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