Avro Lancaster – FN.50 Mid Upper Gun Turret

Today, we shall look at the Avro Lancaster Bomber’s Frazer Nash FN.50 Mid Upper Gun Turret. We shall cover its construction, the hydraulic system and duties carried out by the Air Gunner. We shall refer to extracts from the wartime Air Ministry manuals, to give you a glimpse of what was involved in defending the Lancaster Bomber.

So sit back as we take you on a tour of the Lancaster’s Mid-Upper Gun Turret, as we embark on a journey aimed at promoting UK Aviation Heritage.


Textual extracts from Air Ministry Air Publications are Crown Copyright and transcribed with the kind permission of the National Archives, London. All colour diagrams are based on original Air Ministry Air Publications mono illustrations and transcribed into colour by Bryan Atkinson with the permission of the National Archives, London.

Thanks must also be given to the following superb organisations for their kind support when Bryan Atkinson originally developed The Lancaster Explored PC CD-ROM back in 2004, all are listed below and are included once again in this series of videos.

Lancaster B.Mk.I, PA474. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Lancaster B.Mk.I, R5868. Royal Air Force Museum, London.
Lancaster B. Mk.III, DV372. Imperial War Museum.
Lancaster B.Mk.X, KB889. Imperial War Museum, Duxford.
Lancaster B.Mk.VII, NX611. Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.
The Norman Groom & Jeremy Hall Lancaster Nose Sections.

The Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust.
The National Archives, London.


The material contained in this video is intended for historical, reference and entertainment value only, and is not to be construed as usable for aircraft or component restoration, maintenance, or use.


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Table of Contents:

00:00 - Introduction
00:35 - FN.50 Mid Upper Turret Overview
00:42 - Fuselage Mounting
01:12 - The Turret Step
01:32 - The Cupola
01:48 - The Gun Cradle
02:12 - The Gun Elevation Rams
02:30 - The Turret Drum
03:04 - The Arch Frame
03:17 - The Gunsight
03:33 - Hydraulic Motor & Ring
04:00 - The Hydraulic Pump
04:07 - The Hydraulic System
04:30 - The Recuperator
05:09 - The Valve Box
05:31 - Gun Travel Interrupter Mechanism
05:45 - The Taboo Track
06:09 - Palmer Firing Controls
06:35 - Gun Firing Interrupter Mechanism
07:08 - Hand Rotation Gear
07:24 - Rotation Restrictor Valve
08:02 - The Ammunition Boxes
08:24 - Filling the Ammunition Boxes
09:50 - Loading the Guns
10:42 - The Oxygen System
11:08 - The Instrument Panel
11:24 - FN.50 Wiring Diagram
12:06 - The Air Gunner's Seat
12:58 - Turret Sequence of Operations
13:49 - Operating the Control Handles
14:36 - Firing the Guns
15:17 - Additional Photographs
15:22 - Armour Plate for Gun Turret

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