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FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Actually the AAF did a large amount of AWS work during WW2. A B-18 with surface radar in the radome and a MAD boom.
ScreamingLighting
Airman
By the looks of it and the erratic switch in colors, it looks like a worn B-17 whose paint wasn't what it used to be, and it was hastily painted over. The airframe 12504 looks like it'd been sent to some pretty remote areas, but I wasn't able to find out further. But that's just my two cents (it's probably wrong)
fubar57
General
Geo
- Thread starter
- #5
Not sure if that belly turret is a radar. My guess is that it's one of the early remote turrets that were aimed through the vertigo inducing sighting blister just to the rear of it. Could always be wrong though. Maybe it's a combination of the two.
fubar57
General
The early Es(only 512 made) had the remote turret, so you might be right Jim. I'll see if I can dig up when the change-over was.
Geo
EDIT: The first 113 Es had the remote turret. Unfortunately my Polish is just as good as my Navaho so I'm not sure if this means starting with or ending with. If it's ending with, then the aircraft above is the second to last E to have the remote turret...
Geo
EDIT: The first 113 Es had the remote turret. Unfortunately my Polish is just as good as my Navaho so I'm not sure if this means starting with or ending with. If it's ending with, then the aircraft above is the second to last E to have the remote turret...
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Oh Wurger!
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
By my translation, the rest reads " Bendix washing machines, supplied with free soap from Sperry Household. Hot dogs, 50c, on offer at Joe's diner across the road. Hurry and top up with gas with this weeks offer from Honest Al's Autos ..."
Wojtek ??!!!!
Wojtek ??!!!!
No I think you've got it Terry.
Aaron Brooks Wolters
Brigadier General
varsity07840
Airman 1st Class
- 176
- Jun 25, 2013
You are correct.It's one of the last B-17Es with the Sperry remote turret and sighting
blister.
Duane
net_sailor
Senior Airman
This text starts at wrong place, however in short words states that remote controlled turret makes a gunner sick after longer looking trough the periscope sight with inverted image. So starting from 113rd copy B-17E got the Sperry ball turret.
The B-17 was painted like that, here's a profile (a few 17s down). WINGS PALETTE - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress - USA
Pretty sure I've also seen B-18s in that scheme
Pretty sure I've also seen B-18s in that scheme
I'm slowly discovering the old threads here - the aircraft was repainted in Panama with "dirty seawater" on top, and light blue below with white cloud patterns on the blue and leading edges. There weren't many aircraft in this camouflage - I've seen two B-17s and two B-24s, but I really have no idea how many more were repainted.
Cheers,
Dana
Cheers,
Dana
fubar57
General
Great info Dana, thanks. Welcome to the forum
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Hi Dana;
In one of your books you have that photo of the B-18 sporting a MAD boom. Do you have any photos showing the installation close up?
In one of your books you have that photo of the B-18 sporting a MAD boom. Do you have any photos showing the installation close up?
Evening Mr. Bell! Glad you have joined us. You likely won't remember but we met a couple of years back (IIRC) at your book signing at Hazy-Udvar. It was before your F4U books came out and I have to say it was a real treat from me. Thank you for that! All the best Jim
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Hi folks!
Great to be here - we seem to share so many interests, it's a wonder I haven't seen the site before!
Jim, I do remember the meet at Hazy - it was a pretty fine day, we sold some books for the Museum, and I got to chat with a lot of nice folks. I'll have to do that again soon - perhaps you'll make the next one too!
Flyboy, I've still got the MAD B-18 shots (plus a few more), but no closeups of the installation. I'm working on the Sarah Clark Collection finding aid at Archives 2, and I think I've got a decent notion where the test reports and photos might be - it's just a matter of finding time between all the other projects to take a look. Have you seen Dan Hagedorn's new Air Britain book on the B-18? Dan's pretty thorough, and might have already published what you're looking for.
Anyhow, a great forum with a lot of enthusiasm and enthusiasts - an no trolls!
Cheers,
Dana
Great to be here - we seem to share so many interests, it's a wonder I haven't seen the site before!
Jim, I do remember the meet at Hazy - it was a pretty fine day, we sold some books for the Museum, and I got to chat with a lot of nice folks. I'll have to do that again soon - perhaps you'll make the next one too!
Flyboy, I've still got the MAD B-18 shots (plus a few more), but no closeups of the installation. I'm working on the Sarah Clark Collection finding aid at Archives 2, and I think I've got a decent notion where the test reports and photos might be - it's just a matter of finding time between all the other projects to take a look. Have you seen Dan Hagedorn's new Air Britain book on the B-18? Dan's pretty thorough, and might have already published what you're looking for.
Anyhow, a great forum with a lot of enthusiasm and enthusiasts - an no trolls!
Cheers,
Dana
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I'll check it out Dana, thanks for the info and again, welcome to the forum!
