Enlarged Fortress Cheek Gun Window?

Shay · **Posted:** Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:20 pm

Came across this 12th AF B-17F over on World War Photos site and noticed the abnormally large nose gun window on the starboard (co-pilot) side. Seen thru the nose cone. At first I thought maybe the censors got to this photo to hide the Norden bomb site. But you can still see the aluminum structure of the nose where the nose glass meets. As well as the seam in the nose plexiglass isn't obscured. It genuinely looks like one big window. Has anyone seen any field modification like this before? Thanks

Shay
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Semper Fortis

LysanderUK · **Joined:** Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:01 pm **Posts:** 271

Looks to me very much like the censor's whitewash has been applied, that nose frame has been extremely well done. I can't imagine the nose would be structurally sound with that much metal taken away.

raconnel · **Posted:** Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:51 pm

Yes, the censor got cheeky. :lol:

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

https://www.allposters.com/-sp/U-S-Army ... 20409_.htm

bomberfan · **Posted:** Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:58 pm

Like everyone had said, that's a censors handiwork. They even nipped the gun mount itself. If that were fired just hanging in the plexiglass, it would shatter the window.

Kyleb · **Posted:** Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:57 am

bomberfan wrote:

Like everyone had said, that's a censors handiwork. They even nipped the gun mount itself. If that were fired just hanging in the plexiglass, it would shatter the window.

The question is "why?" They are showing the guns, which is the intent of the modification, and anyone with a brain could figure out that there needed to be supporting structure to handle the recoil. So why edit that out?

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

Kyleb wrote:

bomberfan wrote:

Like everyone had said, that's a censors handiwork. They even nipped the gun mount itself. If that were fired just hanging in the plexiglass, it would shatter the window.

The question is "why?" They are showing the guns, which is the intent of the modification, and anyone with a brain could figure out that there needed to be supporting structure to handle the recoil. So why edit that out?

It was all part of "Big Plexi" to fool the Germans/Italians into thinking the nose gunners had better views than the actually did, I won't go into it here.

Kyleb · **Posted:** Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:32 am

mike furline wrote:

Kyleb wrote:

bomberfan wrote:

Like everyone had said, that's a censors handiwork. They even nipped the gun mount itself. If that were fired just hanging in the plexiglass, it would shatter the window.

The question is "why?" They are showing the guns, which is the intent of the modification, and anyone with a brain could figure out that there needed to be supporting structure to handle the recoil. So why edit that out?

It was all part of "Big Plexi" to fool the Germans/Italians into thinking the nose gunners had better views than the actually did, I won't go into it here.

I imagine Colonel Flagg was involved.

mike furline · **Joined:** Wed May 05, 2004 3:45 pm **Posts:** 2635

Kyleb wrote:

It was all part of "Big Plexi" to fool the Germans/Italians into thinking the nose gunners had better views than the actually did, I won't go into it here.

Kyleb wrote:

I imagine Colonel Flagg was involved.

Obvs...

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