NASM finds missing E-8, -11 & -12 gun mount dwg's!

[johnpipe108]

In November, I made an armaments inquiry to the National Air & Space Museum (NASM), and have just received a reply; as the inquiry was for the Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina, the Navy BuOrd microfilm collection was searched. It turned out that the BuOrd had drawings from many sources, and copies turned up for missing AAF drawings for the E-8, E-11 and E-12 Flexible Gun Mount Adapters which I had inquired about previously. The E-8 is used for B-17E & F side guns, and the E-11 is used (IIRC) on the B-17F nose-gun installation. I have seen the E-12 in a very few B-24 side-gun photos.

Here is info from the Custom search printout; these would all be printed from the 35mm microfilms:

Air Materiel Command (USAAF) 42K6978 Rev - 12/22/1941 Title: Adapter Assembly - Gun Mount - Type E-12
Models: USAAF Adapter, Gun Mount, Type E-12
Item: DD-0073821 EDM 731 5-260 Printed As: 1 (27 x 67) sheet $13.00

Bell (Ordnance Division) 03-043-012 Rev L 03/01/1944 Title: Assembly - .50 Cal Adapter - Type E-11
Models: USAAF Adapter, Gun Mount, Type E-11 (Bell Model 32A)
Item: DD-0073819 EDM 731 5-232 Printed As: 1 (34 x 62) sheet $15.00

Edgewater Steel Co DS-6300 Rev - 10/02/1940 Title: Adapter - Gun Mount - Type E-8
Models: USAAF Adapter, Gun Mount, Type E-8
Remarks: same as USAC dwg 41K3650-A; same as USN BuOrd dwg 421500.
Item: DD-0073817 EDM 731 5-245 Printed As: 1 (23 X 35) sheet $6.00

Edgewater Steel Co DS-6670 Rev G 11/19/1943 Title: Adapter - Gun Mount - Type E-12
Models: USAAF Adapter, Gun Mount, Type E-12
Item: DD-0073818 EDM 731 5-259 Printed As: 1 (23 x 35) sheet $6.00

No mention was made whether or not the BuOrd collection contains E-4 flexible adapter (B-17-B, C & D side-guns), or the C-9 ammo-box mounting bracket, so I plan to make another inquiry on those two, just to be sure; I would not be confident on the E-4, but as the C-9 was used with the E-8, etc, it's worth double-checking. This should be good news for the restoration community.

Regards, John

[DryMartini]

That is great news, John!
Thanks for the info!