Warbird Information Exchange

The Erco Ball Turret was the bow installation in the Navy PB4Y-1 and PB4Y-2 airplanes. It served a double purpose in taking care of any bow attacks on the Liberator besides being used for strafing, in anti-submarine warfare. In as much as this turret is of the ball type, the gunner moves with his guns and sight in elevation and azimuth as he moves his control handles. It is a relative of the Martin 250SH Bow Turret of the PBM-3 airplanes and has many points of similarity in design and action. There were several models which for the most part are the same—the Erco 250SH-2 or 2A used in the bow position of the PB4Y-1 airplane and the Erco 250SH-3 used in PB4Y-2 airplane.

WE have one of these for our PB4Y-2 59876. Not mounted yet. We are currently making a repair on the Clark control valve. It had developed a leak. Our Team has rebuilt our turret to fully functional condition, less working guns of course. I'll have the guy's dig up some photos if anyone is interested. Joe

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Joe Amend - YAM Restoration

Joe, please do. I love that Privateer you guys have and would enjoy seeing any sort of update. Hopefully the current admins don't try and sell it too.

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Keep Em' Flying,
Christopher Soltis
Dedicated to the preservation and education of The Sikorsky Memorial Airport

CASC Blog Page: http://ctair-space.blogspot.com/
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Chicks Dig Warbirds.......right?

We have run into trouble with the file size of Wolfgang operating the turret. We will get some pic's up and are working to get the video of the turret in operation. Sorry for the delay. There are some pictures on our work site PB4Y-2.org. Please don't tell me the site suck's, we know that. Not to user friendly. We only set it up so our guy's could share work pictures. Joe

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Joe Amend - YAM Restoration

Gotta love photo #4...ashtray included.

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45-47=-2

How did the gunner access this turret?

Through a door in the back of the turret shown in this page from a PB4Y manual

IMG_3579 by tanker622001, on Flickr


IMG_3580 by tanker622001, on Flickr

Joe, I am curious if a nose ball turret is correct for the museums example? Not a criticism at all, just curious if it had a ball turret at some period and later got the glass nose we see today? I do prefer the look of B-24s and Privateers with the nose turrets, but understand not all had them, or turrets were later deleted for patrol, Coast Guard or firebomber service.

Where did the museum actually find it? I have no need for one, they just seem like they would be rare these days.


Not at all! I prefer it to the form-over-function design of Web 2.0 sites!

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster