Canopy open wind

[MIflyer]

B-24s at least had wind spoilers ahead of the waist positions.

I guess they all had windows that could be closed, which you certainly would need if you were ferrying them somewhere. But I wonder if the windows were even installed on combat missions. I recall reading that for one of the Aphrodite missions an extra B-17 showed up and they were highly suspicious that it might be a captured one operated by the Luftwaffe. So the mission commander gave the escorting fighters orders to shoot it down if anyone started manning the guns or opening the waist windows and to follow it after the left the target area and shoot it down if headed toward the European continent. When he got back to base 8th AF HQ called and said that they got a B-17 and come along to watch. He replied that it was a very good thing that no one needed a bit of fresh air and opened the windows. Someone was supposed to tell him about the B-17 with sightseers but forgot somehow.

 

[EwenS]

Later versions of the B-17 and B-24 received enclosed waist mounts. There were several designs on the B-24.

 

[Chas]

Flying a Fairchild PT-26 with either canopy open and the other closed was comfortable. With both open the back was pretty breezy, the front comfortable.

 

[Barrett]

When Dad and I flew our Dauntless he usually had the front canopy closed while I liked to push the rear sections forward, better to enjoy the view. Kind of nice to tilt the gunner's seat, put my feet on the rests, and watch the world go by. There wasn't much wind but the R1820's Wright (W)rattle was distinctive.

 

[MIflyer]

I think that flying backwards would be disquieting at the least, but I suppose it would be not that bad if you did not have to control anything. In fact NASA even rigged up a Cessna 310 so you could fly it while facing backwards. When plugged into the Agena with the rocket engine fired up the Gemini spacecraft was flying backwards.

 

[SaparotRob]

When Dad and I flew our Dauntless he usually had the front canopy closed while I liked to push the rear sections forward, better to enjoy the view. Kind of nice to tilt the gunner's seat, put my feet on the rests, and watch the world go by. There wasn't much wind but the R1820's Wright (W)rattle was distinctive.

View attachment 819787

I'm so envious.

 

[MIflyer]

Dad and I flew our Dauntless he usually had the front canopy closed while I liked to push the rear sections forward, better to enjoy the view