Bomber Nose Turrets

[Jim Oxley]

This thought has only just occurred to me.

Wouldn't wind scream through the fuselage of bombers such as the Lancaster, B-24, Halifax etc due to their nose turrets? After all nose turrets were not a sealed fitting.

As if flying in one of them wasn't uncomfortable enough.

[Tim Oliver]

Hi Jim

Anecdotal evidence says ‘yes’. This was among the reasons given why the nose turrets of the B24 Liberators of 223 Bomber Support Squadron were fared over.

[Buckeye30]

USAAF B-24 nose turrets (Emerson and Consolidated) originally had felt sealing which lost it's shape with use so Base Air Depot Area (UK) designed a more permanent type to reduce draughts. There must have been even more of a problem in the Pacific where B-24Ds were having Consolidated turrets fitted at the Hawaiian Depot; also the Modification Centre at Oklahoma City was doing the same for anti-sub Liberators in the UK. I don't know whether the problem there was ever resolved.....


Nick