B-27 or perhaps a B-14 or maybe a B-17-24?

[oldcrowcv63]

Strange duck stumbled across today: A B-24 with a B-17 nose:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_B-24_Liberator

 

[nuuumannn]

If there was evidence that the B-24 was the box that the Fort came in, you've found it! It makes the Liberator look vaguely streamlined

 

[fubar57]

Very cool. I saw a left side profile years ago, somewhere and started taking measurements on my 1/48 -17 an -24 to see if it was do-able. It wasn't

Geo

EDIT: Found it...

 

[s1chris]

I've got a shot of the right hand side in one of my Roger Freeman books. One of the many experiments to improve firepower upfront on the B-24. Looks even stranger with a ball turret slapped on the front!

 

[RpR]

I do not know if it was Air Classics or a book I saw years ago, it said, with pictures that the necessity of war sometimes produced odd hybrids or original creations.

One was a solid gun nose B-26.

 

[nuuumannn]

I saw a left side profile years ago, somewhere and started taking measurements on my 1/48 -17 an -24 to see if it was do-able. It wasn't

That's a shame; would have made a real interesting subject. Why was it not feasible, Geo?

In that side view it looks like the nose leg has been extended to give it a more tail sitting attitude on the ground, or is it just an illusion?

 

[fubar57]

Grant, if I can remember, it was the shape of the fuselage around the cockpit. It would have required a lot of putty.

Having said that, the photos shows a pretty seamless merge.

Geo

 

[nuuumannn]

Yeah, you can see considerable difference in that front view, alright. I noticed on the front three quarter photo the vee shaped fairing they fitted to mate the circular nose with the slab sided fuse. it'd be tricky.

 

[BiffF15]

In that side view it looks like the nose leg has been extended to give it a more tail sitting attitude on the ground, or is it just an illusion?

The first picture looks level (belly apears parallel to ground), while the second picture shows it sitting nose high (or squatting tail low).

 

[T Bolt]

Along with trying to increase the forward firepower, it was an attempt to give the crew members in the nose more room. The nose compartment of a B-24 is very confining compared to a B-17. The differences between the fuselage cross sections was faired in by extending stringers back along the fuselage side to the bomb bay, kind of like the way WWI fighters had their round engines faired back to the flat sided fuselage. I have a pic somewhere of this aircraft taken during the modification without the skin so the stringers are exposed. I'll post it here if I can locate it. The whole project was dropped when it was found that the modification made the aircraft dangerously unstable in flight.

 

[fubar57]

A photo would be great Glenn. It might make a conversion do-able.

Geo

 

[s1chris]

I got it wrong, I have a close up picture of the left hand side -

Can be found in the book "B24 Liberator at war" by Roger Freeman.

Cheers Chris

 

[fubar57]

Not sure if it's just sun and shadows, but are the arrows pointed towards the join sections and I'm going to assume that they worked around the -24s nose wheel area.

Geo

 

[Donivanp]

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2591

 

[fubar57]

Yikes, wouldn't even attempt to modify a gunship version. Very cool Don.

Geo

 

[Donivanp]

Geo, I've started it like 3 or 4 times, see where it got me, IN THE BATTY HOUSE.

 

[s1chris]

I agree Geo and would say that the nose finishes where black arrow point and goes around the nose wheel.

Cheers Chris

 

[herman1rg]

I think it should have been called the B-41 (17+24)

 

[T Bolt]

Did not find the picture among my computer files so It must have been in one of my books. Will continue looking.

 

[T Bolt]

I think the body language of this guy says it all


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BlJ4me-BTk