Aluminum Overcast's ball turret in action!

Zachary · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:44 pm

WIXer Chris Cott stars in this video about the restoration of EAA's B-17 ball turret:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/pla ... 1171263001

Chris and the rest of the guys at the EAA Weeks Hangar did a heck of a job - well done guys!

Zack

spookythecat · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:18 pm

To quote Sean D Tucker.... YEAH BABY!!!!!

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:19 pm

Kool! A job well done. For the period of time the EAA has owned this B-17 has a ball turret always been in place on it?

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:28 pm

This has probably been discussed here before but which other B-17's if any also have operating ball turrets?

Pogo · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:23 pm

If I may be permitted a moment to go off-topic...........

The video of interest is evidently one of those huge bytes-packed monsters, as opposed to the more streamlined typical YouTube venture. The difference becomes manifest as a nice little vid to watch versus a wait for everything to load, then a little bit of watching, then another pause to load, then a little more watching, than another wait for more to load, then ..... well, you get the idea. I have a reasonably competent computer, a 2-year old dual core 1.5 with 2 gigs of RAM, but use the economy version of Verizon DSL, which, if you ask me, seems every bit as fast as the fastest wireless I use in my frequent travels. So the question is, do y'all suffer these waits too? Or if I'm the only one, then whaddya reckon the squawk is?

Thanks! And now back to your regularly scheduled program. (I mute the vid and let it play-n-load while I do something else, then come back later and hit the "watch it again" button, to get an uninterrupted viewing. It's a good workaround, but a workaround just the same. But now to go check it out......)

Chris · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:15 pm

Outstanding!!!! I don't think any other B-17s have operational Ball Turrets.

wls3 · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:40 pm

909

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvuChgh4fGg&feature=PlayList&p=C2EF7AF8680BB8B2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=30

Zachary · **Posted:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:32 pm

wls3 wrote:

909

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvuChgh4fGg&feature=PlayList&p=C2EF7AF8680BB8B2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=30

I hadn't seen this before - what a great video! Really shows you what the ball turret gunner saw. Best seat in the house!

Zack

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 8:54 am

True story about the ball turret of "909". When it crashed near Pittsburgh in the late 80's it had a fake shell for a ball turret. During the rebuild, A guy approached us and said that he had a ball turret at home and would donate it to the plane if it waould be installed in it. The museum agreed, and he showed up with not just a replacement shell, but a whole turret, suspension and all. He said it was between his washer and dryer for years and his wife was after him to get rid of it.

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:03 am

mustangdriver wrote:

True story about the ball turret of "909". When it crashed near Pittsburgh in the late 80's it had a fake shell for a ball turret. During the rebuild, A guy approached us and said that he had a ball turret at home and would donate it to the plane if it waould be installed in it. The museum agreed, and he showed up with not just a replacement shell, but a whole turret, suspension and all. He said it was between his washer and dryer for years and his wife was after him to get rid of it.

Chris did the guy ever explain how he acquired the turret to begin with?

Congrats to Aluminum Overcast. I hope I get to see her on tour again this summer.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:06 am

No it was before I joined the museum. I will have to ask. When I joined the plane was on it's gear with no engines.

Warbird Kid · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:40 pm

Great to see AO becoming more and more authentic. Hope to see Fuddy Duddy undergo a similar project one day. I wonder how many FLYABLE B-17s have the operational ball turret? Surely it cant be just these two now? What about Pink Lady, Sally B, Miss Angela, Sentimental Journey?

rgj61 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 03, 2010 11:04 am **Posts:** 39

very cool video and informative on the workings of the ball turret

Chris · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:38 pm

Sentimental Journeys is not operational at this time but both the ball and top turrets could be made operational. It's just not a priority at this time.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Mar 11, 2010 5:34 pm

mustangdriver wrote:

True story about the ball turret of "909". When it crashed near Pittsburgh in the late 80's it had a fake shell for a ball turret. During the rebuild, A guy approached us and said that he had a ball turret at home and would donate it to the plane if it waould be installed in it. The museum agreed, and he showed up with not just a replacement shell, but a whole turret, suspension and all. He said it was between his washer and dryer for years and his wife was after him to get rid of it.

Amazing that someone would have a ball turret at his residence. Maybe I had better check to see what's in my garage!

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