Curator Dan takes up the story: Wings is well known for its rare aviation wrecks and relics, such as the substantial remains of one of only 2 surviving Nakajima B5N2 “Kates” to be seen anywhere in the World! Having acquired this turret there was some debate exactly what make and model of turret it actually was.
Having tried on google myself to confirm the exact make and model I could not find anything remotely useful. I reached out to a chap I know for help and Richard came up trumps and rather than re-write his hard work, I will share exactly what he managed to research below:
“This in fact 100% a Consolidated Aircraft Co CAC A6A nose turret A6 tail turret with the wind shielding added. But to be fair I have just read now in my book that on US aircraft turrets that the consolidated design was subcontracted to Southern Aircraft Corporation of Garland CA. But retained the CAC designation as it was Consolidated’s design. This turret was fitted in the nose of B-24 D-1 HAD modification and early B-24 J CO, CF blocks.
This is very interesting! This turret had flat glass panels and staggered gun mounts… RH mount is set back 6 inches to allow room for ammunition feed for each gun in the turret. You have some of the wind shielding still present on your turret… indicated in my picture and this is the part I remembered seeing.
I think because of the dull dark green paint inside that this probably would be from an early CO or CF B-24J and not a modified D, and most B-24J with the CAC nose turret were sent to PTO (Pacific Theatre of Operations).
You can recognise the parts more easily now by comparing your turret with the original A6 tail turret picture below.
Nice find”.
A6 Turret Specifications:
Approx 1800 parts
Hydraulic operated,.. in the nose supplied from the aircrafts main hydraulic system in the tail by it’s own unit. With manual emergency stowed hand cranks..
Speed of rotation 45° per second elevation 45-70° per second
Gun elevation 40° below 70° above total 110°, side to side 122°
Iluminated gunsights tN-6A, N-8,or N-3A.
Armour glass 2.2 inch with 0.833 armour plate below and Left and right 0.375 plates beside gunners knees
Fire convergence 600 yards
Ammunition capacity 825 rounds per gun. stowage boxes outside the turret plus additional 250 on the rails total 1075 per gun.
Latest Update: The Wings Team is carrying out a sympathetic restoration carefully dressing out damage etc. Volunteer Ron has also successfully got the gun elevation working after more than 80 years! Long term plans are to acquire some replica .50 Browning machine guns to complete the turret. The turret will be on display in the museum later this year.
The dull dark green interior has nothing to do with the model of the aircraft, as the color was used for flight deck and turret interior for earlier models as well. This version of the a-6 was more commonly used as a tail turret on B-24D models, while it is true some modified D’s used it as a nose turret. J models typically used a different variation of the a-6 (some say dubbed a-6a to designate use in the nose) which is noticeably different in configuration and lacks the gun stagger. H models used the Emerson nose turret of course, and not one made by Consolidated. For a look at this turret mounted on an actual aircraft (tail) you just have to check out B-24D “Strawberry Bitch” at the National Museum of the US Air Force. Their website has good images, but everyome who goes there takes photos, so they are easy to fimd online.