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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0917.PDF
MAY 4TH, 1944 FLIGHT 475 fuselage is divided into three major parts, the foremost ^nning from the nose to the forward bulkhead beneath the pilots' windscreen; the central section runs to the bulk head which forms the aftermost wall of the radio compart ment, and the rear section from these to the tail gun emplacement. For the purposes of description, however, the fuselage is best visualised as being divided into seven portions from the nose aft, these being respectively: (1) bombardier's and navigator's compartment with rear hatchway leading (above) to (2) pilots' cabin, behind the seats of which are situated the oxygen bottles and the upper, power-operated two-gun turret. (3) Bomb-bay with life-rafts stowage and cat-walk between racks to (4) Radio compartment. (5) Main rear cabin containing ventral power-turret, emer gency flotation radio set and aerial kite, waist gun em placements, and main entry door on starboard side aft. (6) Compartment housing retractable tail wheel and auto- B-17GS at an A.S.C. base being prepared for flight testing after modifications have been made. The chin turret and modified nosp a»-e c'parlv =hown matic pilot stabiliser, and 7) Tail gun position beneath rudder. To go back to. the nose of the aircraft, the actual nose cap is a plastic, single-piece moulding into which is fitted the bombardier's optically fiat aiming panel. In contrast to the R.A.F. bomb aimers, or more correctly, air-bombers, their American counterparts sit on a little stool to operate the far-famed bombsight. There are four .sin. calibre guns in the nose of the Fortress, two in the remotely controlled chin turret immediately beneath the bombardier /front gunner's seat; one optional gun universally mounted ti port behind the edge of the plastic nose cap, and another gun, usually operated by the navigator, housed in a small projection to starboard farther aft. The navigator can operate either of these single guns according to the calls of immediate circumstance. The stool on which the bombardier / front gunner sits is mounted above the pivot housing for the lateral rotation of the chin turret, the transverse motor for the turret being fitted at " 8 o'clock " behind the stool. The remote controls for operation of the turret and its guns are mounted on a tubular bracket, normally clipped out of the way to star board, and swung into a central position for operation. The twin hand grips are "dead-man's handles" having small inserts which, when depressed, make an electrical contact in the turret operation circuit; these handles have a modified gimbal pivotal arrangement, their movement controlling the relative movement of turret and guns, and also the simultaneous registered movement of the reflector sight which is mounted in the top portion of the nose cap. Compact Cockpit A navigator's chart table is mounted fore and aft on the port side of the nose compartment, with the various radio impedimenta above his left shoulder on the port side of the bulkhead. Behind the navigator to starboard is his drift meter, and centrally fitted in the roof is a flattened astro dome. Through the rear hatchway (on one's hands and knees) going through to the pilots' "office," there is an escape hatch to one's right, the door of which is jettison - able. The entry from the nose compartment to the pilots' cabin is up through a foldingjrap in the floor between, and a little behind, the pilpts^seats. The cockpit of the^Fortress gives one an immediate im pression or being compactly self-contained. These aircraft /re operated by two pilots, the chief sit ting to port and for each being not exactly a come into coi even when ordi Millar which reveals d layout** the Flying Foi tress
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