Reading level:

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer

Maritime Patrol · WWII (1939–1945)

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer — Maritime Patrol
Open in interactive gallery →See aircraft like this on the live radar →

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a U.S. Navy maritime patrol aircraft derived from the B-24 Liberator. Consolidated built 740 PB4Y-2s between 1944 and October 1945. The Privateer used the B-24's wings and tail surfaces but with a markedly-redesigned fuselage (7-ft longer than the B-24) and a single tall vertical fin in place of the B-24's twin oval fins. The aircraft entered U.S. Navy service in March 1945 and continued in front-line service through the Korean War; the U.S. Coast Guard operated PB4Y-2 variants until 1958, and a small number of civilianised Privateers operated as fire-bombers into the early 2000s.

The PB4Y-2 used four Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radials (1,350 hp each). Maximum speed 237 mph; range 2,800 miles; service ceiling 20,700 ft. Payload: 12,800 lb of depth charges, bombs, or torpedoes in internal bomb bays. Defensive armament: 12 .50-cal Browning machine guns in nose, dorsal (twin), waist, and tail turrets. Crew: 11 (pilot, copilot, navigator, radar operator, bombardier, plus 6 gunners). The single-fin tail was specifically designed for low-altitude maritime patrol where the B-24's twin fins had given control problems at slow speeds.

WWII service was brief but valuable. PB4Y-2s flew from forward Pacific bases (Tinian, Iwo Jima) against Japanese shipping in the South China Sea and East China Sea. The aircraft was the U.S. Navy's most-effective long-range anti-shipping weapon of the late Pacific War, sinking dozens of Japanese cargo ships and tankers. Korean War service began in 1950 with VP squadrons hunting North Korean shipping along the Korean coast. The Privateer's last U.S. military combat was a single CIA-operated PB4Y-2 shot down by Soviet Air Force MiG-15s on 22 April 1955 over the Bering Sea.

Post-Korean War the PB4Y-2 was retired by the U.S. Navy in 1954, with U.S. Coast Guard operations continuing through 1958. About 60 Privateers entered civilian fire-bombing service from the late 1950s onward; the last commercial Privateer was retired in 2002. About 25 PB4Y-2 airframes survive in 2026, including the airworthy Hank's Pride at the Lone Star Flight Museum (Houston, Texas) and the static airframe at the Castle Air Museum (Atwater, California).

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was a big patrol plane used by the American Navy. It flew over the ocean looking for enemy ships and submarines. It first flew with the Navy in March 1945, near the end of World War II.

The Privateer came from an older plane called the B-24 Liberator. Engineers made the Privateer's body seven feet longer than the B-24. They also replaced the B-24's two tail fins with one single tall fin. That new fin helped the plane fly better at low heights over the water.

Four powerful engines kept this big plane in the air. It could fly up to 237 miles per hour and travel up to 2,800 miles without stopping. It carried a crew of 11 people, including pilots, a navigator, a radar operator, and six gunners.

The Privateer had 12 machine guns to defend itself. It could also carry bombs, depth charges, and torpedoes to attack submarines and ships. Factories built 740 of these planes between 1944 and 1945.

The plane kept serving long after World War II. The American Coast Guard flew it until 1958. Some Privateers were even used as fire-bombers, dropping water on wildfires into the early 2000s — that's longer than a 55-year career!

Fun Facts

  • The Privateer's body was seven feet longer than the B-24 Liberator it was based on.
  • A crew of 11 people flew and fought aboard each Privateer.
  • The plane packed 12 machine guns to protect itself from enemy aircraft.
  • It could carry over 12,000 pounds of bombs and torpedoes in its belly.
  • 740 Privateers were built in just over a year, between 1944 and 1945.
  • Some Privateers were still fighting wildfires as fire-bombers in the early 2000s.
  • The single tall tail fin was designed to keep the plane steady at low heights over the sea.
  • The Privateer could fly nearly 2,800 miles — about the distance from New York to Los Angeles!

