B-17F Nose guns /Memphis Belle

[V4EVER]

Hiyas, I'm currently working on Revells baren 1:48 B-17F, I really want to add detail to it especially the nose, the Belle had 2 extra guns in the nose, But I can't find out what it looked like, where the ammo boxes were stored or even what this type of layout was called. Based on the "few" pic i've found she seemed to have 2 boxed stored on either side of the Bombsight, this seems to make it a very cramped enclosure, and how they got the bomb sight to work is beyond me. If any one cal help me out with refrences pics of anything plz let me know. thankx

 

[Texaslobo]

Try this on for size:

http://www.eduard.com/store/Eduard/B-17G-nose-interior-1-48.html?cur=2

Looks like what You might be looking for.

Greg

 

[redraider56]

The nose the Belle had was somewhat common, at least considering how many different configurations the F had. Unfortunately there aren't too many pictures of F nose interiors out there except in books. For the ammo boxes, I know at least one was located where they were in the G, right under the starboard cheek gun. I'm guessing a second one was also there for the nose gun. For the left side guns, from what I've gathered there was an ammo box bracketed onto the bulkhead above the navigator's table (backside of the instrument panel).

This pic should give you an idea of how the support for the nose guns looked like

 

[liquorboxracing]

The Belle is 10 minutes from my house in the restoration dept at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Last time I was in the restoration department they didn't have the nose back on her yet, but... there are about 75 pics of the plane in restoration on the museums website. Here's a link. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/slideshow.asp?id={0A2C97E9-2955-40E9-AF0C-568F0BC993BA} And another 73 hi res pics on the fact sheet page on the Belle on the Museum website. Some are repeats from the Restoration dept but are hi res and savable. Here's that link http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=6740

I have good pics of the ball turret off the Belles belly. PM me if you need them.