Warbird Information Exchange

Just found this over at a new favorite site, http://www.shorpy.com... it's listed as a C-87 under construction (obviously- note the cargo door cutout), but look at the tail...



Lynn

Yeah, the C-87's (at least some of them) apparently had their own tail gunner's position for self defense. It's a different position from any of the other B-24 mounts, including the "A" model. Thanks for posting your picture. It's always neat to see those factory shots.

Here's a look at the finished product. Looks like a lot more room than ours has......




Gary

Lynn,

Here's a photo of the finished product in a later production C-87:

One .50 caliber gun, and most of the glazing omitted as on the factory photo you posted.
Scott

wow, neat fact, didn't know the c-87 had rear protection, but the set up doesn't provide much confidence in it's arrangement!! twin 30.s on a tripod??? talk about a rig job!!! may as well have had a straw with paper spit wads!!!

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tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Here is a shot of the tail gun mount from the inside--notice that it is virtually identical to the mount Gary fabricated for the tunnel position on Ol' 927.


And here is a photo of a later C-87 at work.

Man, how do you reckon they got that ox and the cart in there with all of the other PX items?

Gary

Good one, boss!!

There are two windows above the rear gun position.

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Cheers,
Peter

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neat photos!

very interesting photo, thanks for sharing.

Does the jigging around the aircraft indicate that this is where the wings and fuselage were mated? Or are those jigs in place simply to keep the aircraft straight and even when it is having major airframe work done?

again, great pic, thanks

greg v

P.S. I wonder what the fellas up front are digging?

This is another that must be a C-87 too you can see what looks like a skinned over turret hole.

Great stuff in the archives!

So Gary...are you gonna need a set of these tools to put the bomb bay back in Ol' 927?

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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....I didn't even know it was B-24 mating season! Ol' 927 better watch out, with that face lift she will be getting a lot of attention this season.[/quote]

Looks like a jig arrangement, although I'd like to hear a Foreman's input on that! And looks like the guys are digging the footings for the next set, although it seems a little close.

Twin .303 was standard armament on a number of early war RAF types - the Handley Page Hampden being the most obvious with dorsal and ventral positions - each gun was drum fed, too. Swordfish, Battles, and many others had ONE .303 Vickers K or VGO as rear defence. Brave men, poor equipment.

Cheers

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Wow!

And I’ve been saying how we over-built the T-28 wing jig.

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