B-17 info needed
Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:26 am
looking for info on a B-17 named "Fast Worker". 8th AF?
Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:34 am
Fri Nov 16, 2007 6:45 pm
I've never seen that kind of gun arrangement on a B-17 before. With the two .303's in the nose, like the taile gunner position. Kinda cool looking.
Can someone tell me how well this arrangement worked?
Cheers,
David
Can someone tell me how well this arrangement worked?
Cheers,
David
Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:09 pm
According to Freeman, the twin 50 mod was standard for many VIII Air Service Command ships. The B-17's so equipped obviously did not carry a bombsight and toggled their loads on a signal from the lead a/c. The recoil in this type of installation made them difficult to handle. This mod was used on E's and F's.
Steve G
Steve G
Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:55 pm
Cool, thanks for filling me in.
-David
-David
Sat Nov 17, 2007 2:52 am
The twin 50 set up is exactly like what was used in the tail turret of the B-17 (both the regular and Cheyenne).
The mounts were recoil absorbing Bell E-11 cradles that were clamped together front and rear.
I made one for a documentary but it never made the final cut. It really rocked!
Here is my daughter after shooting it:.
That's my little girl! what a proud papa.
The mounts were recoil absorbing Bell E-11 cradles that were clamped together front and rear.
I made one for a documentary but it never made the final cut. It really rocked!
Here is my daughter after shooting it:.
That's my little girl! what a proud papa.
Sat Nov 17, 2007 3:52 am
Dude, that is awsome.
Sat Nov 17, 2007 6:49 am
Love the scope set-up there Taigh 
One would guess with twin .50s though, a scope is probably not needed
Very cool!
One would guess with twin .50s though, a scope is probably not needed
Very cool!
Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:24 am
Yeah, the scope is a real joke but I put it on for fun. That scope was a standard installation on a lot of aircraft early in WWII. It can be found on the flex gun in the back of the AT-6C & D, Martin B-26 waist guns and a bunch of other flexible gun installations. I can see why it didn't stick around long though as it certainly has a narrow field of view. I guess it was similar to the long telescopes seen on the F3F and many other pre war aircraft.
One thing I noticed when shooting the 50, with the ring and bead sights, is they were not very precise, and they weren't meant to be. In flight you were mostly leading the target by large amounts. Rarely were you pointing the gun straight at the target thus a fine cross hair was not really needed.
The ground 50's in WWII had more conventional rifle type sights and they even had sniper scopes both of which had adjustments for windage and elevation. So does that scope on the twin mount shown above. I am amazed that a scope and mount assembly used on flexible guns in flying aircraft had knobs for deflection and elevation! I would sure love to talk to a gunnery instructor from those days to ask him what the theory was back then.
Since 50 ammo is over $5 a shot sometimes it is more fun to see if you can hit a target a mile away with a single shot. When you use the ring and bead sight for this type of shooting the bead completely covers the target you are aiming at. This is why the scope comes in handy for plinking.
One thing I noticed when shooting the 50, with the ring and bead sights, is they were not very precise, and they weren't meant to be. In flight you were mostly leading the target by large amounts. Rarely were you pointing the gun straight at the target thus a fine cross hair was not really needed.
The ground 50's in WWII had more conventional rifle type sights and they even had sniper scopes both of which had adjustments for windage and elevation. So does that scope on the twin mount shown above. I am amazed that a scope and mount assembly used on flexible guns in flying aircraft had knobs for deflection and elevation! I would sure love to talk to a gunnery instructor from those days to ask him what the theory was back then.
Since 50 ammo is over $5 a shot sometimes it is more fun to see if you can hit a target a mile away with a single shot. When you use the ring and bead sight for this type of shooting the bead completely covers the target you are aiming at. This is why the scope comes in handy for plinking.
Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:44 am
I've got a couple of the Perfex sights (SIGHT, TELESCOPIC, M1). I had to look for a very long time for these, they are hard to come by and very expensive.Taigh Ramey wrote:The ground 50's in WWII had more conventional rifle type sights and they even had sniper scopes both of which had adjustments for windage and elevation.
Sat Nov 17, 2007 4:45 pm
Hey BDK,
I think I saw a post you put on G503 about the great find you made getting two of the sights on eBay. Well done!
Would you consider parting with one? Is there something you are looking for so I could entice you into a trade?
Taigh
I think I saw a post you put on G503 about the great find you made getting two of the sights on eBay. Well done!
Would you consider parting with one? Is there something you are looking for so I could entice you into a trade?
Taigh
Sat Nov 17, 2007 10:52 pm
What a gal, Taigh! I'd be proud of that little girl too.
Canso42
Canso42
Sat Nov 17, 2007 11:05 pm
In 'Fortress of the Skies' from Osprey Pub. theres a photo (p.62) of a similar though quite crude setup of twin nose guns. They were in the top half of the nose and the gunner had his head up in this thing that looked like a Tupperware lettuce crisper sticking out of the top right behind the plexi nose.
Canso42
Canso42
Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:47 am
Taigh Ramey wrote:
I think I saw a post you put on G503 about the great find you made getting two of the sights on eBay. Well done!
Would you consider parting with one? Is there something you are looking for so I could entice you into a trade?
Taigh
Taigh, you into jeeps too????? I own a few M series.