Hey guys, I’m working on a B-25C and want to know if the guns in the top turret were electrically charged or manually charged. I can’t find any good photos in the book or online of the turret guns. Thanks a lot!
This may help–here is a shot of the top turret controls from “Heavenly Body”–a restored B-25J model. Looks like the whole deal was electric. Then again, I dont know off-hand if the same system was used in all B-25’s or not. EVerything I have found shows the same Bendix turret was used in all of the -25’s.
I could be wrong on this but I’m pretty sure that while the guns may have fired electrically, they they were charged manually. I dont know for certain on that type of turret but I do know that B-17’s top turret guns were charged manually.
OK, so maybe I should go with the Aires set of wing guns that manually charged. I’m replacing most of the gun barrels in my kit. The waist guns are the beautiful Aires waist gun sets, but I wanted to replace the turret guns, as well! Shouldn’t be a tough fix. I’ll leet you guys know how it works out!
If I were to assume…I’d think the guns even though electronically charge an fired would have provisions for manual charging and firing. If the aircraft lost electrical power, this would make the aircraft without defenses…not a good way to enter a combat zone.
Now if an aircraft such as the B-29 with remote turrets, then a manual system probably wasn’t available…without special tools.
I’ve flown an aircraft which had a complete electrical failure. No lights, no radio, no flaps…just a motor purring along happily, a flashlight and a tower operator who knew how to use the light gun to signal me when I approached the base. It is even logged in my logbook! All those pretty flashing lights on the big fire trucks and the spacemen in silver suits greeting me when I landed. Followed up by a seven page incident form to fill out!
Keep this in mind too though–the Bendix turret was electrically operated. So, it really wouldnt have mattered much if there was total electrical loss, because at that point you couldnt rotate the turret or elevate the guns. Having guns that you can still charge is one thing, but if the entire control system needs electrical power, then you cannot use those guns anyways. Man, as far as I recall, there wasnt even a way to manually fire the guns without electrical power…
Crap. I can’t seem to find a definite answer. I’ve found that the B-25 I’m looking to build had a Bendix Type “A” turret which was rotated and fired electrically. But nowhere can I find how the dang thing was charged!
You might want to see if you can find the technical manuals anyplace online, or put the question out in some of the aircraft forums, like Aircraft Resource Center, etc. Maybe someone has a copy.
Years ago I detailed a top turrent for the Monogram B-25J but not at home to look at it. I seem to remember a couple of “D” handles that charged the guns. I have some photo’s in some old Wings and Airpower that I used. I’ll try and remember to dig it out next week when I get home and take some pic’s of my turrent… Never finished the B-25 yet! I made clear gun slot covers that rotate with the guns and front glass armor plate rotates also along with them.
That what I was thinking of mel! I’ve got a picture of a B-17’s top turret up close that shows those D handles, you can also see some of the cable and pulley set up to charge the guns.
The B-25 Bendix turret had an emergency battery-power back-up for the turret in case of electrical failure (Watch 30 Seconds Over Tokyo to see it in action)…
The guns were charged electrically (if you look close, you can see the charging solenoid on the left gun.
Can’t tell from the photo about the Martin Turret, but there’s no reson to think that they weren’t all-electric…
Hans, Thank you so much for a definitive answer! Of course I picked the wrong items! DAH!
Now that I think about it, the turrets were probably a little cramped for manually charging handles… Live and learn, I suppose.
But nonetheless, thanks for the info!
Ah well…
Just to rub it in a bit, lol… Here’s a shot of the gun’s solenoid from a better angle…
Here’s a shot of the firing solenoid for one of the package guns, but it’s the same set-up for turret guns.
Blast… where were these photos when I was searching for them!!!
Thanks again, Hans.
Oh, my memory fails me again! What do you expect at my age (last year in the 50’s). Great photos!
It’s all in the keywords, Pard… I Google Imaged “B-25 Top Turret”…
It is also at liberatorcrew.com/aircraftgunnery for a good explanation on US aircraft gunnery. You beat me to it Hans.
Guys,
I checked out my old B-25 turrent and I had added a pulley and charging cable which would go down to the foot pegs. If you look at the excellent picture that Hammer posted of the Bendix Turrent that is not a solenoid but the end of the charging cable’s exterior cover and attachment to side of the gun. You can see the pulley at bottom aft of gun. The cable wraps around it and then goes forward to the cocking lever. It also states on the picture, second from the bottom left, Foot Charger . There is an excellent picture in the B-25 Detail and Scale on page 68 of the left side of the turrent sans the clear dome.
Here are a few pics of my unfinished turrent detail and a drawing depicting the cable and pulley on the .50 cal.
