B-17G BALL TURRET-COLLINGS FOUNDATION

Wayne worked hard to make the ball turret in the Collings Foundation's B-17G 909 operational. I was lucky enough to be able to take it for a spin thanks to Jim Harley. This was a childhood dream come true. Thanks Jim, Wayne, Rob, Mac and the whole wonderful Collings Foundation crew!

Incidentally I am six foot four and 285 pounds of grace and beauty...right Mac? So despite all the rumors; you do not really have to be tiny to fit into a ball turret.

For more information about the Collings foundation go to www.collingsfoundation.org

Check out the other fun stuff we do at www.twinbeech.com

• Category

  Autos & Vehicles

[gorrammit]

Commercial jet liners should have these!  Sit in there spinning around for $2 a minute...and stare at clouds

[packyman]

My uncle Stan Dentinger was a ball turret gunner in "Li'l Audrey", a B-17 from the 8th AF, 485 BG (I think), and he flew 35 missions and made it back home. He was involved in the first daylight bombing raid over Berlin. The only close call he had was a piece of flak which smashed through the plexi and embedded in the sole of his boot. He kept that piece of flak and wrote "Made in Germany" on it.

[jesse6669]

Flying around in a b-17 formation in this millennium... so lucky lol

[TheNw1218]

why don't they use these anymore?

[velijohgis]

you mean ground

[Zonly1]

To the late Jack A. Hayes, 452nd Bomber Group who flew over 30 missions in Europe. He achieved the rank of Captain and received two Distinguished Flying Cross awards. After the war, Jack returned to King City and began farming with his father-in-law, Elmer Forden. Born 9-22-1922. Deceased 1-5-2013.

[tnhl77]

Keep it up man I got a job fixing planes at my local airfield I love it

[speed150mph]

thats pretty impressive. Im just a geeky 18 year old who seems to soak up information like that. I love history, especially WW2 aviation. Since you obviously like aviation, you should try to find a book called "A thousand shall fall" by Murray Peden. Its an autobiography about him as a ww2 bomber pilot. very insightful, amont the best books ive read.

[tnhl77]

damn! yeah I am a history major who specializes in aviation

[speed150mph]

haha apperantly you didnt read the part of the discription where the poster mentioned that he is 6'4" and 285 pounds. The reason why you had to be small to do it in WW2 was because you had a three layer flying suit, may west life preserver, flak jacket, parachute, intercome, oxygen, and a steel helmet. It added quite a bit of bulk to you to try and fit through the hatch.

[nzqi1]

no crosshair?