Warbird Information Exchange

I just added this post to the aerovintage website. For readers here, this is not new information. But on Facebook and other sites, and in some books too, you see these things repeated over and over. I thought it worth throwing eight (actually nine) of them together with explanations.

https://www.aerovintage.com/2024/03/24/eight-myths-about-the-b-17/

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Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

Bonus Myth #10: A B-17 That Has A Chin Turret Can’t Be a B-17F

Mostly true, but there's at least one exception: 42-6030.

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I think there were a number of late production B-17Fs that had chin turrets...it was a short-lived but a bit confusing transition from B-17F to B-17G.

Also, of particular interest to me is that a bunch of the surplus and unwanted B-25 Bendix lower turrets were supposedly shipped to England to be installed on B-17Fs as a stop gap measure. They retained the same aiming system as used in the B-25 and was just as unsuccessful in practice. Those modified B-17s (if any) evidently had the turrets quickly removed and the groups just waited for the new B-17Gs. (Source: AAF Study Development of Aircraft Gun Turrets in the AAF, 1917-1944).

I've been looking for a photo of one of those Bendix B-25 turrets on a B-17F but have come up empty so far. The B-25 turret had a different cover than that later used on the B-17G, and most likely retained the aiming periscope sight window on the turret.

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Scott Thompson
Aero Vintage Books
http://www.aerovintage.com
WIX Subscriber Since July 2017

I'll add one that crops up in many reference books and detail sets for model kits: "B-17 ball turrets had external ammunition bins." The ammo cans on B-17 ball turret were internal. The ones with the external ammo bins overhead were used on the B-24 and B-32. I think the confusion comes from several restored B-17s which have the external bins (that's not a knock on the restorers. I presume they went with that type of turret because it was all that was available.)

Steve

For the ball turret ammunition, as part of Maj. Robert J. Reed's B-17 modification test project program, an external ammunition supply for the ball turret was added, thereby affording the gunner with more room. In addition, this improved gunner comfort, as the gunner would now be able to wear a backpack parachute. Short, straight chutes were added to conduct ejected links out of the side of the turret thereby eliminating the cause of many stoppages. Unlike the standard ball turret this would make it possible to raise the gun covers ninety degrees to clear a blockage or make and adjustments.

"Reed’s “Dreamboat” ...
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=67817

I wonder if it is in any way related to the ejector chutes seen on some PB-1W nose turrets. It also reminds me of the venturi tube fume extractors on some B-25s in the sense of "getting things out of the airplane you don't want to be there".

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

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