Today: WWII Bomber On Display At Madison Airport
B-24A Bomber Is World's Oldest Flying 4-Engine Plane

POSTED: 3:35 pm CDT July 26, 2005
UPDATED: 10:02 am CDT August 1, 2005

MADISON, Wis. -- The world’s oldest flying four-engined plane -- the only B-24A bomber of WWII still remaining -- will be on display at the Dane County Regional Airport Aug. 2-4. (It arrives Monday, Aug. 1.)

The 1941 model Liberator I is an example of aviation technology from the early era of modern flight. The plane was built as an LB-30/B-24A for use by the British and French governments to protect the maritime convoys supplying England and the Allies prior to the United States entering the war.

Named “Diamond Lil,” the plane was converted during the war to a VIP transport and flew heads of state to exotic locations. The LB-30 Liberator quickly became the plane so familiar to all Allied air forces as the B-24 heavy bomber, and although almost 19,000 were built, few remain.

The display is sponsored by the American Airpower Heritage Museum, also known as The Commemorative Air Force.

Heck, I just have to look up to see a whole load of old planes for the next couple days. EAA is going on. I love this week, the warbirds always fly over my house practicing their formations.

Saturday morning they flew over in the missing man formation. I suppose they are flying that due to the warbird that crashed and killed the pilot on the way to the EAA show.

What an impressive sight to see all these old planes, all day everyday for a week.

Jeff

Yup. Haven't been there in years but I recall it being a heck of a lot of fun

Last weekend, the B-17 landed at Madison and my Father and his wife took a ride in it. Got some cool photos of her maning the 50 cal

I think they said about 3,000 planes came in this year. It is amazing the famous people that fly in for this almost every year.

I have met Harrison Ford there, Rusty Wallace and quite a few others that love to fly.

This year Sir Richard Branson was there, with the GlobalFlyer, that would have been so cool to see.

I flew on the concorde there a long time ago. Also got to fly on a B-52 there.

Jeff