How indigenous ‘jugaad’ helped Indian Air Force get its first heavy bomber ‘Libby’

The Indian Air Force from time to time shares interesting facts about the history of the Indian Armed Forces’ air arm. In its recent thread about the IAF history, the division has shared the story of indigenous ‘jugaad’ that helped the Indian Air Force to develop its first heavy bomber ‘Libby’. As revealed by the Indian Air Force, the need for the country's first heavy bomber felt in mid-1948, when it was decided to raise a training squadron by October 1948. As India was a newly independent country at that time, it lacked resources to build a indigenous heavy bomber but the ‘jugaad’ or talent to make the best out of something helped India get its first heavy bomber squadron of 6 Libbies. Now you may be wondering what is a Libby?

Libby is a short form of Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber that was used by Great Britain’s Royal Air Force while they were ruling over India. Along with the B-24 Liberator, India airfields were also a graveyard of ex-USAAF bombers. The 4-engined bombers required a crew of 8-10 and had a maximum speed of 290 mph along with a range of 2100 miles. The armament included a bomb load of up to 5000 lbs and 10 x .50 calibre Browning MGs.

#IAFHistory
This is the story of the IAF's 1st heavy bomber & the indigenous jugaad that helped the IAF develop this capability. The need for a Hy Bbr was 1st felt in mid-1948, when it was decided to raise a training sqn by Oct 48, an opl sqn by Jan 49 & a 2nd opl sqn by Feb 50. pic.twitter.com/tywuqS3PfG

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 6, 2023

The 'Libby' had made its Indian debut in November 1942, with the USAAF's 160th Sqn. Soon upgraded with the ASV MKV radar, it began maritime patrols in the area of Rangoon- Bangkok-Andamans. By 1945, there were as many as 10 sqns in-theatre, besides the 252 (Tpt) Lib Sqn in Delhi.

After WWII, nearly 100 of these surplus B-24s had found their way to Chakeri, Kanpur. A small team from the IAF. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited carried out a prelim survey and within a year, over 45 Libbies were sent for repairs. The 1st batch of 6 refurbished Libbies landed at Palam in November 1948. From 1947 to 1956, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited recovered approximately 40 Libbies. Also read: 2023 Auto Expo on Noida-Greater Noida Expressway - Address, dates, ticket price, Metro routes from Delhi, Gurugram, Noida