B-24D Liberator "She'Asta" 530th, 380th BG, 5th Air Force, 1943 in 1/144 scale die cast by HObby Master # HA9106. The Consolidated B-24D Liberator “She’Asta” serial 42-40512 c/n 1589 completed manufacturing on March 15, 1943, the first flight was on March 17 and accepted by the US Military March 18, 1943. The aircraft arrived in Australia on May 2, 1943 and originally assigned to the 531st BS then the 530th BS. “She’Asta” flew 28 missions and is credited with downing at least 8 enemy aircraft; four on one mission. The aircraft was SOC (Struck Off Charge) with the U.S. Military on December 18, 1943 and transferred to the RAAF on March 3, 1944 with serial A72-5. In 1949 the aircraft was scrapped. The B-24 was the most produced American bomber in WWII. The demand was so great that
Consolidated was unable to keep up so contracts were awarded to Douglas, Ford and North American. The D variant became the most numerous with 2,698. The design of the B-24 allowed it to carry the same payload as the Boeing B-17 and do it faster and further. Compared to the sleek look of the B-17 the B-24 looked awkward and B-17 crews referred to it as “the crate the B-17 was shipped in”.