Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site avsdT.BERKNET Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!hpda!fortune!dsd!avsdS!avsdT:rlr From: rlr@avsdT.BERKNET (Rhode L. Roberts) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: Answers to Aviation Trivia Mark II Message-ID: <163@avsdT.BERKNET> Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 13:42:37 EDT Article-I.D.: avsdT.163 Posted: Wed Aug 21 13:42:37 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 05:32:32 EDT References: <115@ssc-vax.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Ampex Audio-Video Engineering, Redwood City, CA Lines: 34 > > b. What component of the B-17 was missing? > The ball turret. I do believe that it was removed before takeoff, > however, I think the wartime crews jettisoned it before gear-up > landings. Could really mess up the belly slide, I suppose... I recently attended the Madera (Ca.) Gathering of the War Birds Airshow & Fly-in. A ball turret from a B-17 was on static display there, along with a variety of other flying artifacts. There was a captain from Castle AFB there to answer questions. While talking with him about the turret, I discovered that the bottom mounted ball turret was removable but not jettisonable while in flight. The gunner had only one entrance, from outside the turret ( no inside access ). The entrance door was also the gunners back support. There was no way for him to open the door from the inside, so it was pointless for him to wear a parachute, also there was no room inside for a man with a chute, ( mabey a small boy could do it ). If the plane had gear up problems, they bellied it in and GROUND (as in round) the turret off during the landing. It must have taken a hell of a lot of guts to be a belly gunner. R. L. Roberts Ampex Corporation One of the Allied/Signal Companies Audio Video Systems Division Computer Services Group 401 Broadway M.S. 3-54 Redwood City, CA. 94063-3199 (415) 367-3790 ...{hplabs,ucbvax}!atd!avsdT:rlr