Recent content by daviemax

Good to see you on this site, Cees! Dave

Check guns were installed on early G's at mod centers and in the field, so ID is not necessarily correlated with production block number.

I can tell you if you the history if you provide the serial. Dave

This aircraft is featured in Boeing Aircraft Since 1916 by esteemed aviation historian (and Boeing employee) Peter M. Bowers. According to his narrative, this B-29 was completed with manned turrets against the potential failure of the GE fire control system.

The 357 mph figure is for an aircraft with guns and turrets mounted. The higher figures are for aircraft without the two dorsal and two ventral turrets. Dave

This acronym definitely stands for Air Technical Service Command and this acronym was also used by the USAF for a period after the war.

B-17s with B-2 turbochargers were rated for 30,000 feet; those with B-22s were rated for above 35,000 feet. The record altitude was 43,499 feet set by B-17G 43-39073 in July 1945 (at the time a world record for four-engine aircraft). Fully loaded for combat, B-24s had trouble flying above...

I research postwar B-17 usage and have material on relevant topics, in particular the 7499th Composite Group - including some photos. Send email to my personal ID if interested. Dave

An illuminating data snapshot from the unit histories of SB-17G SAR aircraft based at Kindley AAF, Bermuda in February 1950: Eight intercepts of aircraft in trouble (almost two/week). Seven were for feathered prop. Five of these were powered by R-3350s (three Connies and two B-29s). Other two...

Some maritime B-24s did have a gun mount attached to the lower sides of the fuselage.

The C-123 had very, very poor stall characteristics and was very difficult if not impossible to recover from a stall, so any modifications to the aircraft would ideally address that issue.

The "R-1800" came in two flavors - Wright R-1820 (e.g., B-17) and Pratt & Whitney R-1830 (e.g., B-24). The R-2600 was a Wright engine (e.g., B-25); the R-2800 was a P & W engine (e.g., P-47).

I really appreciate the detailed erudition in this answer. Thanks!

I've been wondering this myself recently. I think that the white card was for a more advanced rating. I research post-war B-17 history and have found various references to different colored instrument cards on both accident reports and unit histories. I'll keep looking for the definitive...

Fortress in the Sky by Bowers has the complete breakdown by block number. If someone has a specific question by block number I can provide the answer. Dave