http://forum.armyairforces.com/(c) ArmyAirForces30 I visited TAC several times during the early construction phase since it sits down the ramp a ways from the museum in Ft Worth. When the owner pulled the project, the 80% complete (estimate) birds were all parked in a row in our hangar for a fewhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=163000Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:02:34 GMTA dear friend of mine will never forget the day an ME 262 flew over their Infantry Unit. It left them speechless and puzzled as to what they just witnessed he told us. The LAST two seater ME 262 Trainer was completely restored andhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162907Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:25:05 GMTNever heard of anyone removing ball turrets on B-17s, but I seem to recall having read a post on this board about one B-24 group doing so. I have read of one B-17 group removing the chin turrets on B-17s late in the war, although I can'thttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162904Sat, 15 Nov 2008 22:22:24 GMT Bill...I have mentioned this before...the 8th AAF removed some ball turrets, and radio guns, so I have been told. We in the 15th AAF had our radio guns to the end of the war ( at least as far as my BG was concerned). Andhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162804Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:06:39 GMTMy appologies Mr Peters, indeed a phrase in your post caught my eye and I misread the line. I'll blame it on my new bifocals for lack of any other scapegoats. http://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162801Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:47:01 GMTBill...I have mentioned this before...the 8th AAF removed some ball turrets, and radio guns, so I have been told. We in the 15th AAF had our radio guns to the end of the war ( at least as far as my BG was concerned). And as far as I know, no bahttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162797Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:35:48 GMTI was there late in the war and gross weight was a real problem. The missions were long and the priority was to carry as large a bomb load as possible. We were given only 500 rounds (250 per gun) for use in the nose turret. Thhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162796Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:21:35 GMTNo one could have made it clearer than you just did Jim. Your first hand experience enables you to share from the heart and soul of a very knowledgeable and skilled flier. I will never grow tired of readinhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162788Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:37:44 GMTNextgen... I think you misread what I actually said : ..had the B-24 had more powerful engines and capable of much higher speed, I am sure that the peformance of the B-24 would have been enhanced. I am well aware that both the R-1820 and R=18http://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162784Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:28:49 GMT Jim, like you I’ve read accounts and spoken with B-17 pilots who talked about taking off significantly overweight. In one book, may have been John Comer’s, he described the pilot "horsing " the severely overloaded aircraft off the runway in grouhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162763Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:22:26 GMTJim and Richard, Great info! Yes, I realized that the "spent casing shells" would be minimal, but thought I'd ask anyway. As an aside, just thought I'd add this note from FO WR: "A/C weighs 37,2http://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162755Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:26:55 GMTStephen...The weight of the spent casings, and ammo links, would not have had any appreciable effect on the gross weight. You refer to the "ankle deep spent casings"...this was corrected in later versions, with the installation of canvashttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162750Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:04:51 GMTHiya Steven. Seems to me, spent shell casings would constitute a "negative" weight factor. In other words, weight of ammo carried would be computed on full rounds, when fired would subtract the weight of the lead projectile and pohttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162749Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:45:56 GMT This is just my opinion. I say that because of my experience with my trip back to the US after VE day, when I came home on a B-24. The B-24 was loaded with our baggage and the pilot had a difficult time, in flying from Gihttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162744Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:16:52 GMTBob...I realize that the 8th AAF and 15th AAF had differences in operations, and I should have made the point, that I was referring to the 15th AAF. Now to clarify my posting, I want to say that I never saw an e/a in my 27 missions...as most of thehttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162738Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:33:58 GMT Nextgen...I am guessing that perhaps John Comer was flying a B-24 ? I am NOT trying to get the B-17/B-24 argument going again, but, I don't think the B-17 people were too concerned about extra ammo...as most of it was carriehttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162734Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:46:20 GMTNextgen...I am guessing that perhaps John Comer was flying a B-24 ? I am NOT trying to get the B-17/B-24 argument going again, but, I don't think the B-17 people were too concerned about extra ammo...as most of it was carried in the waist, with a mhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162731Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:02:02 GMT I gather that pilots were usually pretty strict about gunners bringing extra ammo along since the aircraft were generally flying at or above max. gross take-off weight to begin with. In his book Combat Crew John Comer spoke of a missiohttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162726Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:06:02 GMTThanks Hal. This a/c was lost while being ferried overseas, but unfortunately the accident report does not give the engine serials. Darrellhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162686Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:43:42 GMTNot as easy as you might think. Aircraft went through engines at a considerable rate. A bad engine got replaced, if salvagable it might have been rebuilt and put on a different aircraft. If an aircraft was shot down the MACR would listhttp://forum.armyairforces.com/fb.ashx?m=162676Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:17:14 GMT