B-17 “The Movie Memphis Belle” in Kissimmee

[florida.warbirds]

Looks like Thom and the group have an extended visitor.

https://floridawarbirds.wordpress.com/2 ... kissimmee/

[p51]

Is it just me or is the top turret missing? I know that plane had a working turret when I last saw it.

[DH82EH]

Yup, I operated that working turret on the grass at Geneseo.
It got removed when it got leased out to hop rides so that more seats could go in.

I haven't heard of it's current whereabouts.

Andy

[Warbird Kid]

Is it just me or is the top turret missing? I know that plane had a working turret when I last saw it.

It appears as though the turret is removed / reinstalled a lot. Just leave the top part of the turret on at least!

[JohnTerrell]

When the aircraft was leased to the Liberty Foundation a few years back, they had the full & working top turret removed, with just the outer shell of another top turret (that was borrowed) fitted in-place, so that there was more room and less weight up front to put in seats for paying customers. After its time with the Liberty Foundation came to an end, it ididn't keep the borrowed turret shell and the full turret assembly it had before has yet to be reinstalled. According to the guys at Geneseo, the full upper turret remains in storage at Geneseo, pending a decision on what they eventually want to do about it - having the full turret adds a lot of weight and takes up a lot of room, and it sounds like there has been a plan on possibly having a "faux" turret shell produced for it. Following the National Warplane/Geneseo guys on Facebook, I get the impression that their focus has had to be very much on just keeping it flying, with so much work required just to ensure that it is fully flight ready for the season ahead.

[TheBigBadGman]

the full upper turret remains in storage at Geneseo, pending a decision on what they eventually want to do about it - having the full turret adds a lot of weight and takes up a lot of room

Send it to Ray Moore.

We're setting up as an organization and Ray has his eyes on a larger hangar nearby. Regardless of whether or not he can move, he has a lot of space. We easily have room for the turret and Ray could probably set it up in a frame for visitors to see it "in place." He wants to set up a quasi-museum and encourage visitors, and I'm helping him out to get this going.

-G
www.gblume.com

[JohnTerrell]

Oh, they've got plenty of hangar/museum space to display the turret/full pedestal unit, if it is determined that is what they want to do with it - what I meant in my post is that the full turret/pedestal unit takes up a lot of space in the airplane itself, where most operators would rather have a couple jump seats installed for paying passengers/revenue, as the aircraft is currently configured. I don't think any of the other flying/touring B-17's have a full top turret with pedestal either.

[Matt Gunsch]

Oh, they've got plenty of hangar/museum space to display the turret/full pedestal unit, if it is determined that is what they want to do with it - what I meant in my post is that the full turret/pedestal unit takes up a lot of space in the airplane itself, where most operators would rather have a couple jump seats installed for paying passengers/revenue, as the aircraft is currently configured. I don't think any of the other flying/touring B-17's have a full top turret with pedestal either.

Sentimental Journey has a full top turret installed

[Rod Schneider]

Oh, they've got plenty of hangar/museum space to display the turret/full pedestal unit, if it is determined that is what they want to do with it - what I meant in my post is that the full turret/pedestal unit takes up a lot of space in the airplane itself, where most operators would rather have a couple jump seats installed for paying passengers/revenue, as the aircraft is currently configured. I don't think any of the other flying/touring B-17's have a full top turret with pedestal either.

Sentimental Journey has a full top turret installed

Does 909 also have a full upper turret?

[TheBigBadGman]

I gotcha

Does 909 also have a full upper turret?

Unless they changed it recently - yeah, they do.

-G
www.gblume.com