Cheyenne Modification Center, Wyoming, 1944.

[Scott Rose]

The first series of photos shows just one of the modifications (Left bulged cheek gun position) made to brand new B-17G's flown to Cheyenne Wyoming in 1944 straight from the factory. This starts out showing what this position looked like on these new G models before modification, these three small windows on each side of the nose had not changed since the pre-war B-17C/D models. The girls start out by using a cold chisel and a ball peen hammer.

The second series show the installation of the Cheyenne tail turret modifications.

Source: Steve Whitby‎ via Fans of the B-17 Flying Fortress(FaceBook)

[Scott Rose]

And the Tail Turret Mods...

[AG pilot]

Those are some really fantastic photos of the process! Thanks for posting them!

[phil65]

WOW...

Not a lot of hearing or eye protection...

Phil

[Decamara]

WOW...

Not a lot of hearing or eye protection...

Phil

And that’s all ya got from all this???

[Mark Sampson]

Wow indeed. The photo of the tech sitting in the opening shows just how cramped the tail-gunner was. That must be why I've never seen anyone in the tail position in modern times... certainly no passengers would want to crawl back there. The pictures also show how much better the visibility was in the Cheyenne turret. Certainly a very useful modification!

[Spitty]

Cold chisels and tin snips..It aint pretty but its quick and it works..

[sandiego89]

Wow indeed. The photo of the tech sitting in the opening shows just how cramped the tail-gunner was. That must be why I've never seen anyone in the tail position in modern times... certainly no passengers would want to crawl back there. The pictures also show how much better the visibility was in the Cheyenne turret. Certainly a very useful modification!

Indeed great pictures.

Prompted me to google the bail out procedures and seating position for the B-17 tail gunner. Looks like they were sitting on the stool with their feet behind them (sitting on their knees). And would have to go forward to the tail gunner bail out hatch for egress- not encouraging.

http://www.303rdbg.com/bailout.html

[bdk]

What a fantastic series of photos! I'm sure the crewmembers really appreciated the improvements.

Thanks for posting those. I love all the details.

[StangStung]

Remarkable series of pics!

Two questions for the WIX intelligentsia:

1. In the last couple pics of the tail mod, you can see what appears to be some sort of thin "fin" or wind guard(?) on either side of the mod. What was this? I don't think I've seen it on modern restos. Maybe I've overlooked it?

2. Does anyone know what this mod facility looks like now? Pics?

[Dan Jones]

I never gave it much thought but the nose of a B-17 must have been a very crowded and busy place with those two extra .50's in the side mounts and the bombardier manning the chin turret. It doesn't look like the cheek guns would have had much of a field of fire? Very interesting series of pictures.

[maxum96]

Great pictures thanks for sharing those Scott. My grandmother worked on B-17's at Cheyenne. She died when I was very young, so I don't really remember her much. I'll show the pictures to my mom and she if she sees my grandmother in any of them.

[shrike]

[quote="StangStung"]Remarkable series of pics!

Two questions for the WIX intelligentsia:

1. In the last couple pics of the tail mod, you can see what appears to be some sort of thin "fin" or wind guard(?) on either side of the mod. What was this? I don't think I've seen it on modern restos. Maybe I've overlooked it?

Yankee Lady has them, but it looks like they were deleted somewhere in the production process. Spoilers to cut down drag on the guns - may have turned out not to be as big a problem in practice as anticipated.

[Chris Brame]

Photos #000056353, 54, 55, 56, 66, 67, 68, and 69 are all printed in reverse; note the serial numbers and the position of the opening hatch window (should be on the starboard side).

Note that some Boeing-built planes destined for training bases didn't go through Cheyenne for the mods:

[phil65]

Wow indeed. The photo of the tech sitting in the opening shows just how cramped the tail-gunner was. That must be why I've never seen anyone in the tail position in modern times... certainly no passengers would want to crawl back there. The pictures also show how much better the visibility was in the Cheyenne turret. Certainly a very useful modification!

I'm not sure you can get to the tail gunner position in flight. Isn't there a little extra door after the tail wheel to get to the tail gunner position ?

Phil