Kids’ Questions

What made the Privateer different from the B-24 Liberator?

The Privateer had a longer body and one tall tail fin instead of two oval fins. That single fin helped the plane fly steadier at low heights over the ocean. The wings stayed mostly the same as the B-24's.

What did the Privateer do during its missions?

The Privateer patrolled the ocean looking for enemy submarines and ships. It could drop bombs, depth charges, and torpedoes to stop them. Its 12 machine guns helped protect the crew from enemy planes.

How long did the Privateer stay in service?

The Privateer first joined the Navy in 1945 and served through the Korean War. The American Coast Guard used it until 1958. Some were even converted into fire-bombers and flew into the early 2000s.

Variants

PB4Y-2 (basic)
Standard production U.S. Navy maritime patrol variant 1944-1945. R-1830 engines, 12 .50-cal defensive armament, 12,800 lb bomb capacity. About 740 built.
PB4Y-2B (Bat missile carrier)
Modified to carry Bat ASM-N-2 radar-guided anti-ship glide bomb. Used briefly in late-WWII Pacific operations against Japanese shipping. About 30 conversions.
P4Y-2K / P4Y-2P (post-war)
Drone-control + photo-reconnaissance conversions. Operated U.S. Navy through Korean War; small numbers continued to 1954.
Civilian fire-bomber (60+ conversions)
Late-1950s civilian conversion programme. About 60 Privateers entered fire-bombing service in the western U.S. and Canada. Last commercial flight 2002.

Notable Operators

U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps
Primary user. WWII Pacific anti-shipping + Korean War coastal patrol. Retired 1954.
U.S. Coast Guard
Operated about 24 P4Y-2G airframes for long-range search-and-rescue and ice patrol 1947-1958. Final retirement 1958.
Civilian fire-bombing operators (1958-2002)
About 60 Privateers entered civilian fire-bomber service. Hawkins & Powers Aviation (Wyoming), Erickson Aero Tanker (Oregon), Snow Air (Alaska), and others. Final commercial retirement 2002.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the PB4Y-2 different from the B-24?

Same wings, same tail surfaces, same engines and propellers as the B-24 Liberator. The PB4Y-2 has a fuselage 7 ft longer (more crew accommodation, larger bomb bays) and a single tall vertical fin replacing the B-24's distinctive twin oval fins. The single-fin layout was specifically designed for low-altitude maritime patrol where the B-24's twin fins had given control problems at slow speeds.

Was a PB4Y-2 shot down by Soviet jets?

Yes — a CIA-operated PB4Y-2P (modified for signals-intelligence collection) was shot down by Soviet MiG-15s over the Bering Sea on 22 April 1955. The aircraft was nominally on a U.S. Navy mission collecting Soviet radar emissions. Six of the 11 crew were killed. The incident was diplomatically downplayed; the U.S. paid a small compensation to crew families but did not publicly acknowledge the CIA mission until decades later.

How many PB4Y-2s were built?

740 airframes between 1944 and October 1945. Production was at Consolidated's San Diego, California plant. Production ended at war's end despite the aircraft having entered service only 6 months earlier; the U.S. Navy preferred to consolidate post-war maritime patrol on the smaller P2V Neptune.

Were Privateers used as fire bombers?

Yes — about 60 PB4Y-2s entered civilian fire-bomber service from the late 1950s onward. The aircraft's high payload (10,000+ lb of fire retardant) and rugged construction made it valuable for forest-fire suppression. The last commercial Privateer was retired in 2002 after Hawkins & Powers Aviation lost two PB4Y-2s in fatal accidents (2002) that prompted FAA airworthiness directives the operators chose not to comply with.

Are any PB4Y-2 Privateers still flying?

One airworthy as of 2026 — Hank's Pride at the Lone Star Flight Museum, Houston, Texas. About 25 total PB4Y-2 airframes survive in static-display condition at U.S. and Canadian aviation museums.

Sources

See Also