Collings Foundation B17g "909"

Low Ball

dvl — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:53:08 +0000

The ball is very close to the ground. Not a place to be during landings if you have a choice!

Sperry Ball Turret

dvl — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:47:10 +0000

Could ball turret gunners hit anything? The position seems impossible and the visibility limited. Hand-eye coordination would have to be exceptional.

Note the port under the .50 caliber for the ejection of spent brass. I wonder how much of this brass remains scattered across the fields of Europe.

Ball Turret Hatch

dvl — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:41:14 +0000

The Sperry Ball Turret. I don’t think any part of the B17 captured my imagination as much as this drafty, insecure-looking station.

This was not open for inspection, and the plexiglass was so age-crazed that I could barely see inside. I hope to return to this aircraft in the future and have a good look, camera in hand.

Cowl Flaps

dvl — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:16:11 +0000

The back door to one of the supercharged Wright-Cyclone Radial Engines.

Inside the Engine Nacelle

dvl — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:35:55 +0000

She throws a little oil.

The engine nacelles are mostly empty space, as the radial engines are very short and mounted ahead of the wing.

Not so empty when the main gear are retracted, however.

When you see the myriad cables and oil lines, it’s a wonder how critical elements were ever missed when under attack.

Bomb Bay Door Drive

dvl — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:21:26 +0000

This is very likely to be someone’s street address: 17 Bay Drive. It’s the motor and shaft that operates the bomb bay doors.

The shaft sticking out of the top of the drive is no doubt for hand-cranking the doors in the event of a motor failure.

Top Turret Drive Motor

dvl — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 01:05:29 +0000

A 2 horse, intermittent duty electric motor drives the turret. I’m guessing that there is some sort of planetary gear in the center that turns the shafts in opposite directions

A complex bit of machinery.

Top Turret Controls

dvl — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:49:27 +0000

The controls for the top turret. As you can tell by the appearance of my legs in the shot, it was taken at a downward angle.

Top Turret View Aft

dvl — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:28:14 +0000

The flight engineer’s view aft.

The noise of two .50 caliber Brownings must have been deafening, being maybe 12″ from each ear!

Top Turret

dvl — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:17:10 +0000

The business end of the top turret’s twin 50s.