Martin 250CE in a B-17?

[TaighR43]

Hello,
This photo was posted in a FB Allied Pilots group and is reported to be two WASP flight crew at Buckingham Field. Buckingham was a gunnery training base so this may have been a gunnery training flight. What I find unusual is that there is a Martin 250CE where the normal Sperry A-1 would be. Have any of you seen Martin turrets in the forward position on a B-17? The Martin was standard in the radio room area of the YB-40 but not up front.
What do you think?

WASP at Buckingham and Martin 250CE.jpg

[aerovin2]

Taigh,

Thanks for posting this. I, for one, have never seen a Martin turret installed at the top turret position. Presumably, for gunnery training. Is the mounting ring gear the same or would it have taken a more involved modification?

Too bad no serial is presented.

[terveurn]

That looks like Dreamboat

Dreamboat.JPG

[terveurn]

Dreamboat was 41-9112

dreamboat 41-9112.JPG

dreamboat 41-9112 b.JPG

[terveurn]

Dreamboat was also called Reed Project

dreamboat 41-9112 e.JPG

dreamboat 41-9112 d.JPG

dreamboat 41-9112 c.JPG

[aerovin2]

Looks like you got it…or at least a B-17 with a Martin turret.

[NickV]

Maybe TDY to Buckingham?

B-17E 41-9112 Project Reed.png

[Steve Birdsall]

With the help of Jack Fellows I think I've been able to take this a bit further. The WASP pilot is Dawn Seymour and this appears likely to be the B-17 she was photographed in.





For more of the story:
https://ezramagazine.cornell.edu/Update ... ymour.html

[NickV]

That's certainly not the "Dreamboat"/Project Reed/Reed Project aircraft.

[Chris Brame]

Is that a Buckingham plane? I've been looking for Buckingham B-17s as the Paducah plane started its career there. Other aircraft types based there had "FM###" fuselage codes, but the only two Forts from that field I've found have two-digit numbers like Sebring or Lockbourne (from a YouTube video about the base; the serials 42-30492 and 42-30496 check out with Osborne as having served at Buckingham):




http://fuselagecodes.com/id69.html

[terveurn]

With the help of Jack Fellows I think I've been able to take this a bit further. The WASP pilot is Dawn Seymour and this appears likely to be the B-17 she was photographed in.



Disagree

The second photo is a standard B-17 upper, where the photo that started this thread is a Martin (look at the difference in the turret ring)

Disagree that it is the same ship - no paint chips on the window frames (behind pilots sliding window) or on the upper glare shield windows.

As mentioned, may or may not be dreamboat but that is the only B-17 that I know of (off the top of my head) that has had this mod; but the photos posted by Steve is not the same ship

Dave

[terveurn]

Is that a Buckingham plane? I've been looking for Buckingham B-17s as the Paducah plane started its career there. Other aircraft types based there had "FM###" fuselage codes, but the only two Forts from that field I've found have two-digit numbers like Sebring or Lockbourne (from a YouTube video about the base; the serials 42-30492 and 42-30496 check out with Osborne as having served at Buckingham):


Chris

I do not have a single ship with Buckingham codes - only found these two digit codes at Lockbourne

[Steve Birdsall]

Points taken. I’ve since learned that Flip Marchese and Ross Smith have been investigating these same photos, and concluded that #60 is this one, B-17F-130-BO 42-30949, in earlier days named Jumpin’ Jive.

[terveurn]

Points taken. I’ve since learned that Flip Marchese and Ross Smith have been investigating these same photos, and concluded that #60 is this one, B-17F-130-BO 42-30949, in earlier days named Jumpin’ Jive.

I am not seeing a connection with Buckingham according to Osborne

42-30949 Del Cheyenne 24/8/43; Tinker 9/12/43; 3501 BU Boca Raton 14/7/44; 4208 BU Mines
17/7/44; 504BG Fairmont 29/8/44; 3501 BU Boca Raton 4/9/44; 2532 BU Randolph 11/4/45; RFC Walnut
Ridge 20/12/45.

but, there is a 4-month gap between Cheyenne and Tinker

[terveurn]

It could be the blacked out nose art does fit Jumpin Jive

42-30949.JPG