/44 |
5/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
H-CF |
21 |
|||||||
|
J-CF |
44-10375 |
109 |
4/44 |
5/44 |
A-15 |
UP |
1 low |
rect or mod |
OD |
No AAF examples |
|
J-CF |
22 |
|||||
|
J-FO |
42-95504 |
42-95628 |
125 |
4/44 |
6/44 |
A-15 |
angled/
no brace |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
J-FO |
23 |
|||||
|
J-DT |
42-51226 |
170 |
5/44 |
6/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
J-DT |
24 |
|||||||
|
J-CF |
42-50452 |
42-50508 |
57 |
5/44 |
6/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
2high |
rect or mod |
NMF |
J-CF |
25 |
||||||
|
J-NT |
42-78475 |
42-78794 |
320 |
5/44 |
11/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
J-NT |
26 |
||||||
|
J-CO |
44-40849 |
541 |
5/44 |
8/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
J-CO |
27 |
|||||||
|
J-CF |
44-10484 |
44-10602 |
119 |
5/44 |
6/44 |
A-15 |
UP |
1 low |
rect or mod |
NMF |
Rosalyn (-65) |
J-CF |
28 |
|||||
|
J-CF |
44-10603 |
44-10643 |
41 |
6/44 |
7/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
rect or mod |
NMF |
|
J-CF |
29 |
|||||
|
J-CF |
44-10644 |
44-10752 |
109 |
7/44 |
1/45 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
rect or mod |
OD |
|
J-CF |
30 |
|||||
|
J-FO |
42-51611 |
42-52076 |
466 |
7/44 |
8/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
J-FO |
31 |
||||||
|
J-DT |
42-51396 |
42-51430 |
35 |
7/44 |
7/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
J-DT |
32 |
||||||
|
L-FO |
44-49002 |
750 |
8/44 |
9/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq or mod |
NMF |
L-FO |
33 |
|||||||
|
L-CO |
44-41390 |
44-41448 |
59 |
8/44 |
9/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
L-CO |
34 |
||||||
|
L-CO |
44-41449 |
44-41806 |
358 |
9/44 |
9/44 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
L-CO |
35 |
||||||
|
M-CO |
44-41807 |
44-42722 |
916 |
11/44 |
8/45 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
sq |
NMF |
M-CO |
36 |
||||||
|
L/M-FO |
44-49752 |
44-51051 |
1300 |
12/44 |
2/45 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
bay |
NMF |
L/M-FO |
37 |
||||||
|
38 |
M-FO |
44-51052 |
44-51928 |
877 |
2/45 |
6/45 |
A-15 |
DOWN |
1 low |
bay |
NMF |
M-FO |
38 |
|||||
|
Line # |
Start-End |
Start |
End |
Totals |
1st |
Last |
Turret |
Bomb Aim Window |
Bomb Scan |
Nose |
Pitot(s) |
Nav |
Paint |
Low |
Middle |
High |
Start-End |
Line # |
Note 1: There were no J-10/25 CF 42-64339 to 42-99736 in the 8th Air Force.
Note 2: Serial numbers 42-50554 and 42-50555 have been observed with braced bomb view side panels.
Instructions:
(1) When you click on a thumbnail image, a larger image will open in a new window. To return to this page, simply close the new image window.
(2) If you click on a sub-type designation (e.g. "H-FO"), you will be taken to the appropriate line in the Sub-type Matrix above. To return to this Thumbnail Pictorial Guide, just click on your browser's "back" button, click on the sub-type block in the matrix above, or simply scroll back down to this matrix.
B24 Bombardier's Aiming Window
B-24 Bombardier's Scanning Window
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Note the camera aperature directly below the navigation window. Also note the lack of a bomb scanning window. On F-7Bs, there often will be a bomb scanning window but no camera aperature. |
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*Acknowledgements, Restrictions and Copyright Information
Using "The B-24 Liberator" by Al Blue as a baseline and supplemented by extensive cataloging of observations,
Phil Marchese amassed and tabulated the information on the sub-type change over points. This effort was supported
by Al Blue, Steve Adams and Jim Augustus; and the photo collection made available by Dan Stockton at B24BestWeb. Jim Augustus designed and constructed the
web based tool and provided the web space from 7th Bomb Group Web Site. Wally Forman provided numerous photographs from his collection to narrow
down change over points between sub-types and also provided the inspiration for documenting the change over points
in an easy-to-use format. The information contained in this matrix is limited to the personal use by researchers.
Any commercial use or reproduction of this information in any format or medium, including but not limited to electronic
or print, for other than personal used is forbidden without the expressed, written permission of the designers.
Copyright © July, 2000 Augustus/Marchese.
