B-52 Tail Gunner

[Finn]

An early tail gun position of a B-52 minus the gun package, when it was time to bail out the whole turret package was jettisoned and the gunner just stepped out:

 

 

Jari

[John1]

Sucks for the tail gunner if the aircraft is going down at low altitude (although it sucks even worse for the NAV and RNAV).    What an interesting job, being in your own little world for all those long missions.   During the raids on Hanoi, they said the tail gunners in the D were invaluable in spotting SAM launches.  

[Oldbaldguy]

Okay, I’ll bite.  How I’d he get in there?

[Martinnfb]

"just stepped out"   

 

[thierry laurent]

Of course...! You just need strong nerves and big cojones...

[Dennis7423]

... and a view from the other direction! My buddy Brian snapped a photo of this photograph that he located in an antique store in Kansas somewhere just yesterday:

 

 

- Dennis S.

   Mt. Juliet, TN USA

[TBC]

https://www.criticalpast.com/video/65675068365_crew-of-B-52D-aircraft_crewman-closes-hatch_Auxiliary-power-unit_aircraft-taxis

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by TBC

[Finn]

The tail gunner's entry hatch is on the right, in the middle is the drag chute hatch and the one on the left is for gun loading:

 

 

i remember reading about an incident on a long range flight, Chrome Dome?, the crew couldn't contact the tail gunner so one member got a portable oxygen bottle, crawled all the way to the tail gunner's position to check on him. He found him safe and sound but the intercomm was u/s so the two of them made their way back up front. It must have been an interesting trip crawling the length of a B-52 while airborne.

 

Jari

[CRAZY IVAN5]

As a crew chief, I would've had to go out the nav's hatch and I sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to try that! I 've got some jumping experience[ 48 jumps] and it STILL would've be hair raising to say the least. There was always some question if you could get out with the gear down as it wasn't too awfully far back from the hatch ,then there was the ECM antennas to deal with .  

[CRAZY IVAN5]

The tail gunner most definitely had the best seat in the house as far as bail outs go . Talking with several gunners it seems it could be a pretty rough ride, hence all the padding in their compartment. After the F models ,the gunners got moved up front with the rest of the crew [G and Hs] and got a "bang seat", facing aft beside the EWO[ electronic warfare officer] on the upper deck.

[TimW]

Some of this reminds of how Vulcan crews had to get out.  Pilot and co pilot had bang seats, everybody else had to figure out a way to go out the nose wheel well.   That must have been fun to consider.

 

Tim W.

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/escaping-the-v-bomber/

[Oldbaldguy]

I’d likely have done unspeakable things in my youth for a seat in a B-52 except for this one.  The chances of getting me into the tail gunners position are as close to zero as you can get.  Can’t imagine being 140 feet away from the rest of humanity if something went south, waiting on the aircraft commander to tell me: (1) that something was wrong because how would I know? and (2) it was okay/time for me to vacate.  And if he wasn’t a talkative guy, then what? 

 

[John1]

3 hours ago, TimW said:

Some of this reminds of how Vulcan crews had to get out.  Pilot and co pilot had bang seats, everybody else had to figure out a way to go out the nose wheel well.   That must have been fun to consider.

 

Tim W.

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/escaping-the-v-bomber/

Still think it was scandalous that the RAF had no ejection seats for the 3 guys in back.   Very rare that those guys were able to get out if a Vulcan went down.  

[MikeC]

6 hours ago, TimW said:

Some of this reminds of how Vulcan crews had to get out.  Pilot and co pilot had bang seats, everybody else had to figure out a way to go out the nose wheel well.   That must have been fun to consider.

 

Tim W.

 

https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/blog/escaping-the-v-bomber/

It wasn't quite the nose wheel well, it was the regular entrance/exit hatch. Problem is, with the u/c down, there's a large and solid nosewheel leg not far aft. I believe the drill was to give a good hard sideways yank on the hatch strut as you went out. There was no ladder in the way, that was jettisoned on bailout.

Like most drills, regular practice in a mock-up cockpit would no doubt have been a feature of Vulcan squadron routine.

[CRAZY IVAN5]

8 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

I’d likely have done unspeakable things in my youth for a seat in a B-52 except for this one.  The chances of getting me into the tail gunners position are as close to zero as you can get.  Can’t imagine being 140 feet away from the rest of humanity if something went south, waiting on the aircraft commander to tell me: (1) that something was wrong because how would I know? and (2) it was okay/time for me to vacate.  And if he wasn’t a talkative guy, then what? 

 

There was a bailout warning light that the pilot activated, a big red light and the tail gunner had one in his compartment also . it was the kind of thing that got your attention real quick like. It had 2 positions [well,3], off, steady and flash. flash mode was the warning to get ready , when it went steady , get the hell out now!