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A place where restoration project-type threads can go to avoid falling off the main page in the WIX hangar. Feel free to start threads on Restoration projects and/or warbird maintenance here. Named in memoriam for Gary Austin, a good friend of the site and known as RetroAviation here. He will be sorely missed.
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Interior B-17 'Inside Curtain'..., anyone

Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:18 am

have any idea what these were for?

Image
is it the 'thing' outlined in orange?

What were they for? :?

Did it distinguish between the 'first class' cabin and the waist gunner cabin of a B-17?:shock:


Thanks

just my own curiosity.., while viewing this photo.., it popped out and I have never seen this stenciled on the inside of a military aircraft before.,.

Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:20 pm

ahhhhh.., nobody knows do you!!!!!??? :shock:

Tue Apr 07, 2009 6:02 pm

Never heard of them...
Maybe for a modesty screen for the crap"air"?

I sure couldn't imagine using the loo bucket at altitude with the wind whistling in the waistgunner's windows. <- alliteration while you wait! :D

Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:04 pm

Just a total shot in the dark, but could they be covers that go over the waist windows to provide some small measure of insulation for long ferry flights?

As Ozzy once said, "Just a shot in the dark".

Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:22 am

that's along the lines of what I was thinking. Maybe a 'cover' if the glazing was shot out etc.?
I am shocked no one on here knows with all the B-17 restorations around and B-17 operational manuals..., :?

Rats.., it is not pressing.,. but now I am even more curious!

Like the 3" bullet/flak glass plates that were installed in front of the pilots and co-pilots on B-29's. I never heard tale of them until I finally found a photo of one in a beat up aircraft at Tucson. Then the 330th flightcrews said 'aha hah' I remember those'.
Not in any manuals anywhere.., so maybe this curtain was also an 'add' on?

Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:17 am

Blackout curtains?

Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:24 am

Interesting. Maybe/Maybe not.

https://www.militaryitems.com/product.p ... ctid=19187

Sully

Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:26 pm

the330thbg wrote:Like the 3" bullet/flak glass plates that were installed in front of the pilots and co-pilots on B-29's. I never heard tale of them until I finally found a photo of one in a beat up aircraft at Tucson. Then the 330th flightcrews said 'aha hah' I remember those'.
Not in any manuals anywhere.., so maybe this curtain was also an 'add' on?


I've got a pallet full of those here at Austin Acres.......and I think they're only 2" thick. ;-)

Gary

Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:30 am

Sully wrote:Interesting. Maybe/Maybe not.

https://www.militaryitems.com/product.p ... ctid=19187

Sully



ahhhh.., very nice.., so a first generation of a kevlar material, (cross woven fabric)

Bet they wished the entire aircraft was wrapped in that stuff!!!!

Nice find!! Thanks

Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:31 am

retroaviation wrote:
the330thbg wrote:Like the 3" bullet/flak glass plates that were installed in front of the pilots and co-pilots on B-29's. I never heard tale of them until I finally found a photo of one in a beat up aircraft at Tucson. Then the 330th flightcrews said 'aha hah' I remember those'.
Not in any manuals anywhere.., so maybe this curtain was also an 'add' on?


I've got a pallet full of those here at Austin Acres.......and I think they're only 2" thick. ;-)

Gary


I have several photos of 330th aircraft where these saved someones head from being torn off from a head on pass!
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