B-17 Ball Turret Gunner.

[Bucksnort101]

Forgive me if this is a "dumb" question, but it is something I've always wondered about but never looked into.
Was the ball turret gunner in the B-17 able to get in and out of the ball turret while in flight. Video's I've seen always seem to show him getting into the Turret while on the ground, but I cannot imagine him being in there for the entire flight.

 

[ToughOmbre]

The gunner entered the ball turret via a door at its rear, which also served as an emergency exit in case of trouble. The gunner could enter the turret from inside the plane by having the turret rotated until the door opening faced the interior of the plane. However, since this required that the ball turret be positioned so that the guns were pointed downward, this meant that the turret could not be entered from inside the plane while it was on the ground.

It was possible for the gunner to enter the turret from outside the plane while it was on the ground by having it rotated so that its door faced outside the plane. However, once he did this, he would have to stay inside the turret during the takeoff. Since the turret was only 15 inches off the ground, it would take a bold soul to ride inside the belly turret during take off or landing, and most ball turret gunners chose to enter the turret while the plane was in the air.

Normally, the guns were stowed facing rearward with the barrels horizontal for takeoffs and landings.

TO

 

[Bucksnort101]

Thanks, I should have done a search first.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/b-17-underside-ball-turret-gunner-13468.html

Just read that after the war a study was done to and it was found that the B-17 Ball Turret operator had the safest position on the plane and the Pilot has the most unsafe.

 

[trackend]

Yes BS he did have the ability to enter from inside the aircraft the first picture shows the hatch and rack and pinon drive train

 

[Erich]

the answer as to the safest position has been covered somewhat earlier but would disagree from the summer of 44-45 on the pilot as the most unsafe, that would go to the tail gunner position as LW tactics had changed

 

[comiso90]

Just read that after the war a study was done to and it was found that the B-17 Ball Turret operator had the safest position on the plane and the Pilot has the most unsafe.

kind of Ironic...

"Good news Mom, I'm a Ball Turret Gunner and it's the safest position on the plane. Bad news- the pilots are the least safest so in reality, we're all screwed!

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