|
The Consolidated RY Liberator was the US Navy designation for transport aircraft based on the B-24 Liberator, known as the C-87 in the USAAF. Three variants were recognised, the first two identical to the Army aircraft and one custom built for the Navy.
RY-1/ RY-2
The RY-1 and RY-2 were the naval versions of the C-87A VIP transport aircraft and C-87 Liberator Express transport aircraft. Only eight aircraft received these designations, three RY-1 VIP transports and five RY-2s.
RY-3
The RY-3 was the transport version of the PB4Y-2 Privateer, the Navy’s own variant on the B-24 Liberator. It combined the single large tail of the PB4Y-2 with the cargo modifications of the C-87/ RY-1.
A total of 39 RY-3s were produced. Five of them were converted from the C-87 standard using aircraft built at Fort Worth, while 34 were custom built at the Consolidated factory at San Diego.