eBay: Consolidated B-32 Dominator

[Snautzer01]

CONSOLIDATED B-32 DOMINATOR- ORIGINAL AVIATION PHOTO-MOYES & BOWYER COLLECTIONS | eBay

This original photo is from the collection of two of the most famous aviation authors, Chaz Bowyer and Philip Moyes. All photos are original prints from negatives, (not scanned copies), and they were printed between 1930-1970.

www.ebay.com

42-108472 was first B-32 delivered (Sep 19, 1944). W/o the very same day when nosewheel collapsed on landing.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[TbirdsRGo]

Question for AlanG: did your B-32 book ever come out? I'm looking forward to it!
General question for everyone: what was the outer diameter for the Sperry A-17 turret? I'm trying to build a correct 1/72 model of the B-32 but existing models are kind of suspect in that regard.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Yes, sadly I have heard that the nose turret on all B-32 kits are severely out of round (and undersized?).

 

[Maty12]

Question for AlanG: did your B-32 book ever come out? I'm looking forward to it!
General question for everyone: what was the outer diameter for the Sperry A-17 turret? I'm trying to build a correct 1/72 model of the B-32 but existing models are kind of suspect in that regard.

Take this with a heavy grain of salt, but according to my measurements from the B-32 1:10 inboard profile drawing I've purchased from the Smithsonian the diameter of the Nose/Tail turret is roughly 46". This is the same reason I have yet to buy a 1:72 model of the B-32, they're all the same mold with the nose turret dwarfing the tail turret. From looking at it, I think the nose turret is the one that's wrong, as the glazed "chin" section looks to small compared to the rest of the nose. I could be wrong though.

 

[TbirdsRGo]

Thanks, my best estimate for the Sperry A-17 ball turret diameter is nearly identical at 45" based on James Long's drawing in the Harding/Long book, "Dominator, The Story of the Consolidated B-32 Bomber", which appears to be pretty accurate, and G. W. Heumann's drawing of the XB-24N in William Green's "Famous Bombers of the Second World War, Vol 1" which also looks correct. Thankfully, this scales out to 5/8" in 1/72 scale, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a marble or ball bearing that can be used to make a vacuform copy. I just have to find ONE, rather than buying a lot of 100!
I'm finally getting around to building my PB4Y-2 and B-32 models and the YB-24N (with Consolidated tail turret) has a few things in common, so I'm working on a YB-24N conversion (which covers most of the XB-24N, except for the unique tail turret).
Is that Smithsonian B-32 drawing currently available or is that from years past?

 

[cvairwerks]

T.O. AN-11-45C-19 Has the installation dimensions for the A-17 turret. There's a pdf available via eveilbay, but the guy is asking a bit high in my opinion.

 

[TbirdsRGo]

Yes, looks like a great manual - lots of pictures and drawings, but I didn't want to spend $50 on a scan. All I really needed were the dimensions!
The Contrails B-32 tail turret looks to be about the right diameter, but the nose turret is way too big.

 

[Maty12]

T.O. AN-11-45C-19 Has the installation dimensions for the A-17 turret. There's a pdf available via eveilbay, but the guy is asking a bit high in my opinion.

Did not know this manual existed. Might look into that. Would probably save me a lot of trouble when it comes to making the turret whenever I finally work on my B-32 3D model again

 

[TbirdsRGo]

I initially thought that the X/YB-24N nose ball turret was the same as in the B-32, but after reviewing some photos, they are very different. The B-32 nose turret was definitely the Sperry A-17 model. What manufacturer/model was the XB-24N nose turret?
The external differences I have observed are that the B-32 guns were closer together (6.5" center to center), they were located below the turret center, and only the center section of the A17 turret could be elevated/depressed. The entire XB-24N nose turret both yawed (azimuth) and pitched (elevation).
Here's the B-32 nose turret close up:
then the X/YB-24N nose turret also close up:
The third picture clearly shows that the entire ball (including the sides) pitches as one assembly.
I don't have any pictures that show a B-32 nose turret in an elevated or depressed position, but there are several reasons why I'm convinced that only the center section can pitch.

 

[FLYBOYJ]

I initially thought that the X/YB-24N nose ball turret was the same as in the B-32, but after reviewing some photos, they are very different. The B-32 nose turret was definitely the Sperry A-17 model. What manufacturer/model was the XB-24N nose turret?
The external differences I have observed are that the B-32 guns were closer together (6.5" center to center), they were located below the turret center, and only the center section of the A17 turret could be elevated/depressed. The entire XB-24N nose turret both yawed (azimuth) and pitched (elevation).
Here's the B-32 nose turret close up:
then the X/YB-24N nose turret also close up:
The third picture clearly shows that the entire ball (including the sides) pitches as one assembly.
I don't have any pictures that show a B-32 nose turret in an elevated or depressed position, but there are several reasons why I'm convinced that only the center section can pitch.

Probably Emerson. Looks like the same one used on early P2Vs

 

[Maty12]

Probably Emerson. Looks like the same one used on early P2Vs


View attachment 656503

View attachment 656504

Hopefully it lacked the "pinching the ammunition belts" problem from the Sperry A-17, I recall it being a frequent complaint on the B-32.

 

[TbirdsRGo]

Thanks for the tip! I don't really know anything about Neptunes, but I have Steve Ginter's book on the Martin P4M-1 Mercator and that bow turret has to be a version of the same turret as the B-24N. The Mercator turret mounted two 20mm cannons but other than that it appears to be identical. He refers to it as the Aero 9A Bow Turret.
Meanwhile, the Mercator tail turret, which is vaguely similar to a B-17G tail turret in that the gunner is stationary, is referred to as the Aero 11B Tail Turret. It looks an awful lot like the XB-24N tail turret. The seven YB-24Ns, on the other hand used the ubiquitous Consolidated A-6 tail turret. Which is why I am building a YB-24N (taking the easy way out!)

 

[TbirdsRGo]

Looks like the P2V-5 Neptune was at least one version that had that type of bow turret.

 

[BlackSheep]

View attachment 510218

Someone in planning had their thinking cap on when they ordered the B-32.. Gamble on all the cutting edge tech in the B-29, play it safe with what works in the B-32. I wish someone had the foresight and power to keep one intact for us history buffs.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots!

 

[Snautzer01]

TB-32-10-CF 42-108506

B-32 Assembly Line- Tail Groups

Photograph of the "tail groups" in the assembly line of the B-32s at Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation in Fort Worth Texas in January 1945.

texashistory.unt.edu

 

[Snautzer01]

42-108596 42-108597 42-108598

B-32 Tail Assembly Line

Photograph of the tail assembly lines at Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas. Many airplanes are lined up in this room.

texashistory.unt.edu

 

[Snautzer01]

42-108506

B-32 Aircraft outside of the Assembly Line.

Photograph of a B-32 aircraft outside of the assembly line at Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas in February 1945. The four large engines on the wings are covered.

texashistory.unt.edu