The designation C-109 was assigned to existing B-24Js and B-24Ls that were converted into fuel transports to support B-29 operations out of China. An early plan called for ten B-29 groups to be stationed in China for operations against Japan, and these bombers were to be supported by no less than 2000 C-109s which would fly in aviation gasoline over the Hump from India for the bombers.
Unlike the C-87 cargo/passenger transport, the C-109 fuel transports were not new aircraft, but were conversions of existing B-24 bombers. All armament and bombardment equipment was removed and both the forward and aft turrets were removed and faired over with sheet metal. The waist windows were retained. Eight fuel tanks were installed inside the fuselage that could carry 2900 US gallons of aviation gasoline. Most C-109s were equipped with a dual ADF system, as indicated by the presence of two football-shaped antennae on top of the fuselage. C-109s were generally devoid of any armament, although photographs do show that some of the turrets were retained on a few aircraft.
A total of 218 Liberators were modified to C-109 tanker specifications at the various modification centers in the USA. They were not popular with their crews, since they were very difficult to land when fully loaded, especially at airfields that were above 6000 feet in elevation. In addition, longitudinal stability was rather poor when the tank in the forward fuselage was full, so quite often the C-109 flew with this tank empty.
The C-109s were initially operated by the 20th Air Force in the CBI theatre in support of the B-29 operations out of China. The original plan to acquire up to 2000 C-109s was cut way back when the B-29 Superfortress operations relocated from China to the Marianas, from where they could be much better supported by US Navy seaborne tankers. The C-109s were then transferred to the Air Transport Command. Some limited use was also made of the C-109 in Europe.
Conversions of B-24s to C-109s:
42-7172/7229 Ford B-24E-20-FO Liberator 7221 converted to XC-109 42-51293/51395 Douglas-Tulsa B-24J-5-DT Liberator 51368 converted to C-109 51390 converted to C-109 42-51396/51430 Douglas-Tulsa B-24J-10-DT Liberator 51411 converted to C-109 51420 converted to C-109 51424/51427 converted to C-109 51429 converted to C-109 42-51611/51825 Ford B-24J-10-FO Liberator 51615 converted to C-109 51647 converted to C-109 51659 converted to C-109 51676 converted to C-109 51684 converted to C-109 51697 converted to C-109 51706 converted to C-109 51712 converted to C-109 51716 converted to C-109 51721 converted to C-109 51727 converted to C-109 51730 converted to C-109 51734 converted to C-109 51740 converted to C-109 51748 converted to C-109 51756 converted to C-109 51758 converted to C-109 51766 converted to C-109 51774 converted to C-109 51782 converted to C-109 51784 converted to C-109 51786 converted to C-109 51788 converted to C-109 51792/51793 converted to C-109 51809/51810 converted to C-109 51817 converted to C-109 51825 converted to C-109 42-51826/52075 Ford B-24J-15-FO Liberator 51826 converted to C-109 51830 converted to C-109 51839 converted to C-109 51844 converted to C-109 51846/51847 converted to C-109 51849/51850 converted to C-109 51854 converted to C-109 51857 converted to C-109 51860 converted to C-109 51862 converted to C-109 51876/51877 converted to C-109 51883 converted to C-109 51887 converted to C-109 51890 converted to C-109 51893 converted to C-109 51901 converted to C-109 51904 converted to C-109 51921 converted to C-109 51930 converted to C-109 51962 converted to C-109 51982/51983 converted to C-109 52000/52001 converted to C-109 52005/52006 converted to C-109 52012 converted to C-109 52014 converted to C-109 52020/52021 converted to C-109 52023 converted to C-109 52033 converted to C-109 52042 converted to C-109 52049 converted to C-109 44-48754/49001 Ford B-24J-20-FO Liberator 48755 converted to C-109 48792 converted to C-109 48877 converted to C-109 48879 converted to C-109 48882/48883 converted to C-109 48888 converted to C-109 48890/48892 converted to C-109 48948 converted to C-109 48968 converted to C-109 48974 converted to C-109 48979 converted to C-109 48984 converted to C-109 48995/48996 converted to C-109 49001 converted to C-109 44-49002/49251 Ford B-24L-1-FO Liberator 49007/49009 converted to C-109 49011/49020 converted to C-109 49022/49023 converted to C-109 49025 converted to C-109 49030/49031 converted to C-109 49034/49035 converted to C-109 49037 converted to C-109 49040 converted to C-109 49045/49046 converted to C-109 49050/49051 converted to C-109 49057 converted to C-109 49059/49060 converted to C-109 49062/49063 converted to C-109 49065 converted to C-109 49067 converted to C-109 49071 converted to C-109 49075 converted to C-109 49077 converted to C-109 49079 converted to C-109 49184 converted to C-109 49191 converted to C-109 49197 converted to C-109 49204 converted to C-109 49208 converted to C-109 49219 converted to C-109 49222 converted to C-109 49230 converted to C-109 49234/49236 converted to C-109 49238 converted to C-109 49240 converted to C-109 49245/49249 converted to C-109 49251 converted to C-109 44-49252/49501 Ford B-24L-5-FO Liberator 49253 converted to C-109 49255/49258 converted to C-109 49265 converted to C-109 49267 converted to C-109 49269/49272 converted to C-109 49274/49277 converted to C-109 49280/49281 converted to C-109 49283/49285 converted to C-109 49288/49290 converted to C-109 49292 converted to C-109 49295 converted to C-109 49299 converted to C-109 49302/49303 converted to C-109 49305 converted to C-109 49313 converted to C-109 49317 converted to C-109 49319 converted to C-109 49326 converted to C-109 49330 converted to C-109 49333 converted to C-109 49337 converted to C-109 49344 converted to C-109 49348 converted to C-109 49351/49354 converted to C-109 49358/49359 converted to C-109 49445 converted to C-109 49466 converted to C-109 49490 converted to C-109 44-49502/49751 Ford B-24L-10-FO Liberator 49510 converted to C-109 49615 converted to C-109 49621 converted to C-109 49628 converted to C-109 49660 converted to C-109 49662 converted to C-109 49684 converted to C-109 49691 converted to C-109 49704 converted to C-109 49715 converted to C-109 49720 converted to C-109 49723 converted to C-109 49728 converted to C-109
Sources:
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Famous Bombers of the Second World War, William Green,
Doubleday, 1959.
-
Liberator: America's Global Bomber, Alwyn T. Lloyd,
Pictorial Histories Publishing Co, Inc, 1993.
-
The Consolidated B-24J Liberator, Roger A. Freeman,
Profile Publications, Inc. 1969.
-
B-24 Liberator in Action, Larry Davis, Squadron/Signal Publications
Inc, 1987.
-
General Dynamics Aircraft and Their Predecesssors, John Wegg,
Naval Institute Press, 1990.
-
Consolidated B-24D-M Liberator IN USAAF-RAF-RAAF-MLD-IAF-CzechAF
and CNAF Service, Ernest R. McDowell, Arco, 1970.
-
United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.
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American Combat Planes, 3rd Enlarged Edition, Ray Wagner,
Doubleday, 1982.
- Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century, Michael J.H. Taylor, Mallard Press.
