Hi guys

I'm fishing for some information on the B-17E "Old 666" from the 43rd BG. I know the stories but what I'm having trouble tracking down is the modifications that Zeamer and his crew made. I'm attempting to build a 1/72 scale model and I can figure out how to add twin 50 cals to the waist gun positions but I'm not sure how the 50 Cal was mounted for the pilot and some of the other positions.

I know there are some experts out here that can help me. Thanks in advance.

Have you seen this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Im086TCu3I

Yes I have but that does not give you a good reference how they were mounted. I guess there are no photos or drawing to show the details. I guess i'm going to have to make an educated guess as to the placements. Like the one they placed in the floor of the waist. I can only assume some type of window was also put in. With the 50 Cal controlled by the pilot was it fitted through the windscreen or mounted outside with some kind of remote control wired to the pilots yolk?

From Wikipedia;
"Zeamer also destroyed one of the attackers using a nose gun fired remotely by a switch on the flight control column"

Wiki is of course not the Encyclopedia Britannica, but by checking out the sources stated on the page you might be able to confirm this or elaborate on it.

Also by the tube film it looks like the they mounted it in a open hole in the fueslage with the barrel sticking out in front of somekind of screen made up by fuselage. It surely doesn't look like it was stuck through some kind of window.

hi dirk, i saw an episode of dogfights on the history channel over here in the uk which featured one of old 666's missions (not 100% sure mind) but i'm pretty certain it was, if i can recall it said the gun mods were twin 50's in the tail, ball turret, and top turret, twin 50's were added to the waist positions one 50 for the radio operator and 3 50's in the nose (one on each side and a one through the plexiglass, though i'm not 100% sure on that. the machine gun for the pilot i'm pretty sure it was a 30 cal not 50 but it's been a while since i saw the episode so i'll have to get back to you on that. Ant