B-24 Nose Turret Ammunition Feed System

[ronl]

I have noticed that nose turret equipped B-24s used two types of ammunition feed systems. One comprised a combination flexible ammunition chute and rigid curved ammunition track from the two ammunition boxes (seems to be primarily in B-24J versions) to the bottom of the nose turret, while the other consisted of two flexible ammunition chutes from the ammunition boxes all the way to the bottom of the nose turret. I have seen drawings from the B-24 H and M parts manuals that show the flexible ammunition chutes only. I am thinking the combination flexible chute and rigid curved ammunition track was used primarily on J models. (The B-24 at the Pima Air Museum has the combination flexible chute rigid track system, as does Kermit Weeks B-24J). The B-24L at the RAF Museum in Hendon has the flexible chutes, as does the B-24L at the Canadian Aviation Museum in Ottawa. The Collings Foundation B-24 does not have the ammunition feed chutes installed.

Also, would the same feed system be used regardless of the type of nose turret installed (Emerson versus MPC/Consolidated), or would the flexible ammunition chute be used only with MPC/Consolidated nose turrets? Pictures of B-24 nose sections where you can see the rigid curved ammunition track seem to almost always show an Emerson nose turret.

If anyone can provide an answer or some clarification regarding the use of these two ammuntion feed systems for the Emerson and MPC nose turrets, I would certainly appreciate it.

Thanks.

Ron