Consolidated B-24M Liberator, 44-41986 / 5922, US Army Air Force
This picture is © Jay Sherlock Collection and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: 44-41986
Construction Number: 5922
Model Consolidated B-24M Liberator
Operator: US Army Air Force
Airport: Air-to-Air - Ohio, USA
Photographer: Jay Sherlock Collection
Date Taken: 1946
Date Submitted: 12/06/2025
The aircraft was assigned to NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) for use in aircraft icing research, which was being conducted by NACAâs Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory at Lewis Field, Ohio. In this configuration, the B-24M was used in an early study of ice buildup on jet engines. A General Electric I-16 engine was installed in the aircraft's waist compartment in 1946, with the exhaust pipe extending out of the aircraftâs tail cone. The air scoop on the top of the aircraft ducted cold external air to the engine inside. Water spray nozzles in front of the intake simulated icing conditions at the turbojet's intake. NACA photo, from NASA historical archives.
Picture ID:1941245