Tbolt Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Does anyone know what the item is on the gun access panel in front of the nose art ( click on the picture for a larger version )? I haven't been able to find a close up of the item yet, so I can't tell if it's a vent cover or something else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifton Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) My guess would be a vent for exhaust gasses for the bottom gun. Edited February 24, 2020 by Clifton 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 54 minutes ago, Clifton said: My guess would be a vent for exhaust gasses for the bottom gun. Thanks that'sthe sort of thing I was thinking, though I need to fine a better picture of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I doubt it is a vent for gun gases. I have the William Wolf book on the A-20, and in none of the photos of solid-nosed A-20's, nor any of the photos diagrams, or descriptions of the nose armament mention or illustrate anything used to vent gun gases. Clearly, from the shadow cast by what ever it is, it is proud of the surface of the gun access cover. As the barrels of the upper nose guns extend past their ports, I would think their gases would be expelled, but since the lower gun barrels do not, maybe the vent, if that's what it is, is a field modification to remove gases from the lower guns- it would have been interesting to see what the RH side access cover looked like. BTW, Rod Lewis' A-20G, featured in the video. is based here where I live, and she's gorgeous! Mike 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 5 minutes ago, 72modeler said: I doubt it is a vent for gun gases. I have the William Wolf book on the A-20, and in none of the photos of solid-nosed A-20's, nor any of the photos diagrams, or descriptions of the nose armament mention or illustrate anything used to vent gun gases. Clearly, from the shadow cast by what ever it is, it is proud of the surface of the gun access cover. As the barrels of the upper nose guns extend past their ports, I would think their gases would be expelled, but since the lower gun barrels do not, maybe the vent, if that's what it is, is a field modification to remove gases from the lower guns- it would have been interesting to see what the RH side access cover looked like. BTW, Rod Lewis' A-20G, featured in the video. is based here where I live, and she's gorgeous! Mike I've got the Wolf book also and couldn't find anything in there either. Like you say could some sort of field mod. I'm going through 312th BG pictures to see what I can find. Have you had a chance to look around Lewis' A-20? I don't recall ever seeing one in the flesh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Okay I found a better picture of the right side showing the vent. This is also a 312th bird. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 @Tbolt, Great photo of the other side! Sure looks like a vent of some sort, and there seems to be a smaller one higher up and to the right, so maybe they are a local field modification. She was an A-20G-45-DO. Yes, The Lewis A-20 is a beautiful restoration, inside and out, and flies like a fighter. I wasn't able to get good interior/wheel bay/oil cooler photos the last time I saw her, but will try next time, and if successful, I will post them here. The restoration crew did one heckuva job converting her back to the proper configuration after Rod bought her from the Lone Star Flight Museum, as she did not have the nose guns or Martin turret when they had her. If you go to the Lewis Air Legends website, you can see more photos. Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 40 minutes ago, 72modeler said: @Tbolt, Great photo of the other side! Sure looks like a vent of some sort, and there seems to be a smaller one higher up and to the right, so maybe they are a local field modification. She was an A-20G-45-DO. Yes, The Lewis A-20 is a beautiful restoration, inside and out, and flies like a fighter. I wasn't able to get good interior/wheel bay/oil cooler photos the last time I saw her, but will try next time, and if successful, I will post them here. The restoration crew did one heckuva job converting her back to the proper configuration after Rod bought her from the Lone Star Flight Museum, as she did not have the nose guns or Martin turret when they had her. If you go to the Lewis Air Legends website, you can see more photos. Mike Yes I believe both these aircraft are G-45's. The upper one could be a vent for the other two guns, but why that one is smaller than the one for one gun I don't know, if this is there purpose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifton Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 (edited) If it's from the LSFM, it might be Howard Hughes' A-20. Edited February 25, 2020 by Clifton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Clifton said: If it's from the LSFM, it might be Howard Hughes' A-20. I think the A-20 that Paul Mantz had in his collection was the Howard Hughes A-20. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydhuey Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Yes they are field fitted scoops to try and help evacuate the cheek gun bays, the A-20G's had a bad fume problem with the cheek guns when they were fired fumes leaked up into the cockpit so most pilots only fired the four nose guns which vented well and only used the cheek guns if they had to, the A-20G had gun switches on the armaments panel nose guns on/off and cheek guns on/off so they could fire 2, 4 or all 6 guns. This setup is one of many tried in the field the reverse scoop was attached to the cheek gun access panel to try and help evacuate the bay other set ups had a small scoop at the front of the panel into the airflow with a larger reversed scoop on the rear of the panel , an official mod came out to solve the problem , the cheek guns vented out the bottom of the nose under the success panel, a long pipe looking tube/duct was attached under the nose , this forced ram air down the tube past a small reversed duct causing a strong venturi to suck the fumes out of the cheek gun bays. there is a photo of the fitment on the RAAF A-20G thread of "Hilda Shane" with ground crew beside the aircraft, all RAAF A-20G's were fitted with this setup. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 11 hours ago, Sydhuey said: Yes they are field fitted scoops to try and help evacuate the cheek gun bays, the A-20G's had a bad fume problem with the cheek guns when they were fired fumes leaked up into the cockpit so most pilots only fired the four nose guns which vented well and only used the cheek guns if they had to, the A-20G had gun switches on the armaments panel nose guns on/off and cheek guns on/off so they could fire 2, 4 or all 6 guns. This... Great info, thanks a lot. Looks like I just need to make the four vent fairings for "Perk's Pet" then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 23 hours ago, Tbolt said: Okay I found a better picture of the right side showing the vent. This is also a 312th bird. "Dottie"/"Joe Carion(?)" is an insanely modelgenic A-20. The faded, stained olive drab, the artwork, the mismatched natural metal canopy and windscreen framing, the mismatched prop boss and hub, field modified gun vents.... She'd look splendid in miniature. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holzhamer Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 It’s Joe Carioca, a cartoon from Walt Disney. I agree, lots of interesting aspects about this Havoc. Wonder if there’s more photos of this plane around? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tbolt Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 On 2/25/2020 at 8:08 PM, Holzhamer said: It’s Joe Carioca, a cartoon from Walt Disney. I agree, lots of interesting aspects about this Havoc. Wonder if there’s more photos of this plane around? Maybe not much in the way of other photos as I haven't found any decals for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Tbolt said: Maybe not much in the way of other photos as I haven't found any decals for here. Yep- animated film released in 1944; the characters were the basis for nose art on a lot of WW2 aircraft, including some B-24's. "We're slap-happy chappies with snappy serapes!" was one of the film's trademark quotes. There is a CD boxed set titled Walt Disney on the Frontlines that covers all of the contributions the studio made to the war effort; I have the set, and it is very interesting! Mike https://d23.com/a-to-z/three-caballeros-the-film/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Duvalier Posted February 26, 2020 Share Posted February 26, 2020 6 hours ago, 72modeler said: Yep- animated film released in 1944; the characters were the basis for nose art on a lot of WW2 aircraft, including some B-24's. "We're slap-happy chappies with snappy serapes!" was one of the film's trademark quotes. I used this intelligence to find lots of clips and full scans available on the Tube of U. I was unfamiliar with these characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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