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The controls for the top turret. As you can tell by the appearance of my legs in the shot, it was taken at a downward angle.

A 2 horse, intermittent duty electric motor drives the turret. I'm guessing that there is some sort of planetary gear in the center that turns the shafts in opposite directions

A complex bit of machinery.

This is very likely to be somebody's home address: 17 Bay Drive. It's the motor and shaft that operates the bomb bay doors.

The shaft sticking out of the top of the drive is no doubt for hand-cranking the doors in the event of a motor failure.

She throws a little oil.

The engine nacelles are mostly empty space, as the radial engines are very short and mounted ahead of the wing.

Not so empty when the main gear are retracted, however.

When you see the myriad cables and oil lines, it's a wonder how critical elements were ever missed when under attack.

The Sperry Ball Turret. I don't think any part of the B17 captured my imagination as much as this drafty, insecure-looking station.

This was not open for inspection, and the plexiglass was so age-crazed that I could barely see inside. I hope to return to this aircraft in the future and have a good look, camera in hand.

Could ball turret gunners hit anything? The position seems impossible and the visibility limited. Hand-eye coordination would have to be exceptional.

Note the port under the .50 caliber for the ejection of spent brass. I wonder how much of this brass remains scattered across the fields of Europe.

The ball is very close to the ground. Not a place to be during landings if you have a choice.

The pivot on the starboard side of the ball. Note the splined shaft that drives the gear box under the safety-wired cover. It looks like such light weight hardware for the job at hand.

Is it a coincidence that the number in the casting is 909? Or is this a new casting made for the aircraft?

The end.

A pretty potent stinger. And another miserable station, I imagine. The tail gunner's position was a kneeling one and not one for a claustrophobic.

All photos copyright of Dirck Van Lieu