Martin 250CE Upper Turret
History
The Martin 250CEC Turret was one of the most widely used turrets in WWII. The turret was electrically powered in both azimuth and elevation. The gunner sat between the two .50 caliber guns and would fire the funs with the trigger buttons on the control grops. The first turrets had very basic ring and bead rights whereas the last production models incorporated complex computing sights and byro controlled gun stabilization platforms.
The Martin 250CE turret was installed on the following aircraft:
Along with several other British aircraft. The last aircraft to use the Martin 250CE was the Lockheed P2V Neptune, which flew from the 1950's through to the Vietnam era.
This Martin 250CE turret project is believed to have been installed in a WWII Navy aircraft, but exactly what aircraft is yet to be determined. It is a restoration project in need of a lot of work, but is quitte complete.
The dome is truly a rare find, as it is in factory new condition and is still covered with the protective coating.
This is a Martin 250CE installed in a Chevy 1-1/2 ton turret trainer truck. These vehicles were used on gunnery ranges to train aerial gunner students.
The photo below shows the Martin 250CE turret installed on the Collings Foundation's B-24J. Also included in the photo is our 1944 Chevy M-6 Bomb Service Truck, towing a pair of M-5 Bomb Service Trailers.
