The Consolidated R2Y, also designated as the XR2Y-1 and referred to as the "Liberator Liner," was a specialized transport aircraft developed by Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, California. Designed as a derivative of the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber, the R2Y (Consolidated Model 39) was intended to provide the U.S. Navy with a long-range capability for transporting personnel, mail, and cargo to distant bases. The aircraft first flew on April 15, 1944.
Technically, the R2Y was a hybrid design. It utilized the tricycle landing gear and high-aspect-ratio Davis airfoil wing of the B-24, which tapered from 22% thickness at the root to 9.3% at the tip. To enhance its stability and performance, it adopted the vertical stabilizer from the PB4Y Privateer. The most significant departure from its bomber origins was the implementation of an entirely new, pressurized fuselage featuring cabin windows, giving the aircraft an appearance similar to a smaller Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The R2Y was designed to accommodate 48 passengers and 1,200 lb (550 kg) of mail.
Power was provided by four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-94 two-row, air-cooled radial piston engines, each producing 1,200 hp (900 kW) for a total output of 4,800 hp. This configuration allowed for a cruise speed of 240 mph (380 km/h) and a significant range of 4,000 miles (6,400 km) when cruising at 200 mph. The aircraft had a gross weight of 56,000 lb (25,000 kg) and a maximum takeoff weight of 64,000 lb (29,000 kg), with a wingspan of 110 ft 0 in and a length of 90 ft 0 in.
Despite its advanced features for 1944, the R2Y never entered series production. Following a brief evaluation by the U.S. Navy, the prototype was judged unsatisfactory for naval requirements and the program was cancelled. Only one prototype was completed and flown. After its military evaluation, the aircraft was demilitarized and returned to Convair—the entity formed by the 1943 merger of Consolidated and Vultee Aircraft. Convair subsequently leased the aircraft to American Airlines, where it operated as a freighter named the "City of Salinas," capable of carrying up to 12,000 lb (5,500 kg) of cargo.
Today, no R2Y airframes are known to survive. The aircraft's legacy persists through historical documentation and imagery held by the San Diego Air & Space Museum, representing an early attempt to adapt wartime bomber technology for civilian and logistical transport roles.