B-24 / PB4Y-2 Tail Turrets – Motor Products Corporation

[ChrisAldridge]

Within my projects portfolio is locating any surviving company records of the Motor Products Corporation of Detroit. This company was selected by Ford to help reduce the workload from producing the B-24 tail turrets. The company was tasked to produce the first iteration of the turret design known as Army designation A-6A, or as the Consolidated drawing number 32F5800 and Ford GK32F5800. The company soon named their turret as the MPC-5800 to reflect their company effort. The company later produced the revised Army A-6B turret design and their last for the Army Air Force.

As the later models of the B-24 were produced, Motor Products Corporation no longer produced turrets after the Ford B-24J model. All new turrets were produced by the Southern Aircraft Corporation of Texas as the Army A6-C and D models. I’m unaware if Southern produced earlier tail turret models such as the A6-A and A6-B. The Navy also used both vendors for the tail turrets of the PB4Y-1 and PB4Y-2 aircraft.

Within my archives collection I have drawings of Consolidated, Ford, and Southern. While my collection covers most of the tail turret family, I’m unable to locate and acquire MPC drawings or manuals. The National Archives seems to be the last location where any MPC drawing records are located, within the PB4Y-2 subject area of study. Smithsonian has nothing.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[ChrisAldridge]

Late September update.

I've located deteriorated Cellulose Acetate 1940/50s microfilm rolls archived by the Navy for the PB4Y-2 turrets. A non-profit museum collection contains the ERCO and MPC drawings for the nose, tail, and blister turrets. The rolls have deteriorated beyond the threshold of stabilization or information preservation. The only good news from the discovery is the drawings were microfilmed.

It is quite possible the NARA could have a set of undocumented film rolls somewhere.

[ChrisAldridge]

I wanted to share a preview of what we are working on for the last several months.
Maybe archival resources might appear from the darkness of I'm looking for.

New glass

[chainfeed]

Very cool! Are you recreating the whole turret or just the glass?

[ChrisAldridge]

Primarily the glass structure and associated attaching sheet metal parts. I'm currently experimenting methods of producing the metal parts.

[Spitty]

Heavy metal parts can be 3D printed or used as a casting master.Or you can use it as a lost PLA casting..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfB3gQEW8q0

[chainfeed]

I'm good friends with a veteran who was a B24 tail gunner in the 458th bomb group, I'll have to show him this thread he'll get a kick out of it!

As far as the metal parts CNC machining can replicate many of shapes that used to require a casting. They can't do it all but it can be a good option for short runs like this for many parts.

[Wilson]

Fred Bieser in Atlanta has quite a collection of turrets and manuals. He might have what you are looking for.

https://www.tested.com/art/makers/45903 ... storation/