Warbird Information Exchange

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this site are the responsibility of the poster and do not reflect the views of the management.
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:22 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Sun Nov 28, 2021 5:33 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member

Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm
Posts: 7540
B-29 gunnery trainer at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, late 1944.
Funky looking contraptions.

Image

_________________
[Thread title is ridiculous btw]


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:43 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2004 8:11 am
Posts: 2373
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Structure looks like built out of wood!!!!

If so must have been very shaky when firing!!!!!!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:51 am 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!

Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 12:28 pm
Posts: 1157
neat, no guns, or the maybe censored out? Looks like the even copied the tail gunner window shapes.

I like the ones on Saipan that I believe Mark posted earlier, made from real B-29 bits!


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2021 3:15 pm 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:00 pm
Posts: 2128
Location: Utah
In the summer heat in Vegas - they look more like B-29 shaped ovens to me :P

It makes me wonder how much use they got - does not appear to have any power immediately available, and as stated before - no guns or real turrets - unless censored out.

Tom P.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:00 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:11 pm
Posts: 1911
Location: Pacific Northwest USA, via North Florida
wendovertom wrote:
In the summer heat in Vegas - they look more like B-29 shaped ovens to me :P
That's exactly what I thought.
Many years ago I knew a gentleman who'd been a B-17 co-pilot with the 91st BG, and he wound up at Vegas. I remember him telling me how oppressively hot it was and how little accommodation had been made for the heat.

_________________
Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 8:19 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:17 pm
Posts: 692
Location: Deepinahearta, TX.
I’m guessing that if wreck chasers were to pinpoint the location, they’d find 12 concrete footings and a lot of burned lumber.

_________________
Cheers,

Craig

Facebook Groups:

U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky HRS / CH-19 Helicopter Database
U.S. Coast Guard Sikorsky HO4S / HH-19 Helicopter Database


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:14 pm 
Offline
Long Time Member
Long Time Member

Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm
Posts: 7540
Something doesn’t seem right with these two platforms. Could they have been used for some other training tool? Perhaps “Manipulation” had a different meaning.

_________________
[Thread title is ridiculous btw]


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:50 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:18 pm
Posts: 53
Location: Colorado
From a history of Air Education and Training Command:
"Throughout 1944, B-29 gunners received practically the same training as those for other aircraft, but at the end of the year a few of them began to receive training in B-24s modified by the addition of central fire control turrets to make them more like B-29s. Then, as the year progressed, Buckingham Field, Florida; Las Vegas Field. Nevada; and Harlingen Field, Texas, all began offering B-29 gunnery instruction … Among the training devices used in this instruction was the manipulation trainer...1 2 [sic] towers arranged to resemble a formation of planes. The towers ranged in height from 10 to 40 feet, each equipped with 2 nose, 2 tail, 2 ring sighting, and 4 blister positions. As students in these positions faced simulated attacks from PT-13 and PT-17 aircraft, they "fired" camera guns at the attacking fighters."

_________________
474th Fighter Group (WWII) Historian


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 11:25 pm 
Offline
1000+ Posts!
1000+ Posts!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:48 pm
Posts: 1625
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
sandiego89 wrote:
I like the ones on Saipan that I believe Mark posted earlier, made from real B-29 bits!

As the links to the pictures have since broken, for future reference, an archived version of the relevant thread can be found here: Saipan Gunnery Range ...

_________________
Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:26 am 
Offline
2000+ Post Club
2000+ Post Club

Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm
Posts: 2520
https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/loc ... las-vegas/

Go to the end of Range Rd. (in Street View), Look E-NE, mountain range.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/I-215 ... 15.1342161

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:33 am 
Offline
Been here a long time
Been here a long time

Joined: Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am
Posts: 11276
eagle0025 wrote:
As students in these positions faced simulated attacks from PT-13 and PT-17 aircraft, they "fired" camera guns at the attacking fighters."
I sure hope the Stearmans got the opportunity to shoot back! Sounds like fun duty.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Jim MacDonald, kalamazookid and 118 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group