# Late B-17G Plexiglas nose shape



## Majeae (Mar 28, 2021)

Hello:
I'm new here, was recommended to this site by Larry McClellan who has an excellent website on technical details of many WWII a/c, especially the B-17. I have a question that maybe someone here can answer or research. 

For many years I've noticed that the Plexiglas nose on late model B-17Gs looked different in profile than earlier models. It is shorter and blunter. It's most noticeable on B-17Gs that have their chin turrets removed. I learned through Mr. McClellan that Lockheed-Vega built Fortresses were the first to pioneer the blown Plexiglas nose for B-17Fs, and from the book "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" by Roger Freeman I found a photo caption that said that Lockheed-Vega modified the canopy with a blunter nose and a sharper upturn of the bombadier's window for B-17Gs beginning with their Block -10 series to allow the chin guns to elevate fully upwards without damaging the Plexiglas. I have not been able to find other information to corroborate this, outside of the photo caption from the book. Does anyone have contemporary information from primary sources that confirm when this change was made? I have also seen pictures of Boeing and Douglas-built Fortresses that indicate that they also adopted this design change. 

I've attached four images. One is the picture in Freeman's book that confirmed my impression of the altered nose profile; one is a contemporary picture of an SB-17G clearly showing the blunter nose; there is a picture of what I call the "classic" picture of a B-17F with the more conical-shaped nosepiece; and finally a picture of the B-17s used in the 1989 movie "Memphis Belle," clearly showing the blunter nosepiece on the ship in the foreground, currently displayed in England as "Sally B." Yes, this question has driven me crazy since 1989. 

BTW, I'm building an Academy 1/72nd scale model of the SB-17G, and I have another Academy B-17G along with aftermarket parts to build a Navy PB-1W, but none of the model noses are accurate. I would probably say that no model kit has ever accurately captured the shorter nose. Does anyone know if there are aftermarket parts that are available?

Thank you,
Manny


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## MiTasol (Mar 28, 2021)

Invest in a membership to WWII Era Military Blueprints & Manuals | AirCorps Library
They have all the available B-17 technical drawings (blueprints) and they almost certainly have the relevant drawings. They also have an assortment of parts catalogs so you can find the relevant part numbers to look for.

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## Majeae (Mar 29, 2021)

MiTasol said:


> Invest in a membership to WWII Era Military Blueprints & Manuals | AirCorps Library
> They have all the available B-17 technical drawings (blueprints) and they almost certainly have the relevant drawings. They also have an assortment of parts catalogs so you can find the relevant part numbers to look for.


Thank you for that tip!


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