I’m planning on doing my 1:48 B-17F as this a/c, and I need all the info I can find on it. All I know is that it was a B-17F-20-BO s/n 41-24521 and it was with the 63rd BS, 43rd BG. I also know it had a field-modified .50 machine gun in the nose. any references whatsoever, a picture, a link, a bit of information, would all be greatly appreciated.
I found this. Apparently the undersea wreck of ‘Black Jack’ is pretty well known, according to google hits.
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41-24521.html
Note the picture of the crew by the nose. Looks like a fixed gun near the bottom of the nose on the other side. Maybe ‘Old 666’ had it the same way.
Thanks! that’s exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Now I at least an idea of how to do the gun.
Two more external shots of improvised nose guns in B-17E/Fs from two different 17s. Looks like this was a common method. Also, notice in the second image, just under the crewman’s left arm, there’s a second socket for a gun mount in the plexiglass. At least for the ‘Old 666’, this was a field mod.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/Aurora-7/Aircraft%20Photos/nosegunII.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/Aurora-7/Aircraft%20Photos/nosegunIII.jpg
“Black Jack” also had the name “Joker’s Wild” on the left side of the nose.
This B-17F was originally the plane of Capt. Ken McCullar. He chose the name “Black Jack” after noting the las two digits of her serial number. Capt. McCullar was a pioneering pilot in the ‘skip bombing’ attack technique. He was flying “Black Jack” on the night of Nov. 24 1942 when he attacked the IJN Hayashio, a destroyer. The plane made five seperate runs on the ship and severely damaged it. It exploded and sank the next morning. The B-17 was heavily damaged in return and returned to Port Moresby with three wounded and two engines out.
It took two months to repair “Black Jack” and she was assigned to Lt. Harry Staley who was McCullar’s regular co-pilot. He added “Joker’s Wild” to the nose. Lt. Staley flew her for an additional six missions before she was again severely damaged on Feb. 14, !943. Again it took two months to repair. She was returned to combat on April 9, 1943 and flown by a variety of 63rd BS crews until she ditched July 11, 1943 with Lt. De Loach.
As far as references go, Osprey’s book “B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Pacific War” has some nice color artwork of both sides of the nose along with some photos. And I have seen a painting of “Black Jack” attacking the Hayashio. It’s called ‘Rabaul Night’ by Cy Peabody. There’s a small version in Peter Bowers book “50th Anniversary Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress 1935-1985”
HTH
Tony H. Fortress fanatic.
If you can find a copy of it, Warbirds Worldwide B-17 Special Edition had an entire article on Black Jack. It included several pictures of Black Jack including one that showed the nose gun modification. Also if memory serves me correct, the Squadron Signal book “Pride of Seattle” has some info on Black Jack also.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen 1/48 decal sheets for Black Jack/Jokers Wild around on the net.
For another reference photo of a Pacific B-17E with a fixed .50 in the nose, go to the USAF Museum website, and look at a shot of “Typhoon McGoon” in the B-17 photos.
Well, I drilled the hole in the nose for the gun, put the gun in, and it turns out the floor is too high, and it prevents thegun from sitting at the right angle. can anyone think of a way to remedy this (the airframe is already assembledand painted, so disassembling the plane is not really an option. also, thanks for all the info!
You need a new plexiglass nose. Mybe there’s an after market vacuformed one (anybody know?) or vacuform/stretch form one yourself from the original.
I’ll need to make/acquire a new one for myself since ‘Old 666’ was an E and the Revell kit is an F and they had different noses.
Jaypack- Squadron has a vacuform nose for the Monogram B-17 if you want to replace it.
http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=SQ9552
Aurora=7 the Koster B-17C conversion has the B-17E style nose in it. Here’s my B-17C.
If you contact Bill I believe he will sell you just the clear parts. Bill Koster’s e-mail address is wkoster2@comcast.net
If you need them, I have decals for Black Jack. They came in a set of decals I had ordered. Let me know.
Ah, many thanks, mkhoot!