B-24 Liberator Rupert the Roo II

A total of 18,493 four-engine twin-tail Consolidated B-24 Liberators were built to sustain the World War II effort, more than any other aircraft during the war. There are only eight B-24 surviving aircraft today. One is located at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana.

It was built as Serial Number 44-48781, Construction Number 3636, at the Ford Willow Run assembly plant.

"Rupert the Roo II" is the only Ford-built B-24J remaining in the world. During World War II, this aircraft served as a combat crew trainer and was stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois, and also at Langley Field, Virginia.

After WWII was over in 1945, like so many other B-24s, the plane was sent to an aircraft boneyard for sale or dismantling.

However, the plane escaped the guillotine and smelter, and in 1946 was purchased by the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, OK, and used by the school until 1960.

B-24 Liberator at the Barksdale AFB museum painted as "Laden Maiden"

In 1962 it was sold to A&S Scrap Metals of Tulsa. The plane then sat derelict at the Tulsa Airport until about 1974.

The stripped-out airframe hulk was later acquired by the Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and moved to Barksdale AFB in December of 1978 by two CH-54 Skycrane helicopters.

The B-24 at the Global Power Museum was painted as "Laden Maiden" and later as "Louisiana Belle II". It has now been repainted as "Rupert the Roo II" with Serial Number 273076, in desert sand livery as a B-24 might have appeared while serving in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

 

B-24J Liberator "Rupert the Roo II" Photographs

Consolidated (Ford) B-24J Liberator "Rupert the Roo II" at the Barksdale Global Power Museum

B-24J Liberator Painted as "Louisiana Belle II"

Consolidated (Ford) B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at the Barksdale Global Power Museum

Consolidated B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at Barksdale AFB

B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at Barksdale Air Force Base

B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 in Bossier City, Louisiana

Front guns on the B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781

Right tail section of the B-24J Liberator S/N 44-8781

Tail guns on B-24J Liberator 448781 in Louisiana

List of Other Surviving B-24 Liberators

Of the massive numbers of Liberators that were built, only thirteen are known to exist around the world, either on display (10), under restoration (1), or airworthy (2).

In the United States, only two aircraft are airworthy, and six complete airplanes are on static display, for a total of eight B-24 Liberator survivors, shown below listed by state. Other Liberators are on display around the world.

In the United States
Model	S/N	Name	Location	Status	City	ST
B-24J	44-44175	Bungay Buckaroo	Pima Air & Space Museum	Static Display	Tucson	AZ
B-24M	44-41916	Shady Lady	Castle Air Museum	Static Display	Atwater	CA
B-24J	44-44272	Joe	Fantasy of Flight Museum	Static Display	Polk City	FL
B-24J	44-48781	Rupert the Roo II (former Louisiana Belle)	Global Power Museum Barksdale AFB	Static Display	Bossier City	LA
B-24J	44-44052	Witchcraft	Collings Foundation	Airworthy	Stow	MA
B-24D	42-72843	Strawberry Bitch	National Museum of the U.S. Air Force	Static Display	Dayton	OH
B-24A	40-2366	Diamond Lil	CAF at Dallas Executive Airport	Airworthy	Dallas	TX
B-24D	41-23908	Unnamed B-24	Hill Aerospace Museum	Static Display	Ogden	UT

 

In Other Countries
Model	S/N	Location	Status	City
B-24L	44-50206	Royal Air Force Museum	Static Display	London, UK
B-24M	44-51228	Imperial War Museum	Static Display	Duxford, UK
B-24L	44-50154	Canada Aviation and Space Museum	Static Display	Ottawa, Canada
B-24J	44-44213	Indian Air Force Museum	Static Display	Delhi, India
B-24M	44-41956	Former RAAF Werribee Aerodrome	Under Restoration	Victoria, Australia