[303rd-Talk] B-17 Enter and Exit

[John Joerg]

The door to the right of the tail wheel is also the most likely way that you 
will go in if you are lucky enough to be granted access to a B-17 now.  I 
was fortunate enough to have done so just lately with my 10 year old. (the 
restoration/crew chief is an old comrade of mine)
However When the G-model that we have here at our museum was under 
restoration I managed to use the nose hatch once, Kevin was surprised that I 
wanted to go in that way but my reply was that it seemed the "only" way to 
do it right and I might never get another chance.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rose & Herb Shanker" <shank1 at gis.net>
To: "303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum" <303rd-talk at 303rdbg.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 3:36 PM
Subject: Re: [303rd-Talk] B-17 Enter and Exit


> The Engineer also used the nose hatch to enter and exit and I believe the 
> Pilots did too but my memory of that is a bit shaky. Herb Shanker
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "bill runnels" <billrunnels at yahoo.com>
> To: "303rd Bomb Group Talk Forum" <303rd-talk at 303rdBG.com>
> Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 12:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [303rd-Talk] B-17 Enter and Exit
>
>
>> The door to the left of the tail wheel.on the B-17, was the escape hatch 
>> for the tail gunner.  However, he put his parachute and any other 
>> equipment in the tail section through this door while the aircraft was 
>> still on the ground. The tail gunner did have access to his position from 
>> the main cabin. With the exception of the navigator and bombardier, the 
>> crew generally entered the door to the right of the tail wheel.  The 
>> navigator and bombardier entered the nose hatch.
>>
>> Gordon Walker <gskywalkers at citlink.net> wrote:  Hello All,
>>
>> A couple of questions. I had never given it much thought before but was 
>> wondering if the door just to the front of the tail wheel was where 
>> everyone got in and out of the plane? There is another small door that I 
>> can see just to the rear of the tail wheel. Was this for the tail gunner 
>> to get in and out? or was he able to go in the big door and get back to 
>> his station that way? If it became necessary to bail out, what was the 
>> planned exit?
>>
>> Scotty
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