Name This Plane...from the inside

[Fletch]

This gunner in what looks like early- or pre-war Army Air Corps kit (including an electrically heated flightsuit) is flying the ventral (belly) gun position in what I assume to be a twin-engine, medium bomber. The question is—what type?

Possibilities are the B-10/12, B-18, B-23, or even the B-25A, which had a single belly gun where the -B and later models had a remote-control turret. Another possibility would be the Twin Beech AT-11 gunnery/bombing trainer.

The difficulty here is the row of small windows along the fuselage at the right of the photo. No picture I have seen of any of the above aircraft shows a row of windows. Most had one on each side, some had none.

TIA...

 

[The Wingnut]

The fuselage cross-section looks too large to be from a medium bomber, from personal experience. That rear section past the wings gets TIGHT.

I've seen this photo before, I'm fairly certain it was from a prototype or very early production variant of a common heavy bomber, my knee-jerk reaction says B-24. The flat fuselage bottom would be in holding with that, as well. Searching the web, I find references to a 'tunnel gun' that was later replaced by the ball turret installation.

Here's a photo from the USAF archives of the XB-24 prototype. Note the low windows in the rear section next to the tunnel gun position.

 

[dhermann1]

Looking at it, you wonder where they got the idea that anyone could hit anything with a machine gun set up like that. A lot of scrambling around, not much decent aiming.

 

[Smithy]

US aircraft aren't my speciality but is it an early production B-24D with the belly gun (before the introduction of the belly turret)?

 

[Smyat]

Looking at it, you wonder where they got the idea that anyone could hit anything with a machine gun set up like that. A lot of scrambling around, not much decent aiming.

On the other hand, you don't get squashed in a belly landing.

 

[Fletch]

B-24 it is, and no early model, either. It's a 1944 variant Libby designed to save weight and built (most of 'em) by Ford.

The Browning Air Gunnery page (lord he'p me, I'm turning into a gun nut!!1!) has the above picture captioned as follows:
"A belly gunner on a B-24L. In an attempt to reduce weight, the Sperry ball turret was eliminated and a single, ball-mounted .50 was substituted. The Sperry turret returned in the B-24M model."

More on the B-24L

Good shootin' - give Wingnut and Smithy joint credit for the kill. :eusa_clap

 

[Smithy]

Thanks Fletch, that was fun, you might just have to make this a regular occurance thread - "Name that plane".

 

[Sweet Leilani]

Here's another for you guys to try:

(This is a WWII aircraft.)

 

[staggerwing]

Hmmmm, side hinged canopy, airspeed in kph, altimeter in kilometers...and it kinda looks like the rear seat of a two-seat tandem because there appears to be a section of canopy in front of the one that covers this seat. Too blurry to make out the markings on the VSI which would help narrow down country of origin. Aww, I'd just be guessing. Great fun though! Oh, and it's got two motors!

Me 262!!!

 

[LEUII]

It is similar in some respects to an ME 262.

 

[staggerwing]

Still looks like a rear seat...is it a trainer variant, or am I wrong about this part?

 

[LEUII]

Man, you beat me to it.

 

[LEUII]

From what I recall it is missing some instruments. A lot of instruments.

 

[staggerwing]

Strictly looking at it from this perspective, it appears to be a tailwheel version, which would make it an early version. I think most of the production airplanes had nosewheels.

 

[The Wingnut]

Two gauges that read in degrees celsius(and DNE at 650!), two rpm gauges that go up to 12,000...it's got two non-reciprocating engines, that's for sure.

...*grin* then again, I know what sort of planes Leilani plays with.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

Staggerwing guessed right the first time. :eusa_clap Rear cockpit of the Me 262 trainer! (Nosewheel version- I don't know that any tailwheelers still exist?) I thought the front cockpit would be too easy, but I couldn't stump you guys! (Thanks for playing along, AJ! )

That's a view I never get tired of (yes, those are my sneaks at the bottom of the photo.. )

 

[staggerwing]

I'm not an expert, but I've seen pictures of tailwheel versions. I assume these were the earliest models. So, does that mean I get to keep it?

 

[dhermann1]

OK, I got one

OK, you smart guys, what's this?

(Who would have guessed this thread would have kept going this long?)

 

[Cobden]

Looks like a Tiger Moth to me

 

[dhermann1]

Well done!

I'm impressed!
Here she is. This was at the Fly In at Floyd Bennett Field a couple of weeks ago: