posted 09-29- 12:56 AM               

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Hey guys - I came across these two photos this month on a trip to Montana. Both picture these interesting B-17s with a strange turret (early radar?) up front and a large protrusion underneath where the bomb bay should be. The smaller pic shows plane "777" while the larger pic shows plane "774" in the background with a complete tail number of "483774". It has the same unusual markings as well as the large protrusion underneath. I am guessing these are post WWII. Would love to know what you guys can tell me about these planes or point me to some reference material where I can find out what happened to them, etc.... Thanks-

Go here http://oldpostoffice.com/images/b17_pics.jpg
to see the large pics (119k total) (I didnt want to bog the forum down with such a large pic).

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-=BAB=- Rattlesnake
Bad Ass Bulldogs
http://www.oldpostoffice.com/badass

[This message has been edited by rattlesnake (edited 09-29-2000).]

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posted 09-29- 01:45 AM               

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That radome is an ASV radome, the thing under the bomb bay is a droppable lifeboat made to resque downed crews. The designation is B-17H, and from 1948 it became SB-17G, for Search Bomber. The Navy designated them PB-1G. It was used to a limited extent.
The lifeboat was 27 feet long, 3500lbs, it had an engine, and two weeks or so supply of food. It could room an entire B-17 or -29 crew! See Squadron Signal number 63, "B-17 In Action" for details.

Hope this helps,
Semmern

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posted 09-29- 06:43 AM               

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Yup, that she be! It would be interesting to see this type modeled in this game.

There were also B-17s fitted with a crew pod under the nose with a 40mm Vickers "S" gun just incase you run across of any pics of that.

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posted 09-29- 03:20 PM               

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Thanks Semmern - never seen or heard of it before. Does anyone know of a way to track a tail number on a plane to see its service record?

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-=BAB=- Rattlesnake
Bad Ass Bulldogs
http://www.oldpostoffice.com/badass

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posted 09-29- 03:27 PM               

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I have a link for finding the service record of a B-29, but not for a B-17..

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posted 09-29- 04:03 PM               

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Hey Whirl - can you send it to me? It might give me some ideas. Thanks!

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-=BAB=- Rattlesnake
Bad Ass Bulldogs
http://www.oldpostoffice.com/badass

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posted 09-29- 04:08 PM               

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Sure, I have the Erl at home

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posted 09-29- 08:16 PM               

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http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b3-30.htm

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