Warbird Information Exchange

I saw a tv program the other day about a B-17 in the Pacific theater. It went on a photo mission after being modified to have 19 guns. It was attacked by Zeros and fought them off.

Anyone have photos of this ship?

Good luck finding that one of Jay Zeamer's MOH a/c

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Don't touch my junk!!

There is a Dogfights episode about this. Absolutely incredible story.

I had a chance to visit briefly with Jay Zeamer several years ago, and he didn't know of any decent photos of the airplane. He told me that he and his crew did most of the modifications to the airplane on their own with some midnight requisitioning and Radar O'Reilly-type trading. The thing that impressed me most from my visit with him was his regret that Lt. Sarnoski didn't survive the mission.

A friend of mine built a model of the airplane and presented it to Mr. Zeamer after visiting with him. The model was done in standard camouflage with no unusual markings, this being the way Mr. Zeamer remembered it looking. It had twin fifties at the waists and radio room and forward-firing gun or guns for the pilot to fire.

Scott

I seriously doubt that Zeamer's ship had anywhere near that many guns.

Duane

Is this about B-17 Ol'666?

Duane,

I don't remember the exact number of guns, but that airplane was a virtual porcupine. There is a good account of the machine somewhere on the web that may give the exact armament count. It was well more than the standard issue for a B-17.

Scott

I've got some good shots of various 43rd BG B-17Es and they have 1-2 extra flex guns in the nose and a fixed .50

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Don't touch my junk!!

I've been looking for a photo of 41-2666 for over 10 years, and I haven't found one. Col. Zeamer himself did not have one.





Wellll, unless Col. Zeamer lied to me in a letter, which I sincerely doubt, 41-2666 did have 19 .50 guns installed.

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Dave

Of course he DIDN'T lie so lower your rpms so you don't have a overspeed
He could be mistaken. Where did they shove all those guns

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Don't touch my junk!!

I don't think he lied. Things do have a way of getting confused over the years. My dad is 86 and flew his missions in B-24s. His recall is not as sharp as it once was, which is more than understandable. The YB-40 only carried 14 guns and they were stuck in every conceivable location, including paired waist guns and a turret in the radio room location.

Duane

That was an awesome dogfights show.I dont see why you couldnt mount that many 50s on a B-17.Re-enforcing the front floor is not a problem short term.After awhile it will likely shake all the rivets loose but then how long does one expect a plane to last in the enviroment of the south pacific?

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Hang The Expense

The Memphis Belle has 13 in it. so I am thinking that the 19 gun claim is possible.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Director

Here is the start to the Bomber episode of dogfights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdYDHo7s4_Y&feature=related Skip to 8:40 and thats where starts the Story of "Old 666".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO-u2nE_Cjw&feature=related
This is part 3 of the episode.
Start at 2:48 and it states it has 19 guns and it describes where the extra guns went.

There is a picture of a 20 mikemike in the nose of a B-17 in SP.That had to have been one nasty darn surprise for zero pilots in a head on.

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Hang The Expense