ww2 aircraft mystery! Please help if u can

[normandy]

Dave, what size is this? At first thought it might be from B-17 tailgun, not. Maybe P51 or some of the folks at the planes of fame museum might know.

[normandy]

Dave, you may be correct. I've looked at some pics and Photos in books and my 21st XD P-38. It could be... any U.S. markings on it? Any markings?

[normandy]

http://www.ethell.com/jethell/jeffethell/p38_coast.htm Your windshild could be a from a P-38. I'll see if anyone at the American Air Power Museum in Farmingdale, L.I. N.Y. can help you out. Its just 5 min from my house.

[JimBob55]

I can't ID the aircraft (nor even come close), but I think you guys are on the right track. But my guess is that it is armor glass that goes INSIDE the an exterior windshield. From the photos, it doesn't seem to be part of a cockpit frame itself, but something that bolts inside a windshield or turret. The keystone shape makes me lean towards windshield armor rather than turret.

I'm looking forward to finding out the correct answer.

JimBob

[Teamski]

I don't think it's off of a P-38. This panel is obviously an interior armored window. There isn't the usual mounting screw holes in it that you would see with a windshield assembly. Note the cut-outs for a pass-through bar over the top and a clip at the bottom.. I'm not sold on the windshield theory, though. The pass-throughs at the top are too predominant to allow such an obstruction to vision. How about the possibility of a B-25 tail gun interior armor window?


interesting!


-Ski

[p51]

I'm pretty sure that's not from a B-25... at least the J model. I've been around them enough that I don't recognize that.

[Teamski]

I'm pretty sure that's not from a B-25... at least the J model. I've been around them enough that I don't recognize that.

What did they use for armor? I know the current planes are carrying typical plexiglass to save weight, but was the WWII installation armored?

-Ski

[piercees]

Well good news is that I know that it's not off of a C-17

[Folkwulfe]

After looking at the pics of your glass, a few things stand out. First, it's obviously meant as internal "add on" armor and mounted at a slant (like inside of a windshield). I don't think turrents used them. The oval would then look like a circle at the right angle....hence the slant. Second, because later fighter types used reflective sights (like Revi) this would have to be early war. You might compare photos of the internal armor windshields for say...the P-39 Airacobra. The size and structure certainly looks close. The original windshields are curved and braced inside....armored glass was added later.

[normandy]

Dave, I went to the Anerican Air Power Museum on Sunday... no luck; most of the old timers had the day off and the rest of the staff are just to young.
Check this link http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... D%26sa%3DG

Go to P-38 and the 8th pic down shows a 38 with armored glass.

[Teamski]

Great find Normandy. Well at least we know that it isn't from a P-38.....

-Ski

[normandy]

I was wishing it was, now that would have been a find. There are plenty of pics at that link...Boomboom my just have to go one at a time
Ski, hows the sun and sand? Its up near 100 here on L.I.
Stay Safe buddy!!!!! Normandy

[Folkwulfe]

I've search photos of several aircraft volumes I have. None show a perfect match, but a couple stand out as extremely close possibilities. Both the P-39 Airacobra (mentioned earlier) and the P-40 Warhawk (especially early versions) had armored glass added to the inside of the forward windscreen for pilot protection. The P-40 also had a couple of interesting details. Early P-40's had a ring and bead sight mounted forward of the cockpit and offset to the right. Lined up with that oval inlayed in the glass...instant gunsight. Also, the P-40 had two handholds that formed the upper portion of the windscreen frame on the inside. Could match the indentations in the upper edges of your glass panel. I'm still searching archieves...more later.

[Folkwulfe]

This is a disassembled P-39 that gives an idea of the cockpit structure around the windscreen. I've sat in one that was rebuilt, but the armored glass was left out to save weight and improve pilot visibility after the rebuild. Wish I had pics of that one!

These are enlargements of a couple of scanned images. Unfortunately they blurr as they enlarge. The originals are found in "P-40 Hawks At War" and a magnifying glass makes them much clearer. The first is a belly-landed A/C and the outline of the armored glass incert is very visible through the "headstone" shaped windscreen panel. The second is a taxiing P-40 with the canopy open and the top edge of the armored glass panel is very clear...as is the side and the slant angle that it's mounted at.


Still trying to find some clearer images for you.