Consolidated P4Y-2K Privateer

Consolidated Aircraft · United States · first flew 1943 · reconnaissance aircraft

The P4Y-2K (originally PB4Y-2K) Privateer was a drone-converted variant of the Consolidated Privateer maritime patrol aircraft used as a full-scale aerial target.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	22.73 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Drone-converted PB4Y-2 Privateer with K suffix denoting target drone
Single-fin tall tail distinguishes Privateer from twin-fin B-24/PB4Y-1
Four radial piston engines on parasol wing

Distinguished from the related PB4Y-1 (B-24) by its single tall fin rather than twin fins; the Privateer has a longer fuselage and revised tail compared to the Liberator.

Specifications

The Consolidated P4Y-2K Privateer has a length of 22.73 m (75 ft).
It has a wingspan of 33.53 m (110 ft).
Its maximum speed is 382 km/h (237 mph).
Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The U.S. Navy converted surplus PB4Y-2 Privateers into target drones in the late 1940s and 1950s; the K suffix indicates the drone conversion. Some were used in Operation Crossroads nuclear tests and later as targets for missile development programmes.

Variants

The PB4Y-2 was the standard patrol bomber; the PB4Y-2K (later P4Y-2K under 1962 redesignation) was the drone version; the PB4Y-1 was the Liberator-derived predecessor with twin fins.

Where you'll see it

Operated by the U.S. Navy as aerial targets; the last examples were expended in missile tests by the mid-1950s.

Related aircraft

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