PB4Y-2 Privateer, Navy 4 engine bomber

[Karnak]

     Not sure flying boats are capable of mounting ventral guns.  Definitely be a weak spot in the
hull.

H8K2 had two 7.7mm machine guns defending the ventral position.  Not great, but better than nothing.  The Privateer was not a flying boat and likely has the same ball turret installation that the B-24 has.

[AWwrgwy]

I cant tell from the first picture, but did it have any sort of lower armament such as a ventral or ball?

H8K2 had two 7.7mm machine guns defending the ventral position.  Not great, but better than nothing.  The Privateer was not a flying boat and likely has the same ball turret installation that the B-24 has.

PB4's had no ball turret.

wrongway

[Pigslilspaz]

     Not sure flying boats are capable of mounting ventral guns.  Definitely be a weak spot in the
hull.

The Catalina had a .30 ventral gun. Was in a closing hatch.

[Rino]

     Thanks for the info, I have to admit I'm weak on flying boats. 

[Ack-Ack]

The Catalina had a .30 ventral gun. Was in a closing hatch.

Hardly ever used though in reality, the ventral gunner had to "sit" on his knees the entire time he manned the ventral gun and it was too much of an uncomfortable position to be in for very long.

Here is the picture for the "tunnel gun" as the ventral gun was called on the Catalina.  You can see the cushion that was used to help provide some comfort to the kneeling gunner and why it was rarely used.



This is what it looked like when the hatch was open.



ack-ack

[dev1ant]

If I'm not mistaken there is one of these sitting outside at Yankee Air Museum here in Michigan.

[Liberator]

+1 to the privateer!

[Squire]

If we had sea convoys in the game I could see more of a use for maritime patrol a/c.

[JHerne]

PB4Y-1 and PB4Y-2 are completely different aircraft. PB4Y-1 is a Liberator, regardless of the variant, so yes, a B-24D and a B-24J are both PB4Y-1s.

Privateers are definitely an upgraded B-24, an increase in armament of 12 twelve .50s. To eliminate the need for the ball turret, the side blisters could be depressed beyond 180 degrees to provide an overlap of fire below the aircraft. The nature of operations of the aircraft (based on the squadron histories I have) was that they operated at low levels during combat operations.

The downside is that they're slower than B-24s, with only a 236mph top speed, but could carry up to 12,800lbs of bombs versus the Lib's 8000.

+1 for Privateer.