Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A.

Size: 24 × 35 inches

Dated: July 8, 1944

From: Ford Motor Company

Aircraft: B-24 Liberator

This extraordinary and museum-grade World War II artifact is an original Ford Motor Company engineering blueprint dated July 8, 1944, created at the height of America’s wartime aircraft production effort for the legendary B-24 Liberator bomber. This document is not a reproduction or later technical drawing. It is a true wartime engineering illustration produced for active use in the manufacturing and refinement of one of the most important heavy bombers of the Second World War.

The blueprint represents a one-of-one original revision drawing for the U.S. Army Air Forces Consolidated B-24 Liberator’s fixed bomb hoist system associated with the Sperry ball turret assembly. Engineering illustrations such as this were used by aircraft engineers and factory production teams to modify existing designs and implement improvements directly on the assembly line. This specific revision reflects an official wartime upgrade authorized during 1944, when efficiency, speed of production, and aircraft performance were critical to sustaining Allied bombing campaigns across Europe and the Pacific.

This revised design introduced a newly engineered hoist rack that was twenty six pounds lighter than earlier versions. While that reduction may seem modest, in aviation engineering it carried enormous significance. Every pound removed from structural or mechanical systems allowed for either increased bomb payload, extended fuel range, or improved overall aircraft performance. Across thousands of aircraft, this weight savings translated into a meaningful operational advantage for bomber crews flying dangerous long range missions over enemy territory.

Beyond the reduction in weight, this blueprint also documents a major simplification of the manufacturing process. The revised hoist system required fewer individual components, brackets, and support parts. This streamlined design reduced material usage, shortened assembly time, and minimized potential failure points. In practical terms, this allowed Ford Motor Company and its partner factories to produce B-24 bombers faster and with greater consistency during one of the most demanding periods of industrial mobilization in American history.

The Sperry ball turret itself was one of the most iconic and complex defensive systems on the B-24 Liberator. Mounted beneath the fuselage, it protected the aircraft from enemy fighters attacking from below. Any improvement to the bomb hoist and turret support system directly affected crew safety, mission effectiveness, and aircraft survivability. This blueprint therefore represents not just a mechanical update, but a tangible example of wartime innovation driven by combat experience and urgent operational need.

As a surviving engineering revision blueprint from July 1944, this artifact captures a precise moment in the evolution of the B-24 Liberator. It reflects the constant process of refinement that occurred as engineers responded to battlefield feedback, manufacturing constraints, and performance goals. Very few original wartime revision blueprints from aircraft factories remain outside institutional archives. Most were discarded after production runs ended or lost over time. The survival of this document makes it exceptionally rare and historically significant.

In essence, this blueprint is a direct link to the massive industrial and engineering effort that powered Allied air superiority in World War II. It tells the story of how even small design changes could influence mission success, crew safety, and the overall effectiveness of strategic bombing operations. As a one-of-a-kind wartime engineering illustration for the B-24 Liberator, it stands as a powerful artifact of American ingenuity, precision engineering, and the relentless pursuit of improvement during humanity’s most consequential conflict.

• Ford Motor Company and the B 24 Liberator Production Effort
This original engineering blueprint originates from the Ford Motor Company, whose Willow Run plant in Michigan became the largest aircraft manufacturing facility in the world during World War II. Ford revolutionized aircraft production by applying automotive assembly line principles to bomber construction, transforming what had once been a slow and complex hand built process into an unprecedented system of mass production. By 1944, Willow Run was producing a completed B 24 Liberator every sixty three minutes. Ford alone manufactured over 8,600 B 24 aircraft, accounting for nearly half of all Liberators ever built. This blueprint is a direct product of that historic industrial achievement and represents the engineering refinement that allowed Ford to maintain speed, quality, and consistency during the final and most intense years of the war.

• Production Period. 1944 to 1945
This blueprint is dated July 8, 1944, placing it squarely in the final high volume production phase of the B 24 Liberator program. During 1944 and 1945, thousands of newly built B 24s were being shipped directly from Ford and Consolidated factories to active combat squadrons across Europe and the Pacific. These aircraft supported the Allied advance following the Normandy invasion and continued operations through the final bombing campaigns against Germany and Japan. Engineering revisions such as the one documented in this blueprint were implemented immediately into production lines, meaning aircraft built in late 1944 and 1945 benefited directly from these improvements.

• Total Number of B 24 Liberators Produced
The Consolidated B 24 Liberator holds the distinction of being the most produced heavy bomber in aviation history. A total of more than 18,400 B 24 aircraft were manufactured during World War II. Of these, Ford Motor Company produced over 8,600 at Willow Run alone, while the remainder were built by Consolidated in San Diego and Fort Worth, Douglas Aircraft, and North American Aviation. This massive production output made the B 24 the backbone of Allied long range bombing power and a central symbol of American industrial strength during the war.

• Engineering and Design Significance
The B 24 Liberator was one of the most advanced bombers of its time. It featured the high aspect ratio Davis wing, which provided superior lift and fuel efficiency, allowing for longer range missions than earlier bombers. It carried a crew of ten and was equipped with multiple defensive gun positions including the iconic Sperry ball turret mounted beneath the fuselage. Engineering revisions such as the one documented in this blueprint focused on reducing weight, simplifying mechanical systems, and improving manufacturing efficiency. This specific revision introduced a hoist rack design that was twenty six pounds lighter and required fewer parts and brackets. Weight reduction translated directly into increased bomb payload, extended flight range, and improved reliability. These refinements were critical for missions that pushed aircraft to their operational limits.

• Role in Major Battles and Campaigns. 1944 to 1945
From 1944 through 1945, the B 24 Liberator played a central role in many of the most decisive air campaigns of the war. In Europe, B 24s flew as part of the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces, conducting strategic bombing missions against German industrial centers, oil refineries, aircraft factories, rail yards, and submarine pens. They participated in Operation Pointblank, the Combined Bomber Offensive, and the sustained bombing campaign that weakened the Luftwaffe and crippled German war production. B 24s also supported the Normandy invasion by attacking transportation networks and coastal defenses in the weeks leading up to and following D-Day.

In the Pacific Theater, B 24 Liberators were essential to long range bombing operations against Japanese bases, shipping lanes, and island strongholds. They were heavily used in campaigns across New Guinea, the Philippines, and later against targets in Formosa and mainland Japan. Their long range capability made them particularly valuable in the vast distances of the Pacific war.

• U.S. Squadrons and Air Forces That Used the B 24 During This Period
During 1944 and 1945, B 24 Liberators were flown by numerous U.S. Army Air Forces units across multiple theaters. In Europe, they were operated extensively by the Eighth Air Force based in England and the Fifteenth Air Force based in Italy. Notable Bomb Groups included the 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 98th Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, and the 376th Bomb Group, among many others. These units carried out daily missions deep into enemy territory, often facing intense anti aircraft fire and fighter opposition.

In the Pacific, B 24s were flown by the Fifth Air Force, Seventh Air Force, and Thirteenth Air Force. These squadrons conducted long range bombing raids and maritime patrol missions across island chains and open ocean. The aircraft also served with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Air Forces in anti submarine roles in the Atlantic, protecting vital supply convoys from German U boats.