Just drooling over the Courtesy A-20G but have a question – bottom right pic shows the canopy/hatch open – immediately behind the pilot is a black ‘ring’ – looks like a turret mount but IIRC the A-20 had a mid upper 2/3 down the fuz not behind the cockpit a la Mitchell?
anyone any idea what it is/is for?
Link here:
http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/N3WF%20Douglas%20A20-G%20spec.htm
TT
By: Allison Johnson - 14th July 2006 at 10:55
Cheers Aerovin – I would be grateful – just a curious installation – I suppose it could be a camera mount?
TT
BM :p
It looks very much like a turret mount to me. Begs the questions about it’s history and was it used for any upper turret training during any military service and did they just “bung one in” to get going. Looks a little big for a camera mount.
Ali
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 14th July 2006 at 09:18
Cheers Aerovin – I would be grateful – just a curious installation – I suppose it could be a camera mount?
TT
BM :p
By: The Blue Max - 13th July 2006 at 23:07
That follows Rob – but why the ring?
toilet 😉
By: aerovin - 13th July 2006 at 20:37
The standard A-20s had the second set of controls in the gunner’s compartment aft of the bomb bay, I think the thought being the gunner could keep the airplane stable enough to bail out of if the pilot was disabled. In the standard A-20G the area behind the pilot’s seat was decking to walk on to get to the cockpit from the wing inner section (after the pilot climbed up steps on the fuselage aft of the wing). The aft set of windows are non-standard on N3WF and support a passenger seat aft of the pilot position. The round metal structure appears to be a mod-after-the-mod and might support some sort of test equipment once installed there. I have the civil file on this airplane and will add more if it reveals anything further.
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 13th July 2006 at 17:55
That follows Rob – but why the ring?
By: Rlangham - 13th July 2006 at 17:50
The A-20’s had a second set of the basic controls behind the pilots seat in case of emergency, so maybe it’s the position for them? Presumably the bomb aimer could get to them (if it was the glazed nose versions), or the gunner could squeeze through the fuselage above the wing spar to get to it
Sign In
July 13, 2006 at 5:43 pm