Was there A Door in the Tunnel?

[Credible Sport]

Hi Folks,
In any B 17 Y1B thru G, was there ever door in the floor between the pilots, that covered the top of the tunnel to the nose compartment? I have not heard of this anyone?
Thanks,
Tim

[Credible Sport]

Is there a door here?

[terveurn]

Doors from the TO

doors.JPG

[Credible Sport]

Thanks was this standard? removed or deleted later on?

[DryMartini]

The door was there from the early models through the E. I've seen it
In early F drawings, but don't know at what serial number they were discontinued.
I'll look into it and post when I find some time.

[DryMartini]

From the blueprints:

The doors in the floor leading under the flight deck were there
late into the B-17F production run.

Note: Boeing built only - I do not have data for Douglas and Vega

Metal doors with corrugation (as shown in the TO drawing above)
ran from the B-17B through the B-17E, (Possibly earlier but I
cannot confirm the 299/YB-17 usage at this time), and the
first 320 examples of the B-17F from S/N 41-24340 --> 41-24639
and S/N 42-5050 --> 42-5069.

Wood doors were used from S/N 42-5070 --> 42-5484 and
S/N 42-29467 --> 42-30505

Leaving the B-17Fs S/N42-30506 --> 42-31031
and all B-17Gs doorless.

[Chris Brame]

Wood doors were used from S/N 42-5070 --> 42-5484 and
S/N 42-29467 --> 42-30505

Boeing Bee 42-29782 fits in there - did it get wooden doors when it was restored?

[terveurn]

Boeing Bee has tunnel doors installed there is a walk thru on-line that shows them:

https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=ArPe3NZ5f1o

boeing Bee 1.JPG

boeing bee 2.JPG

[Lucky 13]

they were in the Douglas, late F's

[terveurn]

From the BAD June 1943 memo mods to be accomplished before entering service

Removing the cockpit floor doors is item 7

doors.JPG

[Chuck Giese]

oh man, in step 13 I'll bet Chuck was a busy boy!!!