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Turret Ring Identification

Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:56 pm

Can anybody help me identify a turret ring?

In the '60s, one of our employees at Cartwright Aerial Surveys custom built a large format enlarger. To support the heavy vacuum-back easel, he used what another employee told me was a turret ring from a B-17. It allows the easel to rotate on the vertical axis to aid scaling a photo enlargement.

I do not have a photo bucket or other account, but I have posted photos on our Facebook page. Could somebody please confirm this is from a B-17, or else identify what kind of aircraft it might have come from? The outside diameter is 38"; the inside diameter is 32".

https://www.facebook.com/CartwrightAerialSurveysInc?ref=br_rs (Maybe you'll enjoy some of the other photography on the page, too.)

Thank you. Also, this is not the only one. He later built a similar enlarger for a competitor using another turret ring. But, I think they still use their enlarger.

Thank you.

Bill

Re: Turret Ring Identification

Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:07 pm

What you have there is a B-29 turret ring (also used on the A-26), and the way the bearings are mounted tells us that it's for a 2-gun turret. Too bad you're not closer to Georgia--I'd buy it from you right now if you were! :wink:

Re: Turret Ring Identification

Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:13 pm

That was quick... thanks!
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