Warbird Information Exchange

Fabulous set of sequence photos

Being a 'tail-end Charlie' in a Lancaster looked bad enough, but bugger that job in a Fort

Why didn't Boeing introduce the mod on the production line....?

Or was that something done later on in production?

You can, it's just a little tight and awkward going around the retracted tail wheel. And yes, there is a small door back there too

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

Memphis Belle during restoration:
Boeing B-17F 41-24485 by Mark Carlisle, on Flickr

They did not want to interrupt/slow the production cycle. The Cheyanne turret and other modifications were initially a modification to the basic G done at Cheyanne or in the field. Perhaps counter intuitive, but often it was easier to do a modification at another site without interrupting production (new prints, tools, jigs, training...). There were a variety of production batches and three different manufacturers, and incorporating a change while cranking them out can be difficult. Perhaps eventually the mod was introduced onto the production line with Joe Baugher site saying "The so-called "Cheyenne" tail gun mounting modifications were incorporated in the B-17G-80-BO, -45-DL, -35-VE and subsequent batches"

http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b17_16.html