FN 50 Center Turrent

[Micdrow]

Originally Posted by richardp

Hello Gents,

Reading with interrest your information on the cannon armed Lancasters as I am researching my wife grandfather Sgt J Reid, a mid upper Lancaster gunner. He recalls testing a Lancaster cannon turret in 1943/44 and not liking it at all, too cramped and vibration problems. He cannot recall what Squadron he was with or where he was testing it (he's 88 years old) but believes it was in Lincolnshire. Can anyone help with details and or some photographs of the aircraft concerned?

Great site by the way.

Richardp

Hi Richardp

Try reading this link, I beleive it has some of the info you are looking for.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/wea...rret-4834.html (Lancaster Turret)

[xtberia]

Micdrow and Genkideskan, thank you for such wonderful pictures and, of course, the detailed drawing of the Avro Lancaster turrets and the weaponry. Fed on mostly a diet of Commando Comics with a few detailed drawings on the insides of the front and back pages, I always had a desire to see more of such technical marvels.

I have a few questions to ask. I do hope that you shall forgive me if I am asking naive ones to begin with.

How were the turrets powered? Were they hydraulically rotated? Or were there electrical motors which traversed the turret via a system of gears?

Were the machine guns driven by electricity as well? Or did they operate on a standard principle of automatic-fired guns which uses the exhaust gases from a fired cartridge and the blow-back, to load a fresh round and fire repeatedly?

What was the electrical system like for the weaponry to operate, as well as for the other aircraft systems?

Was glass used in the cupola of the turrets? If so, was such glass bullet-proof upto a degree (meaning able to sustain hits from a 0.5 calibure gun at a given range)?

As always, I remain indebted for your patience in replying to my questions.

[Bf109_g]

Hi xtberia,

The turrets were powered by the engines. If an engine got shot out or it was to be feathered, power to the turret stopped and then the gunner had to manually crank the turret using a handle.

The .303's were automatic, bullets being fired until pressure on the trigger was released, and it started again when pressure was applied to it.

I do not about the electrical systems for the weaponry, but a tough glass, called Perspex, was used for the turrets, cockpit and bomb-aimer's bowl.

Hope this helps you.