B-24 Liberator Rupert the Roo II
A total of 18,493 four-engine twin-tail Consolidated B-24 Liberators were built to sustain the World War II effort, more than any other aircraft during the war. There are only eight B-24 surviving aircraft today. One is located at the Global Power Museum at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana.
It was built as Serial Number 44-48781, Construction Number 3636, at the Ford Willow Run assembly plant.
"Rupert the Roo II" is the only Ford-built B-24J remaining in the world. During World War II, this aircraft served as a combat crew trainer and was stationed at Chanute Field, Illinois, and also at Langley Field, Virginia.
After WWII was over in 1945, like so many other B-24s, the plane was sent to an aircraft boneyard for sale or dismantling.
However, the plane escaped the guillotine and smelter, and in 1946 was purchased by the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, OK, and used by the school until 1960.
![]() B-24 Liberator at the Barksdale AFB museum painted as "Laden Maiden" |
In 1962 it was sold to A&S Scrap Metals of Tulsa. The plane then sat derelict at the Tulsa Airport until about 1974.
The stripped-out airframe hulk was later acquired by the Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and moved to Barksdale AFB in December of 1978 by two CH-54 Skycrane helicopters.
The B-24 at the Global Power Museum was painted as "Laden Maiden" and later as "Louisiana Belle II". It has now been repainted as "Rupert the Roo II" with Serial Number 273076, in desert sand livery as a B-24 might have appeared while serving in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.
B-24J Liberator "Rupert the Roo II" Photographs
Consolidated (Ford) B-24J Liberator "Rupert the Roo II" at the Barksdale Global Power Museum |
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B-24J Liberator Painted as "Louisiana Belle II"
Consolidated (Ford) B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at the Barksdale Global Power Museum |
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Consolidated B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at Barksdale AFB |
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B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 at Barksdale Air Force Base |
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B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 in Bossier City, Louisiana |
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Front guns on the B-24J Liberator "Louisiana Belle II" S/N 44-8781 |
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Right tail section of the B-24J Liberator S/N 44-8781 |
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Tail guns on B-24J Liberator 448781 in Louisiana |
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List of Other Surviving B-24 Liberators
Of the massive numbers of Liberators that were built, only thirteen are known to exist around the world, either on display (10), under restoration (1), or airworthy (2).
In the United States, only two aircraft are airworthy, and six complete airplanes are on static display, for a total of eight B-24 Liberator survivors, shown below listed by state. Other Liberators are on display around the world.
In the United States | ||||||
Model |
S/N |
Name |
Location |
Status |
City |
ST |
B-24J |
44-44175 |
Bungay Buckaroo | Pima Air & Space Museum | Static Display | Tucson | AZ |
B-24M |
44-41916 |
Shady Lady | Castle Air Museum | Static Display | Atwater | CA |
B-24J |
44-44272 |
Joe | Fantasy of Flight Museum | Static Display | Polk City | FL |
B-24J |
44-48781 |
Rupert the Roo II (former Louisiana Belle) | Global Power Museum Barksdale AFB |
Static Display | Bossier City | LA |
B-24J |
44-44052 |
Witchcraft | Collings Foundation | Airworthy | Stow | MA |
B-24D |
42-72843 |
Strawberry Bitch | National Museum of the U.S. Air Force | Static Display | Dayton | OH |
B-24A |
40-2366 |
Diamond Lil | CAF at Dallas Executive Airport | Airworthy | Dallas | TX |
B-24D |
41-23908 |
Unnamed B-24 | Hill Aerospace Museum | Static Display | Ogden | UT |
In Other Countries | ||||
Model |
S/N |
Location |
Status |
City |
B-24L |
44-50206 | Royal Air Force Museum | Static Display | London, UK |
B-24M |
44-51228 | Imperial War Museum | Static Display | Duxford, UK |
B-24L |
44-50154 | Canada Aviation and Space Museum | Static Display | Ottawa, Canada |
B-24J |
44-44213 | Indian Air Force Museum | Static Display | Delhi, India |
B-24M |
44-41956 | Former RAAF Werribee Aerodrome | Under Restoration | Victoria, Australia |